Beth Carley

Hello, and thanks for checking out my profile. I am an integrative therapist, working online. I offer a safe, confidential space for you to explore where you are, how you are and who you are. Perhaps you have struggled for years, or more recent experiences have brought up challenges for you. People have different ways of understanding their own distress, but I believe that what we label “mental health conditions” or “not coping” are merely our mind and body’s valiant attempts at managing in less-than-ideal circumstances – especially those of our earliest years of life – which allow us to survive, but undermine our capacity to grow and thrive in the longer term. Therapy provides an opportunity to gently and compassionately investigate these patterns, and encourage the growth of new possibilities.

In the background my approach is always informed by my political and existential perspective, which sees the way we have organised society as a significant source of our suffering. This means taking account of the effects of living in a capitalist system where we are all under pressure to meet inhumane expectations, or risk being left unable to provide for our most basic needs. Amongst these pressures are toxic standards of success, happiness and control that deny the reality that uncertainty, loss and the need for care are universal features of human existence.

​So, whatever brings you to therapy, together we will address your own unique strengths and struggles, personality and history, whilst keeping in mind this wider view. My role is to support you in your own process, by asking questions, noticing and investigating with you, to help you to make sense of things, and try out new ways of seeing or being. At times this might include reflecting on the difficult dilemmas of living authentically and being well in an era in which those who govern us disregard what matters most in human life, including the very planet we all depend on.

​I work in a trauma-informed way, treating mind and body as a single, overarching system. This includes taking into consideration the presence of trans-generational trauma. Whilst I make use of neuroscientifically-informed understandings of our psychological development in childhood and adolescence, and of the functioning of the human nervous system throughout life, I work in an open way – I don’t offer one-size-fits-all "tools", and I don't undertake diagnosis, though I respect the fact that some people come with diagnoses and find having them very helpful. 

My style of being is natural and friendly, and I welcome whatever arises, including humour and irreverence, as these qualities can provide a light that makes exploring the darkest corners of experience bearable.​ I work with adults (age 18 upwards) and I see clients once a week, on an open-ended basis, with the option of regular reviews. Sessions last 50 minutes. I mostly do longer-term work (upwards of a year), but I am guided by whatever the client brings – often what has been missing for those of us who come to therapy is patient, dedicated attention, without the pushing or rushing of everyday life; at other times what is needed can be arrived at more quickly, depending on how focussed it is possible to be in the work.

I haven't ticked loads of boxes indicating "what" I work with, because my training and experience are such that I work with the individual human being in front of me, not their conditions. If it seems that we are a good fit, then we can go forward, and if it doesn't, clients are free to look for someone else more suitable.

For enquiries and to arrange an initial consultation please email, call or text. If calling, please leave me a voicemail with your contact details, and I will call you back.