Gemma Chiew
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Who I Am
Hello! I’m Gemma, a passionate, and dedicated counsellor with years of experience in social care, the charity sector, and counselling.
l am a warm and approachable person who understands how challenging it can be to seek counselling.
I’ve had the privilege of supporting many individuals from diverse backgrounds. If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed, I help create a path forward toward self-acceptance, strengthened relationships, and more fulfilling connections with yourself and others.
What I Can Help With
I offer counselling for individuals and couples, either face-to-face from my private practice in Bedford or online, so I can support people across the country.
Email me at: gemmachiewcounselling@gmail.com
I offer short-term and long-term counselling to suit your needs.
If you’re struggling with:
- Anxiety, depression, or feelings of overwhelm, job stress
- Navigating ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and other neurodivergence
- Being a parent/parent to a child with neurodivergent needs
- Ill health
- Family Dynamics
- Childhood trauma
- Relationship challenges or communication difficulties
- Grief and loss
I’m here to offer you a warm, supportive space to explore your experiences and work toward greater emotional well-being.
How I Work
I bring a warm, grounded presence to our sessions, helping you feel safe, affirmed, and validated at your own pace. My approach is collaborative and trauma-informed, blending practical tools like breathwork with deeper exploration through relational theories.
I will take the time to get to know you and your life, exploring how past and present experiences may have shaped the challenges you face. Together, we’ll uncover the root causes of these struggles and work toward healing.
Sometimes, I’ll share simple insights about how your mind, body, and emotions are connected to help you understand your experiences. We can explore grounding techniques like breathwork to ease overwhelm and lift low mood, giving you helpful tools to restore balance and feel more at ease.
Whether we’re focusing on self-acceptance, boundary-setting, or processing past experiences. I’ll walk alongside you as you uncover your strengths and move toward the life you want.
With lived experience of life’s challenges and neurodivergence, I understand how powerful and transformative counselling can be. Reaching out for support isn’t always easy, but I’ll be here to guide and support you every step of the way.
I take time to understand all the parts of who you are, offering a space where you can explore yourself without shame or judgment. Therapy with me can be empowering, balanced, and even a little playful—I’m not afraid to bring lightness or humour when it’s helpful!
I work as an integrative counsellor because I believe each person is unique. This means I draw on several approaches to suit your individual needs, including:
- Person-Centred Theory – Focusing on empathy, authenticity, and personal growth and the therapeutic relationship
- Strengths-Based Theory - Focuses on identifying and building clients' inner resources, resilience, and abilities. It empowers clients to overcome challenges by highlighting their strengths rather than focusing solely on problems.
- Family Systems Theory -To help you understand how family dynamics influence your emotions and relationships. By exploring past patterns, we can identify and break unhealthy cycles, fostering emotional growth and promoting healthier, more fulfilling connections.
- Attachment Theory – Exploring how early experiences shape emotional patterns and relationships
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) – Helping individuals and couples access deeper emotions and improve communication
Couples Counselling: Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
I specialise in Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, helping partners reconnect and build a stronger emotional bond. EFT focuses on addressing the root causes of relationship challenges and improving communication.
Here’s how I work with couples:
- Identify Negative Cycles – Recognize and break free from harmful interaction patterns (e.g., criticism, withdrawal)
- Access Primary Emotions – Explore deeper feelings like fear, hurt, or longing beneath surface reactions
- Build Empathy – Foster understanding and emotional closeness
Rebuild Trust and Connection – Create a secure emotional bond and improve communication - My goal is to help couples create a stronger, more fulfilling relationship where both partners feel understood, valued, and emotionally secure.
Take the First Step Toward Healing and Growth
The journey to a brighter, more fulfilled life begins with a single step. Reaching out can be challenging, but it’s a courageous move toward positive change. I’m here to support you, and I aim to respond within 48 hours.
Book Your Free 30 minute Consultation
📧 Email me
gemmachiewcounselling@gmail.com
This is your chance to be heard, explore your unique story, and start creating a life filled with purpose, connection, and healing.
Experience and Training
- Over 15 years working in the social care, charity and counselling sector
- Cruse Bereavement-trained counsellor
- Over seven years of experience at a local community counselling organization
- Trauma-informed, fully qualified, and insured counsellor
Professional Memberships
- Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- Member of the British Emotionally Focused Therapy Centre (Couples Counselling)
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications:
- MA/Dip in Social Work (Focus on Attachment Theory/Family Systems/Young Male Suicide)
- BACP Accreditation Certificate
- BACP Proficiency Certificate
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 3 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 2 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling
- Certificate In Emotion Focused Therapy Couple Counselling.
- Certificate In Bereavement Counselling (Cruse)
- Level 2 Certificate in Breathwork Coaching
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
- Post Qualifying Certificate - In Children and Families (Focus On Child Development/ Family Systems and Attachment Theory)
- BA (Hons) European Social Policy/Health and Welfare
I regularly take part in continued professional development courses:
- Certificate in Trauma Informed Counselling - Link Centre
- Certificate in Mindfulness
- Certificate in Grief - John Wilson
- Suicide Awareness training
- 2 Day Course on Compassion Focused Therapy
- 2 Day course on Solution Focused Therapy
- Working With Survivors of Sexual Abuse -Carolyn Spring
- Narcissistic Injuries, Neglect and Relational Trauma - Nscience
- Certificate in working with Autism in the therapy room - Aspire Autism
- Certificate in working with Neurodivergence in Couple Counselling
- 2 Day Course Neurodiversity Uncovered - Enhancing Therapeutic Practice for ADHD, Autism and Trauma - Nscience.
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.
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
£60.00 - £70.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free 30 minute consultation session via Zoom/telephone to see how I can best support you.
Email me on: gemmachiewcounselling@gmail.com
After this I charge:
- Individual Sessions - £60
- Couple Sessions - £70
- I offer two concession slots please contact me for more information.
When I work
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I offer online and telephone sessions. I also offer face to face sessions from my private counselling room in Bedford.
