Emily Russell

• Private Student Counselling sessions (at discounted rate) - new spaces available from early September - please enquire
• Individual Long-term Therapy spaces recently available - please enquire

Hello, I’m Emily (she/her),

Welcome to my Counselling Directory profile. 

There are many different counsellors out there and therapy styles to choose from, this may feel a bit overwhelming. The right therapist for you will be a very individual thing. I offer reduced fee Introductory Sessions to enable you to meet me and see how you feel talking to me and within my therapy space, just email me at emilycounselling@icloud.com to book.

ABOUT EMILY RUSSELL COUNSELLING:

Emily Russell Counselling offers a safe space for you to be you.

I am a highly experienced BACP and NCPS Accredited Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor and I'm a naturally warm, friendly and creative person who genuinely cares about people’s wellbeing. 

I can offer you empathic support and a safe, confidential, non-judgemental space to explore whatever is going on for you.

My expertise lies in offering long-term one-to-one talking therapy which is tailored to your individual needs.

I work with adults (including young adults and older adults).

I offer therapy sessions online and also in person from my cosy and welcoming counselling room in Canterbury city centre.

I specialise in working with Neurodivergent people, Creative Professionals, Academics, Teachers and Lecturers, Students, Parents and Carers and also with fellow Therapists (both qualified and trainees). Of course there are often overlaps between these different intersections of people's identities.

Our therapy work together can help you to address issues, face challenges, improve self-esteem, process life events, explore your identity, improve your relationships, shift stuckness or creative blocks, manage anger and other emotions, reduce or manage stress and anxiety, recover from burnout, explore existential or philosophical concerns, process grief and loss, discover or reconnect with inner joy, work towards your personal and professional goals and aspirations and make lasting changes within your life.

I really love my job and feel privileged to have been able to help so many people throughout my career as a counsellor. My background lies within the Arts and also in Further and Higher Education and I have worked full-time in my private therapy practice for some years now. 

Throughout the years that I have been in this profession I have gained a great deal of diverse experience and wisdom. I have also attended much additional CPD and post-qualification training and thus can work with most issues and client groups. I can sometimes offer some short-term therapy places (depending upon current capacity). I can also offer couples therapy, group therapy, creative counselling and clinical supervision.

In our individual counselling sessions we can work together to help you with

• Creative issues and challenges
• Student issues
• Low self-esteem
• Identity issues
• Processing life events
• Relationship issues
• Bereavement, grief and loss
• Workplace or career issues
• Overcoming barriers and obstacles,
• Navigating life as a neurodivergent person
• Stress and/or burnout
• Anxiety
• Depression, low-mood, low motivation or stuckness,
• Loneliness and isolation
• Life transitions and changes
• Existential and philosophical issues
• Boundaries
• Shame
• The impact of trauma and abuse
• Parenting issues
• Managing anger and other emotions
• Pregnancy and Maternity issues

Being in full-time private practice enables me to offer a range of appointment times throughout the week, including some late afternoon and evening appointments. 

I offer your first Introductory Session at a reduced rate to enable you to meet me and ensure that you feel comfortable with us working together.

I am also pleased to offer students a discounted fee.

I offer Specialist Counselling for:

• Students 
• Creative Professionals
• Neurodivergent People
• Teachers, Lecturers and Academics
• Parents and Carers
• Counsellors and Therapists (qualified and trainees)

(For more details about Long-Term Therapy or about Specialist Counselling, other services or my fees, please scroll further down this page).

I also offer some additional services, such as Programmes, Groups, Workshops, Consultations, Networking and Mentoring - please enquire.

QUICK STEPS TO STARTING COUNSELLING:

1) Phone me on 07885 288254 or email me at emilycounselling@icloud.com

2) Leave your details and I will contact you to arrange a reduced rate Introductory Session.

3) Attend your Introductory Session with me (in person or online) and have the opportunity to meet me and ask to any questions you may have, we can then make a plan which feels right for you.

4) Start your regular counselling sessions with me in person or online.

ABOUT COUNSELLING:

Counselling offers you a safe space which is exclusively yours. Our modern everyday lives can be very demanding, so we can really struggle when additional problems, decisions, challenges or life events arise. You may find that you experience stress, anxiety, depression or loneliness. You may feel stuck or dissatisfied with some aspects of your life and things may begin to feel overwhelming and beyond your control. Sometimes when things are tough, you may find that you become caught up in spiralling negative thought patterns or that you isolate yourself and withdraw from the people or activities which you love. You may begin to feel lost or that you are losing sight of who you really are. This can feel frightening or exhausting.

The commitments you have in your life may mean it is hard to find space and time to focus upon yourself and processing and working through any difficulties you experience. It might be especially hard to find someone who will share that time with you, really listen to you and help and support you to look after yourself and to value and meet your own needs alongside your other commitments. Attending counselling with me can really help. 

People may come to my counselling practice because they feel unfulfilled in some way, or want to make some sort of change in their life. During counselling you will embark upon a journey of personal growth, which may sometimes feel difficult or challenging and at other times feel exciting and enlightening. As your therapist, I will be there for you throughout your counselling journey, working with you, supporting you and looking out for you. When you become a client in my practice, I will offer you regular time and a safe, confidential space to be yourself and to reflect upon and explore anything which you feel troubled by.

Counselling is a unique way of helping people and is a truly amazing process!

ABOUT LONG-TERM THERAPY:

In this age of technology, we all have the internet at our fingertips and can all research different self-help ideas and strategies, so why would you need counselling?

Therapy is a journey of personal growth and healing and of self-discovery, however, the key difference with therapy is that you are not walking along the path alone. Attending therapy with me is more effective than self-help strategies  because of the uniquely supportive therapeutic relationship which I am able to offer you. 

In long-term therapy we have time to really explore whatever you are working on and thus you can start to understand yourself and your emotions, behaviours and situation more completely. This understanding helps us find the strategies which you feel most comfortable using and which will work best for you. 

Long-term therapy is key in helping you create lasting change because change usually involves repetition and time. In long-term therapy you have the time and you have the opportunity to try out strategies in different situations and to reflect upon your progress and to make adaptions in your subsequent therapy sessions. You have ongoing support throughout the process of change.

People learn about themselves, discern their self-value and begin to form their ideas about who they are by being in relationship with their early caretakers, family and peers. Long-term therapy can also offer you a safe, professional therapeutic relationship which, over time can help repair damage from previous traumas, difficult attachment relationships, loss and challenging situations or life events.

Long-term therapy is generally unique to private practice counselling as most free or NHS services tend to be limited in the number of sessions they are able to offer. The long-term therapy I offer usually lasts for a minimum of 3 months, but could continue into years if required. We will initially agree to work together for a 12 week period, we will review this regularly and the amount of time that we work end up working together will be entirely your choice, depending upon your needs, goals and wishes.

In long-term therapy you will usually have a regular day and time for your weekly appointments, however, being in full-time private practice usually allows me to offer some flexibility around this.  

ABOUT ME AND MY APPROACH:

I am a naturally creative, caring and empathic person and I love my work as a counsellor. I am inherently Humanistic in my approach to therapy, I believe that with the right support you can find a way forward and begin to recognise and believe in your own potential. Our work together can help enable you to make changes and to realise how wonderful and capable you actually are!

I am a highly skilled and experienced Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor and am fully Accredited by both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. I work creatively and holistically from a Person-Centred basis, subtly interweaving elements from other psychological theories including Intersubjective Psychology, Attachment Theory, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Psychotherapy, as well as some more contemporary models such as ACT, IFS, DBT and EFT.

I see everyone as unique and believe that our personal uniqueness and the ways that our identities intersect are among the many amazing things about being human. I enjoy working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and with different needs and abilities. In recognition and celebration of our individual identities, I always offer bespoke counselling which is tailored to meet your distinct needs. I hope to offer a counselling service which is as inclusive as possible, within the environment in which I currently practice.

I offer a number of special counselling services, my approach to which draws upon my personal and professional experience, training and successes counselling the following client groups - Creative People, Neurodivergent People, Students, Teachers, Lecturers and Academics, Parents and Carers. I also offer Personal Therapy for other Counsellors, Trainees and Therapists in the field.

My professional background is in the Arts and in Further and Higher Education. I have considerable experience counselling within colleges and universities and also in offering Workplace Counselling to staff in these environments. I am adept in running a number of groups, workshops and CPD trainings. I also have further experience working as a Counselling Lecturer and in mentoring and managing trainee and placement counsellors. I am experienced as a Designated Safeguarding Officer and am a qualified clinical supervisor. I have also set up and run busy counselling services and am very proud to be one of the founding members of Turquoise Counselling Collective in Canterbury.

SPECIALIST COUNSELLING:

Counselling for Students (FE, Undergraduates and Postgraduates)

Student life can be uniquely demanding, you may be struggling with issues such as academic stress, homesickness, adjusting to independent living, issues with student housing, barriers to education, issues with friendships, sex and relationship issues, cultural difficulties, substance use issues, mental and/or physical health issues, work/life balance difficulties, sleep issues, wellbeing issues, identity issues, anxiety, depression, isolation and challenges facing neurodivergent, autistic, ADHD and dyslexic people. 

I have specialist resources and many years experience working with student populations and am uniquely skilled in helping students navigate this time in their lives. I am also very experienced in working with mature students who are trying to balance their full or part-time study alongside other work and personal commitments.

I AM PLEASED TO OFFER A SIGNIFICANT STUDENT DISCOUNT

Counselling for Creative Professionals

As a creative person your job may be your passion and/or a huge part of your identity... so what happens if it doesn't feel fulfilling anymore? Or if you feel so burnt out by your day job that you lose your creative passion and energy in other areas of your life? It may also feel conflicting if you are obliged to make creative work which doesn't align with your own standards, interests or values. Or you may find that work critique feels very targeted or personal for you. As a creative professional you may also have an unreliable income and/or work varied hours, or have to travel widely for work... all of this may adversely impact your creative, emotional and mental health. 

Creative people and creative professionals face unique challenges, You may struggle to manage your own self-care and wellbeing, relationships or work/life balance. You may find that stress, anxiety or depression impact your creative flow and you become stuck and blocked and feel disconnected from your creative soul. This can feel alarming, especially if your creativity is key to your identity, self-esteem or employment

Over the years I have worked therapeutically with many people from different creative fields - including artists, writers, musicians, actors film-makers and dancers. My way of working draws upon the parallels between the creative process and the therapeutic process, these are often entwined. I am experienced and resourced in helping you to navigate the challenges creative people experience, live a healthier and more fulfilling life and reconnect with your creative passion.

Neuro-Affirming Counselling for Neurodivergent People (including Autism, AUDHD, ADHD)

As neurodivergent people, we can experience challenges rooted in trying to navigate a world which is primarily designed for and by neurotypical people. Neuro-normative culture  can become embedded in our psyche and may sometimes lead to us feeling shame and distress if we are unable to adhere to societal norms. As adults we may begin to realise that we have developed strategies to get by, such as masking, but these can sometimes come at a high personal cost, using much energy and creating burnt out.

I offer neuro-affirming therapy which can help you to understand and embrace your own unique neurodivergent identity. Together we can get to know your quirks and differences, explore your needs and challenges and discover the resources which best support you and, above all, we can engage with and celebrate your personal strengths and abilities. Neuro-affirming therapy can feel liberating and can enhance your self-esteem. 

I can also help you to process a recent diagnosis of Autism, AuDHD or ADHD. Receiving a diagnosis as an adult can unleash a surge of different emotions - you may feel happy, perhaps liberated, you may feel confused, or feel grief and sadness around being misunderstood in the past. All of your feelings are valid and therapy can help you to make sense of them and your neurodivergent identity.

Counselling for Teachers, Lecturers and Academics

Working in education and/or research can have unique demands. You may be faced with many conflicting responsibilities and deadlines. You may be passionate about your subject or field and find the additional pressures of teaching challenging. Perhaps you love teaching itself, but struggle with the pressure from institutional policies and agendas, tasklists, completing paperwork or managing challenging student behaviour. Maybe your workplace is underfunded or poorly resourced, leading to a collective low morale within your team.  Maybe you feel like you crawled through to the end of the last term, but ended up so burnt out that the term break didn't feel replenishing for you and it felt hard to return to work.

When you have such a responsible and important job role, you may feel like you need to keep putting on a brave face even when you face significant challenges in your work life or in your personal life. Perhaps you are worried about letting your students, staff team or your family or friends down. Some teachers and lecturers may also experience vicarious stress, trauma or grief as they struggle to process some of the student wellbeing and safeguarding issues they are exposed to at work.

Our counselling sessions can offer you a safe, non-judgemental space and time which is focussed upon you and your needs. This can give you some breathing space to process stress and difficult material as it arises, which can help prevent burnout and overwhelm. We can also work holistically and explore any other aspects of your life, wellbeing, relationships and identity which you feel you would like to work on. I have previously worked in education myself in several roles including as a lecturer, safeguarding officer and therapist and have a good understanding of the challenges in this field. I have also worked therapeutically with many educational staff and professionals both within my own private practice and also within embedded EAP staff services in FE and HE institutions. I hope that I can be of help to you as well.

Counselling for Parents

There are a great many delights and a great many challenges to being a parent. Caring for children is a busy, ever-changing process; their needs and interests naturally evolving as they mature. You may feel under a lot of pressure to be a perfect parent due to societal demands and/or because of the love you feel as a parent. There are also a huge amount of practical tasks involved in parenting and it may feel that these and other life commitments demand the majority of your time. Perhaps you feel that you are disconnected from your own personal identity, needs and wishes. Parenting may also be additional strain placed upon other important relationships within your life. When the demands of everyday life already make you feel that you are at full capacity, it can feel extra challenging when other life events or additional difficulties occur.

The counselling I offer can help you to navigate life as a parent and give you a safe space to speak in confidence about any concerns you have with your children or parenting role. It is also somewhere for you to process your own ideas, wants and needs outside parenting. Our therapy sessions can offer you a regular space and time which is focussed upon you. We can work together to help you process your experiences and emotions and work towards your goals and dreams. This therapy can support parents with children of all ages, from expectant or new parents to parents of mature adult offspring.

Sometimes when you become a parent, you may also find that you are reminded of your own childhood as your offspring reach different developmental milestones. This can be a joyous experience, or it may sometimes feel destabilising or even retraumatising, as you now look back at your own childhood experience through the eyes of an adult parent. If this is the case, then I can also help you by offering you professional support through this process.

Counselling for Carers:

Although you provide essential services as a carer, you may find that your role is often unrecognised or underappreciated by others or by society at large which may adversely impact your self-esteem and sense of identity. As a carer it may also be difficult to have down-time or respite, which may lead to you experiencing burnout and to you potentially becoming isolated from your friends and social life. You may also have additional conflicting responsibilities such as work or children and it may feel impossible to meet other people's demands and expectations.

Additionally, the person you are caring for may be a loved one and you may find that you feel guilty about feeling tired and/or resentful of their needs as these feelings conflict with your genuine love for them. Becoming a carer for a partner can also redefine your relationship and you may be grieving the way you used to be together. 

I have been a carer myself and so have lived experience of some of the challenges you may experience. I also have significant experience offering counselling to carers. I can provide you with a safe therapeutic space and time which is exclusively focussed upon you and your needs. Our work together may help you to process your experiences and emotions, care for your own wellbeing and stay connected with your own identity and sense of self.

Personal Therapy for Counsellors and Therapists:

Being a therapist is a wonderful and fulfilling job. It is also uniquely demanding. Making time for ourselves is an essential element of self-care. It helps us to resource ourselves and supports both our personal and our professional wellbeing. Furthermore, accessing our own personal therapy when we feel we need to also enhances our professional practice as it helps keep us in touch with the client experience.

I offer members of the counselling and psychotherapy professions a discreet, safe, supportive and confidential space, in this you can process your own experiences, emotions, personal relationships and personal contexts. Accessing this personal therapy can support you in your life, work and relationships and can help nurture your self-esteem and self-awareness, as well as enhancing your own self-actualisation process.

I am very experienced in working with qualified professional therapists across modalities, as well as with other holistic and creative therapists. 

I am also highly skilled and experienced in offering Personal Therapy hours to Student Therapists and Counsellors-in-Training. I appreciate that training as a therapist can be both really interesting and rewarding and also an extremely challenging period in your life. As a trainee therapist your studies and your work-placement may be fascinating and enjoyable for you, but they will also present you with unique personal, professional and ethical challenges. Alongside this, you may also be juggling work and/or family life and will often be paying for your own studies, therapy and supervision too. You have a lot on your plate and it is therefore essential that you select a therapist who you feel really safe with and understood by for your personal therapy hours. 

I offer a significantly discounted fee to students and trainee counsellors.

• Personal Therapy for Qualified Counsellors and Psychotherapists
• Counselling for Creative People (way of working draws upon the parallels between the counselling process and the creative process and addresses some of the unique difficulties which creative people can experience)
• Counselling for Young People (very experienced Young Person’s counsellor, adept at working with adolescents and with Young People aged 16-25, also able to offer meaniful counselling to the families and carers of Young People - especially those experiencing a breakdown in the relationship between themselves and their Young Person)
• Student Counselling (support for students of all ages who may be struggling with the demands of studying - these may be amplified by other conflicting demands such as those of employment or family life).
• Counselling for People with Autism, Neurodiversity Counselling (counsellor very experienced at working with autistic spectrum conditions/neutrodiversity, counselling approach is adaptive to support people’s unique needs, interest and communication styles)
• Counselling for Carers (caring for carers - this counselling focuses on the unique difficulties experienced by carers, supports them in the vital role they play and helps them manage the demands they face. An essential element of this therapy is promoting self-care and personal wellbeing).
• Counselling for Parents (parenting can be a wonderful experience, it can also be extremely demanding - this way of working focuses on helping parents meet the needs of their families and also themselves, the support offered can help improve the quality of relationships within the family, the counselling can also support new or expectant parents).
• Counselling for People who Work in Education (working in education involves very particular demands and people can incur a lot of personal stress, this counselling aims to offer teachers and educators a safe place in which to access their own support)

FEES CHARGED PER 50 MINUTE COUNSELLING SESSION (all modes of delivery):

• Introductory Session - £30.00
• Individual Counselling Session - £60.00
• Student Discount Individual Counselling Session - £50.00 
  
• Couples Therapy Session - £75.00

SUPERVISION AND CONSULTATION FEES per session (all modes of delivery):

• Regular Monthly Supervision: £60 per hour, £90 per 90 minutes
• Irregular Supervision: £75 per hour, £100 per 90 minutes
• One Off Supervision/Consultations: £100 per hour