About me
A place to slow down and make sense of your experience, free from judgement and expectation. Hello, I’m Ciara. A warm, friendly and down-to-earth psychotherapist (MBACP, MSc).
If you’ve never been to therapy before, you might not know where to start, what to expect, or even what you’re supposed to talk about. Perhaps you’ve been to therapy before and know what you’re looking for, or you already have something specific you’d like support with or goals you’d like to work towards.
Wherever you are, you don’t need to have all the answers before you begin. Finding the right therapist can feel like a big part of the process too. Feeling comfortable with your therapist is important. I aim to create a calm, supportive and welcoming environment where you can feel at ease.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have 12 years’ professional experience across counselling, social work and childcare, including over 3,000 counselling hours in my therapeutic work. I’ve worked in schools, youth work, social care, counselling organisations and private practice.
I work with children, young people and younger adults, including students, academics and professionals. In my counselling practice, I support people with:
* Anxiety, stress or feeling overwhelmed
* Low mood or depression
* Self-esteem or confidence difficulties
* Relationship or family difficulties
* Work-related stress
* Grief, loss or difficult changes
* Questions around identity
* Exploring neurodiversity
* LGBTQ+ identity or related concerns
* Trauma or difficult past experiences
* Feeling lost or stuck
What therapy can feel like
You can talk openly without worrying about being judged, and you don’t have to have the ‘right’ things to say. You’ll have space to untangle thoughts and feelings when things feel confusing, with someone who listens carefully and remembers the details that matter to you.
You won’t be told what you should do or have someone try to fix things for you. Instead, we’ll work together to understand what’s going on, explore different perspectives and move at a pace that feels right for you.
Therapy can be a place to talk about difficult things, but it doesn’t always have to feel heavy. There can be laughter, connection and moments of lightness too.
How we can work together
I work in a person-centred, trauma-informed and creative way. As an integrative therapist, I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. We are all different, so the way we work together can be tailored to you, your experiences and what you need.
You are at the heart of our work. I’ll listen carefully and help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and support you to find your own way forward. We can focus on what feels most important to you and at a pace that feels right for you.
Being trauma-informed means being mindful of pace, boundaries and what feels safe for you. We can also use creative tools where preferred, when words aren’t enough or are hard to find.
I offer in-person sessions in a cosy private room in the heart of Manchester city centre, as well as video sessions UK-wide and telephone sessions if preferred.
Starting therapy
In our first session, we’ll spend some time getting to know each other, exploring what has brought you to therapy and what your hopes, goals or expectations might be.
I offer both short-term and longer-term therapy. Short-term therapy typically involves around 6–12 sessions and can be a good fit if you’re looking for focused support with a specific issue. Longer-term therapy can be open-ended or continue for several months or years, depending on what you’re looking for and what feels right for you.
Sessions are available weekly or fortnightly, and we can discuss what frequency feels most helpful for you.
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
£90.00 per session
Additional information
Sessions are 50 minutes long and are charged at £90. Payment can be made by bank transfer at least 24 hours before the session. Sessions can be arranged weekly or fortnightly, depending on what works best for you.
Further information
I offer in-person sessions in a cosy private room in the heart of Manchester city centre or remote sessions UK wide. I work Monday to Friday 10am-6pm.
My Professional Standards:
- Registered Member of the BACP
- Monthly Clinical Supervision
- ICO Registered
- Professional Liability Insurance
- Enhanced DBS Certificate
