About me
I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist/Supervisor with over 30 years experience working therapeutically. I am CEO at Heart and Mind, our Family run Confidential Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice, Established in Essex 1992.
Reaching out can be daunting, taking that first step requires an incredible amount of courage.
Being human is sometimes exhausting, navigating relationships, juggling work and life even more so.. Just arriving for your first appointment can bring a sense of relief and achievement.
Talking about your individual experience of being in the world, sharing your thoughts and feelings and experiencing being truly heard without judgement is very important for healing and helps to reduce anxiety.
I will encourage you to listen to yourself, develop kindness and patience with yourself and offer my support and guidance in discovering what is right for you and what you hope to gain from therapy. I have a particular interest in helping people to break free from the suffering caused by painful memories or unhelpful thoughts relentlessly looping in the mind.
Struggles with difficult situations can cause you to feel misunderstood by those around you. Talking through your individual experiences can enable you to move forward with your life. Sharing the burden of everyday stress frees you up to discover your purpose and ultimately find peace of mind.
From my experience of 'sitting with' thousands of people over the years, I believe that we all have the potential to suffer less and live more contented lives.
I am a very down-to-earth, 'say it how it is', real person and take both a creative and very practical approach when working with people.
Working together, I will encourage and support you with patience and compassion. I will gently challenge you to explore your unhelpful patterns of relating. Encourage you to discover and access your own internal resources.
I welcome both humour and playfulness as a route to self acceptance as you navigate your new journey.
Diagnosed with ADHD over 12 years ago, I have a passion for supporting people with Neurodiversity, both ADHD and ASD. I am experienced in helping people to develop new tools to manage symptoms and learn how to harness energy to work for you.
It may be that you are newly diagnosed, considering seeking an assessment for a diagnosis, or suspect that you may benefit from support but do not want, or need a formal diagnosis.
I work with individuals and couples, as well as supervising other Counsellors. Integrity is vitally important to me and I am committed to good ethical practice. I have regular supervision with a BACP, UKRC Accredited University Professor.
At Heart and Mind we provide both face to face, and online sessions.
Please visit my website for more details: wwwheartandmind.co.uk
Training, qualifications & experience
I began my training in 1992 as a Work Scholar at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. I have continued training over the years obtaining qualifications including Counselling Skills and Theory 1996-1998. In 2003 I started working towards my Diploma with the Beeleaf Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and qualified in 2009.
I believe strongly in professional development and have continued studying and completed courses in Ericksonian Hypno-Psychotherapy, Psychopathology in Psychotherapeutic Practice, Systemic Family Therapy and C.B.T (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). In September 2010 I achieved my FDAP Certificate in Supervisory Management and Leadership Techniques qualification with the Human Performance Group. In 2014 I gained a Diploma in Supervision from the Gestalt Centre in London.
I have worked with a mixture of client groups across Essex and East London. In 1996 I was employed by Newham Drugs Advice Project as a School Counsellor. I continued my work in Barking at The Axe Street Project 1999-2002 working with clients with various addictions. I also co-facilitated training for volunteers at Careline Telephone Counselling Service in Ilford.
I was employed from 2003-2012 at a busy charity in Grays; Essex called Open Door as a Contemporary Psychotherapist for the Interventions Team and as Service Manager of the Young Peoples Substance Misuse Project- The Network.
From 2015-2018 I was appointed Clinical Lead at HBBS a bereavement counselling charity in Brentwood where I supported management with clinical decisions and conducted a clinical audit implementing new systems.
I have been Director at Heart and Mind and running our Grays clinic since 2009 and continue to offer appointments to individuals, couples and supervision to other counsellors and psychotherapists.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
ADHD/ASD Shame and Regret
Social Media Addiction Intimacy and Communication in Relationships
Phone Addiction Chronic Pain/Invisible Illnesses
Parenting Issues Feeling Lost
PMDD/ Severe PMS/PMT Communication
Internal Conflict Anxiety/Overwhelm
Communication Issues
Gaming Addiction
Young People
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£90.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Initial Consultation £105
Individual: Standard fee: £90
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Couples: Initial Consultation £160
Couples: Standard Fee £145
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADHD/ASD Neurodiversity Coaching
Initial Consultation £145
Standard Fee £105
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APPOINTMENT TIMES:
Monday through Thursday daytime appointments only.
TRAVEL:
Heart and Mind is easy to find. If you are travelling via train to Grays station, you can catch the number 22 or 269 bus which stops two minutes away. If you are driving I will give you my postcode or help you with directions over the telephone.
PARKING:
There are no parking restrictions. Parking is free and there are always plenty of spaces.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
If you would like to discuss making an appointment or have any questions about counselling with me please contact me on the above telephone number or email
COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS CLIENTS:
"Heidi is an excellent counsellor - She has fantastic listening skills & is able to suggest and implement the most effective solutions tailored to the individual. My previous counsellor never really understood me - unlike Heidi. Thank you for improving my life!"
"I felt I could truly be honest with Heidi and she listened to everything I had to say, very warm and friendly and she made me feel at ease. The room is very comfortable and relaxing."
"I found Heidi very helpful and understandimg."
"Unlike counsellors I've been to in the past, I felt this therapy gave me 'tools' I could go away with and use for life. The counselling room is comfortable and calming. I felt it was private enough to speak about sensitive issues."
(All clients gave permission for their comments to be shared anonymously)
