About me
SILENCE ISN'T COPING. IT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT.
If you've been getting on with things — holding it together at work, at home, around everyone else — but quietly carrying something heavy, you're in the right place.
ABOUT ME
I'm Gary. Counsellor, resilience coach, and founder of Secure Mind Solutions. I specialise in working with people — particularly men — who'd never normally ask for help. I know that person well, because I was him.
Before this work, I spent years in children's residential care, homelessness and addiction services, and security roles in some of the world's most hostile environments. I've also faced severe trauma and mental illness myself. That combination — real lived experience alongside professional training — means the conversations we have are different. Honest. Grounded. Human.
I don't do polished. I do real.
COUNSELLING FOR ADULTS
You've probably been carrying this for longer than you'd like to admit. Maybe you can't even name what it is — just a weight that's always there. You're functional. You show up. Nobody would know. But you know.
Perhaps you've tried talking about it before and it didn't land. Perhaps you've never told a single person. Perhaps you've convinced yourself it's not bad enough to count — that other people have it worse, so you should just get on with it.
I hear that a lot. And I understand it — not from a textbook, but because I've lived it.
I work with adult men and women, though much of my work is with men — teenagers through to older adults — who have spent years mastering the art of appearing fine. What brings people to me varies: anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship breakdown, grief, anger, addiction, low self-worth, burnout, or simply a feeling that something is wrong and they can't explain what.
There's no script here. No tick-box assessments. No being shuffled through a system. It's just two people in a room having an honest conversation — and from that, things start to shift.
Some clients come weekly for months. Others need a handful of sessions to get their footing back. We work at your pace, toward what matters to you.
HOW I WORK
Therapy doesn't have to look like therapy. For some people — particularly men who'd never set foot in a traditional counselling room — the format matters as much as the conversation.
Some clients come in, hit the pads, make a brew, and we talk while the adrenaline settles. Others prefer to walk and talk outdoors, side by side, without the weight of eye contact across a desk. Some need a quieter, more traditional space. I work around you, not the other way round.
YOUNG PEOPLE — AGES 14 AND ABOVE
If you're a parent reading this — you know when something isn't right. Maybe your young person is withdrawing, struggling with friendships, finding everyday social situations overwhelming, or just can't seem to get a foothold in life the way their peers seem to.
I work with young people from the age of 14, offering one-to-one support across life skills and social skills — the practical, real-world stuff that school doesn't teach and that no one else seems to address directly.
This includes how to read a room, manage conflict, navigate relationships and boundaries — and crucially, how to stay safe out in the world. Getting on and off public transport. Moving through the community with confidence. Knowing what to do when something doesn't feel right. For many young people — especially those who are neurodivergent — these aren't small things. They're the difference between independence and isolation.
This isn't group work or a programme. It's personal, tailored, and delivered in a way that young people actually engage with — because I've spent years working with young people in some of the toughest settings imaginable, and I know how to meet them where they are.
Particularly suited to young people with:
Autism | ADHD | Social anxiety | Neurodivergent needs | Trauma | Low confidence | Sensory sensitivities | Anxiety
WHAT I CAN HELP WITH
• Counselling — adults, teens, men & women
• Walk & talk therapy — outdoors, side by side
• Pad work sessions — active therapy that works
• Resilience coaching — build, not just cope
• Life & social skills — ages 14+, personally tailored
• Men's mental health — specialism, not a side note
A WORD ON WHO I WORK WITH
Most of my clients didn't want to come. They'd tried managing on their own for a long time before they got here. That's fine — I understand that too. You don't have to have it all worked out before you reach out. You don't have to be in crisis. You don't have to explain yourself perfectly.
You just have to take one step.
If any of this resonates — whether it's for yourself or your young person — get in touch. We'll have an honest conversation. No pressure, no jargon, no pretending something has to be a crisis before it counts.
www.securemindsolutions.com
gary@securemindsolutions.com
07737 394050
Training, qualifications & experience
- Qualified Counsellor - Level 2, Level 3 & Level 4
- Qualified EFT Practitioner (Emotional Freedom Technique)
- Qualified NLP Practitioner (Neuro-linguistic Programming)
- TRiM (Trauma Risk Management Practitioner)
- Qualified Life Coach
- Qualified 'Rewind' Therapist (trauma/phobias)
- Reiki Practitioner
- Private investigator
- Qualified self-defence instructor/Black Belt
- Qualified Close-Protection Officer (Bodyguard)
- Qualified and experienced as a Drug & Alcohol worker
- Qualified and experienced in social care, working in care homes for children
- Amazing mental health advocate
- Have experienced personal bereavement relating to the loss of children (Author of 'Daddy & The Two Bears').
- Creator of 'Safeguarding Me' - designed to support school groups and individuals in the community develop a culture where emotional, physical and mental health are supported at whatever stage in their develop it is needed.
- Inspirational Speaker for Mental Health
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
£50.00 per session
Additional information
Counselling Session £50 for 50 minutes, reduced rate for veterans.
Neurodiversity & Transition Support sessions: £65 per one hour.
When I work
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Further information
I have two therapy rooms, dojo (for teaching self defence) ample parking, toilet/shower.
I tailor for clients needs, where sometimes we can go out for a walk together, talk in our relaxed therapy rooms or a place of your choice. Some clients like to do part self-defence and counselling alongside this.
I also run a programme called 'Safeguarding Me' which I run in schools but also on a 121 basis for parents who are concerned about there children's well-being. The age for this programme is for 11years to 18years but can tailor if for older if need be.
The programme consists of self-protection skills which includes (self-respect and respect of others, communication, listening and social skills, use of distance and personal space, maintaining eye contact, character building, stances (hand and feet positions) breakaway techniques, pre-emptive strikes/multiple strikes, impact of body language (negative/positive) self-control, posture/body language (standing/seated), keeping safe in the community and on public transport, voice de-escalation skills, building confidence and self-esteem, safety on-line, knife awareness, drug awareness, gang culture and much more). Please go to my website at www.securemindsoutions.com where you can read more on my programmes about 'Safeguarding Me'.
