About me
Perhaps life feels harder than it should right now. You might be lying awake going over things in your head, worrying about the future, replaying conversations, or trying to keep everything together for everyone else. Maybe something has happened that has left you feeling lost, anxious, or unlike yourself.
Whatever has brought you here, you don't have to work through it all alone.
I'm Chris, a BACP-registered counsellor with my own practice, Burwood Therapy, offering private rooms in relaxed settings in Byfleet, Woking and Hersham. I offer a warm, confidential and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about what's troubling you, without feeling you have to put on a brave face or have all the answers.
My approach is integrative, which means I draw on different therapeutic perspectives to understand you as an individual, rather than believing one approach fits everyone. I work at your pace, helping you explore your feelings, make sense of patterns in your life and develop a greater understanding of yourself. Sometimes that means looking at past experiences and relationships; at other times, it means finding ways to manage difficult thoughts, emotions and challenges in the present.
Before becoming a counsellor, I spent more than 25 years working as a journalist, covering health issues and listening to people's experiences. I've also worked in schools, supporting children with academic and emotional difficulties, as well as teachers facing personal and professional pressures. These experiences have reinforced my belief in the importance of being heard, understood, and treated with compassion.
I work with adults and children experiencing anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, family conflict, loneliness and work-related burnout. I also have experience supporting people with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD and PDA, and challenges with emotional wellbeing.
You may have spent years putting other people first, feeling you need to be strong or believing you should be able to cope on your own. Perhaps you understand your difficulties intellectually but still find yourself caught in the same thoughts or feelings. Together, we can explore what's happening beneath the surface, at a pace that feels right for you.
Seeking counselling can feel daunting, especially if you're used to dealing with things alone. You don't need to know exactly what to say or where to begin. We can start wherever you are.
My aim is to help you feel heard, develop a better understanding of yourself, and find a way forward that feels right for you.
Training, qualifications & experience
Professional registration:
- MBACP - Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Education/Professional training:
- Level 4 Certificate in Counselling (Integrative Therapy) – Kingston College
- Level 3 certified CPCAB course
- Level 2 certified CPCAB course
- Certificate in Counselling Young People - University of Oxford
- Counselling course - Place2Be (counselling children)
- BA Hons Communication Studies - Nottingham Trent University
Experience:
- Worked with hundreds of clients dealing with a variety of issues, including grief, loss, anxiety, loneliness, stress, depression, relationship issues, childhood traumas and neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Woking & Sam Beare Hospice - Grief Counsellor
- Surrey schools - supporting teaching staff and students
- More than 25 years as a journalist covering health issues for many titles, including the national newspapers
- Lecturer and tutor - teaching and supporting students, including with their personal problems
- Trustee of a charity supporting people with phobias and OCD
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
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
In-person and online (UK-wide) sessions. Enquire for exact times and availability.
Individual sessions are 50 minutes, and couples can choose their session length (50 minutes, 90 minutes, or 2 hours).
My fee for individual sessions is:
£70 (concessionary rates for students, OAPs, and low-income clients)
My fees for couples' sessions are:
£110 per 50-minute online
£140 per 90-minute online
£180 per 2-hour online
When I work
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I am currently available on the days and times highlighted. Please contact me to discuss.
