Caron Zar

Hello, my name is Caron and I have over 25 years of counselling experience. I offer one-to-one counselling at my Private Practice in Stanmore, Middlesex HA7.

I have a particular interest in counselling for relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, low mood, depression, anxiety, not feeling good enough and body image/ emotional eating.

The benefits of counselling and how I can help

People often report that they feel calmer, less stressed, less anxious, sleep better, have improved communication, a better work/life balance, look after themselves more, understand their needs better, make positive changes, learn how to say no and laugh again.

I can help you to focus on relationships that work for you.
I can help you to understand the negative patterns in your life and where they come from.
I can give you tools to manage emotions in more healthy ways. 
I can help you feel more empowered.

In my experience, many people feel anxious talking about their difficulties but you are in safe hands. We'll explore your difficulties at a pace that feels right for you, so that you can move forward with your life, feeling more empowered.

My style of working focuses on working together and looking at your individual needs, trying to understand what is going on for you and find ways to make changes or develop coping strategies for situations that cannot be altered.

My practice has a calm, peaceful room to help you to feel supported and safe and where you can be free to be yourself, without the worry of being judged or criticized. My practice is professional and confidential.

Experience

I have worked in a variety of education and private settings in a clinical capacity, for 25 years helping hundreds of people to manage their personal issues more effectively. I have worked with individuals (adults and adolescents), families and have facilitated group work.

My training and experience means that I'm able to help with many of life's problems.

I have provided counselling for a multitude of issues including individual and family relationship issues, loss/bereavement, separation/divorce, anxiety/stress, self harm, panic attacks, depression, low self esteem/confidence, work related issues, illness/disability, body image, trauma, helping people to overcome painful times in their lives.

I use a Psychodynamic approach within my practice, which helps us look at how early experiences impact on the here and now in your life. This is especially helpful for untangling ‘baggage’ which may be holding you back in your current relationships and attitudes to others. Understanding how these patterns are caught up in old hurts, can free you to choose more healthy relationships.

I have used a wide range of skills in my work with adolescents, both in a secondary school settings and privately, including Creative Therapy Techniques. Sometimes people find it difficult to express themselves or get stuck so using other mediums can really help to move people forward.


How to get started

If you are interested in exploring what it might be like to work with me as your counsellor, please do get in touch by messaging me through this profile or calling/texting 07596 140463.  Do check your junk folder as sometimes I find the emails go there. I find it helpful, to have a chat on the phone, before we go ahead and make an appointment. This gives me an opportunity to get to know what you are looking for, and for you to ask any questions.

Please do leave a message if I don't take the call straight away, as I may be working. We can arrange a time to talk on the phone and then book an initial session.

How it works

• Individual Sessions - If you would like to make an appointment, we will meet for an initial session. This will be an opportunity to talk and think about the things that are worrying you and to agree on some goals to work on. We would then be able to arrange a time to meet, preferably each week for a 50 minute session. There are no limits to the number of sessions you can have.
  
  
• Parental Consultations - We would meet for a 60 minute session to think about what is worrying you about your son or daughter. This would give you an opportunity to meet me and tell me anything you think would be helpful in the ongoing work and for you to ask any questions about the way I work. If you wish to go ahead we will then find a suitable time for me to work one to one with your son or daughter. I can also offer facilitation sessions with you and your son or daughter to help you move forward in your relationship with each other.
  
  
• Short Term Adult Work - We would meet for 8-12 sessions and focus on the goals that you would like to work on. Each session is 50 minutes.

Work with Adolescents

Before I qualified as a counsellor I worked as a teacher in mainstream schools, paediatric wards and a Pupil Referral Unit. I have lots of experience of working with young people and their parents.

Sometimes young people find it too difficult to share their emotions with family, friends, teachers etc. They need to have a safe, neutral space to help them to express and explore their feelings. Being heard allows young people to feel emotionally stronger within themselves and feel more empowered in their own life.

Often having had a space to think and process feelings, enables young people to communicate better with other people in their lives. I can also support  facilitation sessions between young people and their parents which can help to improve relationships.

I can also help by offering separate consultations to parents who may also want some emotional support or guidance.

Work with Teachers

As the previous Lead Counsellor in a large multicultural School I have also supported many teachers and staff members. I understand the pressures on schools and the need for a space to think and process feelings. Counselling can help to manage the difficult emotions that working with young people can evoke.

Free 15 minute initial phone call.

Initial Assessment Session 50mins £65 before 5.00pm, £70 after 5.00pm.

Ongoing Individual Sessions 50 mins £65 before 5.00pm, £70 after 5.00pm.

Parent Consultations 60 mins £70 before 5.00pm, £75 after 5.00pm.


Counselling for Counsellors

I do offer counselling for trainee counsellors and mental health professionals - if you are a trainee/ newly qualified counsellor seeking help we can work together to address both work related and personal issues.

Payments
Payment are made at the beginning of each session by cash or in advance of the session, by bank transfer.

Sessions generally take place on a weekly basis and at the same time each week.

Please contact me through this website, or by text message or telephone 07596 140463, for further details and to arrange an initial session where we can explore whether the support I offer would be useful to you.

I always try to get back to you within 24 hours, yet generally it is sooner.

You can follow me on Facebook where I post information about Mental Health and Well Being.

My working hours are 12.00-7.30pm Tuesdays to Thursdays and 9.30-6.00 pm on Fridays.

Client Testimonial

‘Caron is a considered and careful listener who allowed me to unpack my thoughts related to my marriage and family issues, some of which were issues I had not considered before. She was very helpful in helping me build a structure to start to tackle these issues. I felt comfortable and secure in sharing some of my deepest concerns and worries,’ December 2024

‘Caron is welcoming, patient and understanding. Her counselling space is calm and peaceful and provided the perfect environment to talk. Initially this felt like crisis management as we started our sessions at a moment of high stress for me. When I started to understand myself better and be kinder to myself, we were then able to discuss broader topics which could be whatever I
wanted. Caron helped me to better understand myself and my relationships with other people inorder to focus on lots of the positives in life. I’d highly recommend Caron if you feel you need space in your life just for you.’ December 2024

’When I first started sessions with Caron, I had been to see several other therapist in my lifetime. It’s always difficult at the beginning of any relationship you have in life and the relationship with a therapist also. It’s about creating that bond and understanding. I got that with Caron, we immediately clicked and she got me. She was able to help me express what I was struggling to express. She helped me get to the bottom of issues in a down-to-earth manner, she tailored her communication skills and sessions to suit me, she understood me without sometimes me explaining what I was feeling. I went through many types of issues the whole spectrum - from lack of confidence, anxiety, career stress, pregnant/birth/being a new mum, wedding stress, bereavement, cultural differences, social issues and relationship issues. I never felt judged, she never made me feel uncomfortable in fact I felt she always understood me and accepted me for me. Therapy is so important – even if you think you have the ‘perfect life’ to have just a check-in session with someone who is impartial can help you open up your sub-conscious and help you deal with the person you are the things and people that surround you. I highly recommend Caron and I will continue to keep in touch with her.’ November 2024

‘Caron has been incredibly supportive during a particularly difficult time in my life. I was finding it hard to come to terms with and manage a physical health issue that was impacting every part of my daily routine. Caron's perceptive approach and the various perspectives she shared, helped me gain a deeper understanding of my emotions and a clearer sense of self-worth. Through her guidance, I have gradually shifted my mindset to a more positive outlook and have taken meaningful steps towards better managing my condition. While this process has required time and patience, I am now in a much improved state compared to when I first started counselling. I am deeply thankful to Caron for her assistance and for helping me navigate these hurdles. ‘ June 2024

‘Over the last year I have been seeing Caron. I have felt constantly supported, seen and understood throughout anything I shared with her. With her help I have been able to get myself out of a very dark place and having her support has helped me grow an ample amount. I have always felt very comfortable going and felt very inspired and motivated after the sessions.’ May 2024

‘Caron helped me at a time when I was struggling to adapt and adjust to the changes, first time parenthood brings. I found Caron to be insightful and I valued the different perspectives she offered to situations and the challenges I faced. This helped me to understand my own feelings and emotions more. With this new understanding, it was possible to untangle what lay behind my struggles and therefore allowed me to move forward. I am in a much better position now than when I first started counselling and am extremely grateful to Caron for helping me navigate this period of change in my life’. April 2024

‘I started seeing Caron at a time where I was feeling very lost. Caron helped me to understand myself and to make sense of my feelings. She was professional and compassionate, whilst constructively challenging my negative thought patterns and encouraging me to be kinder to myself. Overall I feel as though I have a lot more control over my life and am more content and happier with my decisions’.

’Caron counselled my daughter for over a year and brought her from a very dark place into the light.
Caron has been kind, empathetic, incredibly skilled and professional from start to finish. 
We could not have progressed and made improvements without Caron’s help and my daughter holds her in the highest regard and felt heard and respected.
I highly recommend Caron and we could not have wished for a better counsellor to help her navigate her very challenging teenage journey into adulthood.’ May 2024

Location

I see clients in my private therapy practice in Stanmore, Middlesex, in a quiet residential road.

There is free parking available. I can be reached by the 142 bus and there is a bus stop 5 mins walk away. I can also be reached by the Jubilee Line, at Stanmore Station.

As I do not have a waiting room please arrive at the time of the appointment. If you do arrive early there is a nice area to take a walk before your session.