Lucy Theo ( MBACP Accred.) (UKRCP Reg.) (BPS)

COVID19 UPDATE: During these unprecedented times, I can continue to offer phone counselling sessions or online counselling via Skype or Facetime.

'Space To Talk, Time To Listen'

Confidential and Effective Counselling and Psychotherapy.

My name is Lucy and I am an accredited, experienced and supportive  counsellor/ psychotherapist working in the NHS and in private practice in Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan. The talking therapy space I offer is welcoming, relaxed and confidential and  fosters a feeling of emotional security, so that you will feel able to explore worries and concerns, both past and present and together we can discuss the link between events, thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Counselling can help to make sense of life difficulties, loss and change and create new ways to communicate in order to develop inner confidence, personal happiness and psychological balance. I have  been supporting adults and young people through unique experiences of anxiety , relationship  and body image difficulties,  phobias and panic symptoms for the past fifteen  years  in various settings such as a hospice, a family bereavement service , as a school counsellor, with expectant parents in an ante-natal unit and for a nationwide charity. In addition to working in private practice , I am currently in post as a Psychological Therapist in the NHS in the Primary Care Counselling Service.

My role is to listen attentively and with commitment and care in order to ' see the world through your eyes' and create a sense of relational trust. My belief is that this then inspires greater psychological strength and personal equiibrium, and in turn, the possibility to create new life choices, harness personal potential and a positive, meaningful existence for every individual regardless of class, gender , age or sexuality.

How I work

I work Integratively with clients, which means incorporating a range and blend of theoretical ideas, (CBT, Psychodynamic, Humanistic) to suit the personality, needs and concerns of each individual in order to respect their unique experience and life story. I believe that the fundamental mechanism for change and choice, is not simply what is offered theoretically by the counsellor, but the way in which this is transmitted, by a positive therapeutic interchange; ultimately with kindness and curiosity.

Counselling needn't simply be  talking about difficult things at difficult times, but it also gives us the opportunity to strengthen our Thinking and Feeling 'Selves', as well as our Physical Self , and of course,  the chance to explore the relationship between all three. Thankfully society is now recognising the benefit of making time to talk and the value of strengthening our emotional health, just as we may visit a personal trainer or physiotherapist, and I am passionate about helping people to understand the How, What and Why of physical pain and illness and how this relates to and impacts our psychological health , especially in relation to current and past experience.

Approaching a stranger for support can feel daunting, but I always suggest a short telephone conversation, as a chance to connect in the first instance, and then an initial no-obligation consultation where the opportunity to feel comfortable is established.

I offer weekly or fortnightly sessions depending, and both short-term and longer term options for counselling are considered depending on individual need. Session times are flexible in order to accommodate lifestyle demands. I also offer sessions in conjunction with the Employee Assistance  Programme.

My Bonvilston therapy room is situated in a  private and peaceful rural setting surrounded by trees and spacious fields and offers a convenient 'escape' from the bustle of the city, although is easily accessible, being only eight minutes  from Junction 33 of the M4 (Culverhouse Cross) and ten minutes from  Junction 34 of the M4.  There is ample, free parking  and the entrance is on the ground floor of a self-contained building.

(I also specialise in  Psychological Support for Pregnancy and Postnatal Period, Loss in Pregnancy and Birth through my practice: MIND& BABY and have a separate profile page for this.)