HEART Counselling

HEART stands for Honesty, Empathy and Respect in Therapy; qualities that I believe are essential for creating an environment in which clients can heal and grow. 

I am qualified as a person-centred counsellor, and as such, I offer a warm, kind, accepting, non-judgemental, and safe space in which clients can explore their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours to find a deeper understanding of themselves, develop coping strategies to improve their resilience, and start the journey to better physical, mental and emotional health.

I struggled with Depression after experiencing bereavement of a close family member, leading to relationship breakdowns and some poor life choices. When my own daughter made a suicide attempt I knew that, to help her, I had to change something about myself. While studying to become a counsellor, I was diagnosed with a disabling condition which put my counselling qualification in jeopardy. Having fought to regain some of my health, as well as the right to continue my education, I used my dissertation to explore how the therapeutic relationship might be affected by physical disability and believe that I am in a unique position to help others come to terms with living with chronic illness and disability in an ableist society. Just living day-to-day can be both a physical and mental battle.

It was only in the midst of personal trauma that I realised that I had never truly been heard and how important it is to be listened to. When trying to talk to friends and family, we are so often given unwanted advice or regaled with stories of comparative situations experienced by others. Too often it feels like nobody is really listening to us and that we might as well be invisible because no one seems to notice how much we are struggling.

I know that asking for help can feel daunting and takes a lot of courage, especially when you've convinced yourself that nobody could ever understand what you're going through; sometimes we don't even understand it ourselves. It can be intimidating contacting a counsellor for the first time (I personally find making a phone call to a stranger somewhat formidable), so if you too feel unable to phone, I am always more than happy to respond to enquiries made by text, WhatsApp or email.

I have a first-class honours degree in Person-centred Counselling, am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and abide by the BACP Code of Ethics. I also hold an Advanced DBS check.  I work online using WhatsApp video to be as accessible as possible whilst maintaining confidentiality.

• Chronic pain

I charge £45 per session for a 50-minute online session or £35 per session for trainee counsellors.

I work online, allowing anyone with a chronic condition or disability to benefit from counselling without leaving home.

I offer a generously discounted rate of £30 for anyone on a low-income claiming Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance, Carers Allowance or Personal Independence Payment/Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance.

I work exclusively online allowing me to offer flexibility with session times and allowing me to offer discounted rates for anyone living on disability benefits. However, you must have a reasonable broadband connection and be able to find a private space where you can talk freely.