About me
Compassionate counselling for young people and adults.
Life gets messy. We get scrunched up with issues like anxiety, depression, low self esteem, bereavement, loss and grief.
It’s a heavy weight to carry. But you don’t need to go it alone.
Let's create a fit that’s just right for you, where you can talk openly - however knotty and hard to explain things may be.
I'll work hard with you, adapting to your needs, to help you find your own route through the difficulties you're experiencing.
No issue is too big or too small.
Your time, your space. To be heard, understood, supported, seen.
Who I work with
I have many years of experience working with teenagers, students and adults in distress.
Areas of my experience and expertise include: trauma, life crisis or transition, family and relationships issues; low-mood and depression, feeling overwhelmed, unwanted thoughts, anxiety, panic attacks, people pleasing and perfectionism, self-criticism, low self-esteem and counselling for ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence.
How I work
At the heart of my practice is trust, sensitivity and the understanding that our relationship is key. I strive to create a fit that’s just right for you, where you can talk openly - however knotty and hard to explain things might be.
With warmth, sensitivity and challenge we can explore what is going on and what it means for you. We’ll work at your own pace and find the approaches that works best for you. I won’t offer you advice or easy answers. Rather I will listen very carefully, without judgement, to help you make better sense of things.
The process is dynamic and provides an opportunity to help break cycles that can otherwise feel very stuck. It should lead to meaningful and long-lasting changes – I often hear people say it’s the best investment they’ve ever made.
It's not easy to make the next step - but you're in good hands.
If you feel ready to get in touch, I’d be delighted to hear from you. Please contact me, using the Email Me button at the top of the page.
I aim to get back to you within a few hours.
Training, qualifications & experience
Before training as a counsellor, I worked in education and the film business for many years, so I have some real-world experience to bring to the table.
I have worked for a number of organisations, including Off The Record, 1-2-1 and MIND and I’ve been particularly effective with loss, grief and bereavement, trauma, family and relationships issues, adverse childhood experiences, separation and divorce, anxiety, depression and low mood, experiences of being 'othered', identity issues, ADHD and neurodivergence.
Having worked as a secondary school teacher for over 20 years, I have a particular interest in working with students and young adults. I know first-hand how important young peoples' wellbeing is and how hard it can be for them to find a truly great fit with a counsellor to work through the difficulties they are experiencing. I can help with that.
Qualifications
- Post Graduate Diploma (Distinction) in Humanistic Counselling at York St John University
- Certificate in Therapeutic Skills and Studies - Metanoia Institute, London
- PGCE (11-18 years)
- BA (Hons)
Recent training
- Sand Tray Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Domestic Abuse and Mental Health
- Safeguarding
- Exploring suicidal risk with clients
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Trauma: Understanding and Recovery (working safely with trauma)
- Trauma and the body (Polyvagal)
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Online and Telephone Counselling
- Mindfulness
Experience
These are some of the areas of my experience and expertise:
Distress and trauma
• Memories or flashbacks to childhood abuse or trauma
• Stress
• Persistent negative thoughts and feelings, low self-esteem
• Experience depression, anxiety, or suicidal feelings
• Feeling highly stressed, guilty, or lacking in motivation
• A life crisis or transition
Relationships
• Parental alienation
• Problems with making or maintaining relationships
• Relationships that have reached a ‘stuck’ point
• Anger management
• Coping with being bullied or harassed
Identity
• Loss of meaning and purpose in life
• Isolation and low mood
• Problems with identity
• Feeling overwhelmed, unwanted thoughts, anxiety, panic attacks
• Counselling for ADHD
Loss
• Loss, bereavement or relationship breakdown
• Coping with painful memories
As a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I work within their Ethical Framework, and am committed to offer the highest level of confidentiality and professional therapeutic care, consistent with the law and BACP codes.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
Additional information
My fees start at £65.00 per session.
My Teen/Young Person rate is £70 per session.
Our sessions will be 50 minutes long.
Please note - all sessions must be paid 24 hours in advance by bank transfer.
Practical details:
I can see you in person or online, wherever you are. I also offer telephone sessions.
Sessions are usually weekly, as this offers continuity and helps to support us as we build a strong therapeutic relationship. We usually agree a frequency and book a set of sessions so that your preferred time is kept for you.
I aim to reply to all messages within a few hours. Please check your junk and spam folders for a reply.
Further information
I'm a big fan of mindfulness – knowing what’s on your mind and developing an ability to be present in the moment without your inner critic chattering away. This allows you to develop a quieter mind and not let self-destructive impulses cause damage to you and others. Most of my clients find they can start mastering this within a few sessions.
Sometimes, when it's hard to find the words to explain what's going on, I might suggest creative activities to help you express yourself. Drawing, using Nesting Dolls, working with sand, different objects or emotion cards are some ways of working that can help support you to explore your feelings, reactions, emotions and experiences.
What now?
I offer a free initial phone call, so we can talk through your needs and requirements. Following this initial consultation, you should come away with a feeling for how we might work effectively together.
Please contact me, using the Email Me button at the top of the page, to schedule your free initial consultation - I aim to reply to all messages within a few hours.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm wishes,
Cath
