Lou Clark

Welcome. You don’t have to be in crisis to seek therapy, in fact therapy can be helpful at anytime. I'm Lou, a qualified and accredited Integrative Counsellor experienced in working with adults and young adults (from age 16). I provide a warm, non-judgmental and confidential environment so that you feel safe and comfortable to talk freely about your concerns and build a trusting relationship. I am easy to talk to and I will always emphasise that I am not here to judge you. I believe that through therapy lasting changes can take place with self awareness, courage and commitment. I am passionate about deepening the authentic connection we make with ourselves and with others to improve the quality of our lives.

Areas of special interest are:

• Anxiety and depression
• Identity and self awareness
• Confidence and self esteem issues
• Young adults and students (16+)
• High sensitivity
• Creative approaches / needs.
• Relationships and communications
• Remote therapy - video or telephone

I work in a compassionate, non- judgmental and respectful way with anyone in the UK, from all cultures and walks of life and bringing a wide range of issues to therapy. If juggling time and responsibilities is a factor for you my Online sessions can fit easily around your work, childcare or family responsibilities, with no extra time or costs for travel and parking. I work remotely through the methods of telephone and video conferencing (Zoom). This is proven to be an effective and supportive approach and can also be convenient and more comfortable for many people. I also work with BUPA clients as a recognised provider. We can utilise tools in screen share or the whiteboard which can be helpful to clarify thoughts and feelings. Please give me a call or email if you have any queries, there's no charge for an initial telephone chat. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

How can counselling help?

Having someone who will fully listen and understand your thoughts and feelings can also help you to feel yourself again. Losing a sense of who you are often happens during times of stress or ongoing trying situations. This can feel like emptiness, confusion, a lack of or too many emotions, or subtle changes in behaviour. It may also feel like an ongoing crisis.

The basis of our work will be to create a safe place, a strong relationship so that you are able to trust in the process of exploring whatever it is that is troubling you. As we explore your current difficulties we may look at the emotional, social and physical aspects of your experience. We will look at your present as well as some of your past experiences, which influence how you live now and the relationships you have with other people. Working collaboratively in this way can help you make sense of what you are feeling and why, giving you a deeper understanding of yourself, finding new ways to cope, and different ways of responding to your current difficulties. 

Perhaps you are trying to deal with - anxiety, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, feeling sad, physical or emotional abuse or historic abuse, panic attacks, unhelpful thinking patterns, patterns of behaviour, stress, betrayal, bereavement, family dynamics, an affair, isolation, relationship problems, work issues, decision making, low confidence or self esteem, shame, changeability, self harm, communicating, restlessness, identity, anger, confusion, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, hopelessness or fear?

Whatever your concerns, together we can look at a way to understand this. Perhaps we will investigate your sense of what is missing, or your values and what makes you you and we will look at the thoughts and feelings you have. I aim to support you to find a way for you to know yourself more fully and find your answers. 

Making a decision to come to counselling can seem hard, especially if you have not opened up to anyone about how you feel before. I can reassure you that this is an aware and practical step forward - to choose to take responsibility over your feelings and thoughts in order to process them and find personal growth. It is an inspiring choice.

The first session:

In our first session we will get to know each other and your aims for the work. I will ask some questions about your experience and we can consider other things such as: finding a private, safe space that works for you. This may be at home or at work or parked up in your car. How will we be working together? I will talk about my approach, holidays, payment and confidentiality and answer any questions you have about this. Finding out about you – I will take some basic details and use the rest of our session to understand more about your situation and your history.  At the end of the session - We can think about if you would like to continue. It is really important you find a therapist who you feel comfortable with and this may be different for everyone. If we choose to work together, we will review our work so that it stays relevant to your needs and goals.

How can I help?

I work in an integrative way to tailor my approach to fit your individual needs. This means that I can combine ideas and insight, drawn from different counselling theories in order to best support you. I take into account your preferences and outlook and work collaboratively with you. The flexible approach means that you influence how the therapy takes place. All that is needed is your commitment and openness. 

My therapies include:

Person Centred Therapy (PCT)
Psychodynamic Therapy (PT)
Gestalt Therapy (GT)
Transactional Analysis (TA)
Coaching
Other techniques:

I have a range of experience and learning to draw on which may be useful depending on your needs and preferences. For example: meditation, breathing and visualisation techniques, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approaches, and creative /art exploratory tools.

I also offer professional level Coaching: I have experience of organisational coaching working with people with both career and personal goals. I have particular experience working with business people/academics and exploring the impact that a high-pressured environment can have on emotional well-being as well as the issues that may arise from a conflict between your work environment and personal life.

We can look at areas such as limiting beliefs, taking  positive action, clarifying aims and options, and achieving a bigger goal in small steps. We can together seek clarity through a range of reflection tools. Coaching is a separate modality to counselling and it can sometimes follow counselling if we assess to agree your readiness for this different approach and take a 2 month gap. Please contact me for further information if this is of interest to you.

Testimonials

“Am now able to understand the issues I had and realise that I’m a decent person.. Also came to terms better with bereavement. Able to cope better with worry .. Lou has been amazing throughout and I truly believe I wouldn’t be in the content and happy place I am now without her help” RM

“ Lou is a lovely lady…kind and understanding. She’s willing to try different techniques to help me to relax and understand the things that have happened in my life.” SK

“Being allowed to vent my problems and learning to express myself without being too guarded about what I have said. Lou has also been very patient and non-critical with me. Lou has helped me immensely..also discovered a lot of my creative side..this has been a good learning curve for me. I think it is very beneficial for others to enjoy their journey where ever it may lead.” LR

Remote (video or voice call/phone) counselling for 50-55 minutes - £60.

Working through Health Insurance including a BUPA recognised provider - set fees.

Concessionary remote counselling (students, trainee counsellors, retired, not in work, irregular/low income) - £40.

(Fees are before tax & professional costs)

When you are ready to get started I'll ask you to agree some documents such as a contract and data protection information and it is helpful to have your GP/emergency contacts.

 I am a BUPA recognised Provider (set fee).

I offer a reduced fee for students, not in work and retired clients to make counselling affordable. Please see fees section and talk to me if you have special circumstances needing concessions.

I can provide weekly or fortnightly sessions. Fortnightly are best after at least 6 weekly sessions to get the counselling started and these may not be helpful for all clients. Happy to discuss your preferences with you to find the best approach.

Why did I become a counsellor?

I decided to become a counsellor because I really enjoy working with people to support them to create a more fulfilling journey for themselves and recognise that they can create changes. Focusing on this can be the last thing we do among all the other concerns and pressures in life, some of which are distressing and distracting. I feel that in the counselling space I meet the best people - those willing and courageous enough to reflect on themselves and their experiences.