Kirsty Forward

Hi, I'm Kirsty, a professionally qualified and NCS (National Counselling Society) accredited psychotherapeutic counsellor.

I work from a confidential therapy space in Aylesford on the border of Maidstone Kent. There are good transport links within a short walking distance and free parking.

I work with Adults experiencing a wide range of mental health and emotional difficulties, including anxiety, bereavement, confidence issues, depression, employment issues, loss, life changes/events, loss of self and identity, panic attacks, relationship issues, trauma.

Alongside my private practice I work with the UK mental health charity mind. I also have experience working as a counsellor within a local hospice.

How can Counselling help you?

Everyone has a unique internal experience in response to life events and at times we are unable to find the words to express our way of being or what it is like to walk in our shoes without feeling confused, judged or misunderstood. This can make connecting with our experiences seem intolerable.

It is my experience that through the process of talking and exploration, we find a narrative for our story, bringing into awareness aspects of our struggle we are not yet connected with, we are able to make meaning and understanding of the picture unfolding through the therapeutic process, connecting us more to ourselves and how we relate to the world around us.
I provide a safe and confidential environment where you can explore any difficulties you may be experiencing.

Life events can be hard, painful, and confusing, you may want support and exploration to help you process, navigate, and come to terms with the inevitable change they bring with them.
You may be unsure why you feel the way you do, aware it always been this way for you, there could be aspects of your past which continue to restrict your life today.
Perhaps you need help and support with a bereavement, anxiety, depression, or a specific event which has impacted you.
We often find it hard to allow ourselves the space, time, and energy to seek the help and support we need, yet we feel lonely and distressed in our struggle. 

My Training and how I work

I have completed four years clinical training achieving a level 6 diploma in Transactional Analysis, which forms the foundation of thinking around my work. Transactional Analysis is an integrative and comprehensive approach to therapy which incorporates aspects of analytic, humanistic, cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic theory and methodology.  I draw on this range of theory and techniques which helps me to understand the human developmental process, how we form a sense of who we are in the world, and why we seem stuck in patterns which prevent us from living the lives we hoped for.  

 In my experience, the most profound change happens through person to person relating. How we experience each other in the therapeutic relationship in the here and now, can reveal unconscious processes, patterns, repressed experiences and disavowed aspects of ourselves, this enables us to become aware of our whole selves, connect differently, change and heal.

I also hold a certificate in Counselling based on the Person-centered approach to Therapy, and have a certificate in working with trauma.

What can you expect from Counselling

Therapy can sometimes be challenging; it can take courage to make the step to ask for help and support.

I offer a professional, safe, confidential, empathic, supportive space where you can be heard and through exploration, feel understood.  In my experience It is the coming together of two minds and opening up a dialogue with a compassionate other, which enables us to finally make sense of our struggles, improve our mental health and experience change.

I enjoy both short- and long-term therapy with clients. I offer an initial phone assessment of around 10-15 minutes before offering a full assessment to establish your needs and wants from therapy, where we can agree the best way forward for you.

We will regularly review our work together to make sure you feel you are getting what you need from therapy.

Am I the right therapist for you

Seeking help and support can be hard and overwhelming. It is important you find the right therapist with whom you feel comfortable and who has the appropriate training for your needs.  I offer a free initial phone conversation to help establish your needs followed by a full assessment where we can decide if I am the right therapist for you and how you can move forward.

If you feel I can help you, please give me a call, a text or email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible. My number is 07498 260940, email info@intoawareness.co.uk.

• Initial phone consultation 15 - Minutes– Free
• Initial Assessment – 75 Minutes - £55
• Counselling Session – 50 Minutes - £55
• Couples Counselling - 1hr - £60

There is off street parking and toilet facilities on site at my private practice.