Lisa Myers

Thank you for taking the time to read my profile. Come with me as I talk you through who I am, what to expect and what I can offer to help you work through the issues you may be experiencing.

We all have times in our lives that are painful and have experiences that become overwhelming. These experiences may have happened fairly recently or you may have lived with them for many years and locked them away inside. Sometimes we know there is something wrong but can’t quite put our finger on what it is.

We all struggle from time to time and there is no shame or weakness in feeling like this as these are normal human reactions to events within our life. We all deserve more in life than just ‘getting through’ and struggling alone.

Seeking help from a professional can seem like a daunting and confusing task as there are lots of different counselling theories and approaches to choose from. There are many factors to be mindful of when choosing the style of counselling to go for.  Things to consider are, choosing a style that resonates with you, that you understand and you understand how you can benefit from it.  With that said, research and client testimonials show that the single most influential factor in therapy is the quality of the relationship between client and therapist. If you feel heard, understood and respected by your counsellor you are more likely to benefit from the work done within sessions.

Within my practice I provide a safe, non-judgemental, professional and confidential environment in which you can explore whatever you feel necessary. Through exploring these issues, we can both begin to understand what is happening and why. This process can assist in self-understanding which in-turn boosts self-confidence and compassion. With this knowledge you may then become  empowered to make the necessary changes needed in your life to address whatever has been causing the discomfort.

I offer a free initial 20 minute session either over the phone or by video call to talk through the issues you want to explore. This initial session gives you the opportunity to meet/talk with me to enable you to decide whether you feel comfortable working with me and to explore the potential help I can offer and also the most suitable counselling approach to take. During this session we will explore what you wish to achieve during the course of our work and we will mutually agree the number of sessions required to achieve this. I understand this can be a hard first step so if you have any questions regarding therapy please give me a call or send an email – I will respond within 24 hours.  Should you decide to embark on therapy your first session will be arranged at a time that is convenient to you. Again, dependant on your needs, therapy can be undertaken on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly or on an ad-hoc basis.  Most therapeutic work however is best carried out on a weekly basis to achieve the desired results.

I work either short or long-term with clients which is dependant on their individual needs. We will jointly agree what to work on and how we will do this over the course of sessions.

At first contact I will arrange a suitable appointment for a free 20-minute initial assessment either over the phone or by video call. During this initial assessment we will discuss what you would like to work on, how we could potentially work together, what you would like to achieve and agree the amount of sessions required to achieve this.

I offer 50-minute sessions at £50 each for face to face, video call or telephone sessions.  The amount of time per session is negotiable – some clients prefer a longer session at 1 and a half hours.

If you are working to a budget please don’t let this be a barrier to you receiving help.  I am happy to discuss reduced rates if required.

I also offer concessions for student counsellors at £40 per 50-minute session.

I also offer Counselling Supervision at £45 per hour or £60 per 1.5 hours.  I offer discounted rates for trainee counsellors (please see the attached supervision profile.

My background

Prior to becoming a counsellor, I was employed for twelve years as a police constable within the Merseyside area. During that time, I witnessed many people at the lowest point of their lives whether a victim or perpetrator of crime. Over the years I saw a significant rise in incidents involving mental health along with the decline in services available to help. I found my role very restricted in the assistance I could offer whilst also realising that these incidents could potentially be avoided if the right help was offered earlier.

This led to me retraining as counsellor/psychotherapist and has been the best decision I ever made.  During my studies I volunteered as a student counsellor at the Rape And Sexual Abuse service, Merseyside (RASA) to gain the counselling hours required for my qualification.  Once I became qualified, I was offered a full-time counselling role within the service to work with both male and female survivors of sexual violence.

During that time, I have worked with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds with a varied range of difficulties. Although referrals to the service are for survivors of sexual violence the issues clients present with are as unique as they are. The issues I have worked with are numerous but these are common areas of my work at RASA- anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma stabilisation, alcohol and substance misuse, all forms of addiction, relationship issues, grief, financial issues, trust issues, OCD behaviours, low self-worth, low self-confidence, low self-esteem, eating disorders, past and present self-harm, suicide ideation and attempts.

I also support clients who have reported their experiences to the Police and are involved in the Criminal Justice Process. Further to this, my past experience within the police gives me an excellent knowledge of criminal law and the criminal justice process along with the impacts this can have on a client.

I now primarily work within my private practice and see clients on a private basis.