About me
I am a warm-hearted, relational counsellor. I work integratively, meaning that I draw on a range of counselling approaches. For me, working this way honours human individuality and difference. It also ensures that our sessions are as accessible and meaningful to you as possible.
Why counselling: Each and every one of us has a unique story to tell. Counselling provides an opportunity to share that story in all its complexity: to explore our identity, consider our relationships, and to process different life events and stages. It's also a chance to reflect on what's working well for us and what we might like to change.
The counselling relationship: The counselling relationship is like no other. It's a chance to be ourselves and speak plainly and honestly about how life is for us. No matter how muddled, challenged, or unsure we might feel, working with someone who accepts us as we are and is willing to listen without judgement, can make all the difference. It helps us connect more deeply with our experiences, understand ourselves more fully, and make new choices about how we want to be in the world.
How I work: I am an integrative counsellor, meaning that I draw on a range of counselling approaches including Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems, and CBT.
I work collaboratively, deciding with you what you would like to focus on and what you want to achieve. We might look at events that are confronting you currently or visit early experiences that have informed how you think, feel, and respond today. Together we can identify thoughts and ideas that are holding you back or causing you to repeat self-defeating patterns in the way you relate to yourself and others.
Anxiety and Trauma: I am trauma informed. I understand how our bodies respond to stress and the impact of difficult events on our nervous system, how trauma responses can be stored in the body, and how these can manifest as anxiety, chronic fatigue, and other physical and mental health conditions. If you are manging trauma or anxiety, I will work with you at your pace, supporting you with grounding techniques, and helping you identify and work through difficult memories and emotions.
Creative approach: I am creative and can work with a range of media to help you express your ideas or connect with your thoughts and feelings. If you find it easier to write things down, use mind maps, metaphors, drawing, or other creative techniques to explore what you are feeling, we can do this. If you prefer to simply talk, then let's talk. What matters most is that you feel comfortable and fully able to be yourself.
Who I work with: I work with young people (aged 16+) and adults of every age. I am gender, race, and faith affirming, open minded, curious and always willing to learn. Whether this is your first enquiry or you have visited counselling before, I welcome you. I specialise in working with neurodivergent young people and adults, adults experiencing anxiety and complex PTSD, and adult children of alcohol dependent parents. Many of my clients are from the creative industries and education where I worked for a long time prior to moving into private practice. Many are neurodivergent and have ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, or a combination of these.
Getting in touch: Making a start can feel daunting but it can also be the first step towards radical and positive change. The next step is to find a counsellor or therapist you feel comfortable with. With this in mind, I offer a 30 minute telephone call without charge as a chance for us to get to know each other and for you to ask any questions you may have. If you prefer to meet in person for a trial session we can arrange this at a reduced rate. During this first conversation we can discuss any goals you might want to set and agree a time-frame for working together.
Cost: Sessions last 50 minutes and cost £60 in person and online.
Where I work: I am based in Bristol and work both in person and online from the Practice Rooms in Westbury on Trym (BS9) and Stokes Croft (BS2). I am also based at Orchard Street (BS1).
More information about the Practice Rooms is available at:
Westbury on Trym: https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/room-rental/centres/bristol-westbury-on-trym. Free parking available locally.
Stokes Croft: https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/room-rental/centres/bristol-stokes-croft. Parking is metred but free spaces become available locally after 6pm.
How to contact me
You can contact me here via the Counselling Directory or by using any of the contact details below.
Let me know know your availability (days/times) and whether you are looking for sessions in Stokes Croft, Westbury on Trym, or Orchard Street and I will be in touch to tell you what spaces I have and to see if you would like to set up a time to speak on the phone. Initial phone calls are free (30 mins).
I check my messages daily (Monday-Friday) and intermittently on weekends and bank holidays. I will always respond to enquiries and aim to do so as swiftly as possible. If you message me and do not hear from me, do check your spam folder in case your server has directed my message there.
Email: reach.cobrien@gmail.com
Mobile: 07470379464
Website: https://www.carolineobriencounsellingandpsychotherapy.com/
Training, qualifications & experience
Experience
I originally trained as a teacher and later as a Specialist Mentor to Higher Education students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Alongside my private practice as a counsellor, I worked until recently as a Wellbeing Mentor to Art, Performing Arts, Film, Media, Business, and Education students in Further and Higher Education. I enjoy working with creatives and understand the particular challenges of entering and sustaining a career in the creative industries. I also understand the demands of employment, training, and study at all levels of the education sector.
I have worked in a voluntary capacity throughout my life including work in pre-school settings, residential care homes, hospices, church community groups, and most recently as a helpline volunteer for the Bristol-based charity, Nacoa (https://nacoa.org.uk/). I continue to support their work with young people and adults affected by a parents drinking.
Qualifications and training
MA Counselling & Psychotherapy (University of the West of England)
Level 4 Certificate in Counselling Skills (University of the West of England)
PGCE Secondary Education (University of Nottingham)
Advanced Inter-Agency Safeguarding L3 (South Gloucestershire Council)
Bereavement Support Foundation Course (CRUSE, Bristol)
LGBTQ+ and Trans Awareness Training (The Diversity Trust)
Understanding Autism (National Autistic Society)
Autism and the SPELL Framework (National Autistic Society)
Supporting Dyslexia and Co-occurring Difficulties in Adults and Young People (Dyslexia Action)
ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Training (Living Works, South Gloucestershire Council).
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA, Cheltenham)
DNA-V (Enable Trust)
Introduction to CBT for Anxiety & Depression for Young People. (Off the Record, Bristol)
Resilience Lab Training (Off the Record, Bristol)
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Fees are £60 per session in person and online, payable by bank transfer on or before the day of meeting.
When I work
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Further information
I am based in Bristol and work both in person and online from the Practice Rooms in Westbury on Trym (BS9 3ED) and Stokes Croft (BS2 8QF). Both Practice Rooms are calm therapeutic spaces and clients regularly tell me that they enjoy meeting there.
Accessibility is important to me and I very much regret that at present, neither of the premises I use is able to offer wheelchair access. The Practice Rooms in Westbury on Trym however, have ground floor meeting rooms suitable for people with restricted mobility. Where mobility or accessibility issues cannot be overcome, I can offer counselling support online.
More information about the Practice Rooms is available at:
Westbury on Trym: https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/room-rental/centres/bristol-westbury-on-trym. Parking is available locally for free.
Stokes Croft: https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/room-rental/centres/bristol-stokes-croft. Parking is mostly metered but free parking spaces become available on some local streets after 6pm.
