About me
Reaching out for support can take real courage, and finding someone you feel comfortable with makes all the difference. I am Mark Smith, an integrative counsellor based in Stourbridge, offering a warm, calm and completely confidential space to talk.
People come to me for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes there is a clear difficulty, such as anxiety, low mood, grief, trauma or a relationship that has become painful. Other times it is a harder-to-name sense that something is not quite right, or that life has become heavier than it should be. Whatever has brought you here, you are welcome exactly as you are. You do not need to have the words ready or know where to begin.
My approach is gentle, collaborative and shaped entirely around you. I do not believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Instead, I listen carefully and we work at a pace that feels safe, drawing on whatever combination of approaches will help you most. Above all, my aim is for you to feel genuinely heard, never judged, and supported in finding your own way forward.
I offer sessions face to face in Stourbridge and online, with flexible weekday, evening and weekend availability so that support can fit around your life. I also offer a free, no-pressure initial conversation so you can ask questions and see how it feels before committing to anything.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Registered Member, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP)
- General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), Practitioner level
- Diploma in Integrative Counselling
- Clinical Hypnotherapy qualification
- NLP Practitioner
- Mental Health First Aid Instructor
- Enhanced DBS checked and fully insured
Member organisations
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Additional information
I offer a free initial telephone conversation, which gives us both a chance to talk briefly about what you are looking for and whether I am the right person to help, with no obligation to go ahead.
Through my membership of a local therapy centre, I may also be able to help clients in the Dudley Borough area who would otherwise struggle with the cost of sessions.
If cost is a worry for you, please do mention it when we speak, as I would always rather have that conversation than see someone go without support.
Further information
You may be feeling nervous, unsure, or simply tired of carrying things on your own. Please know that whatever you are facing, you do not have to face it alone, and there is no problem too small or too large to bring.
If you would like to talk, or simply have a question before deciding, I would be glad to hear from you. You are welcome to get in touch by phone or email, and I aim to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.
Taking the first step is often the hardest part. Whenever you feel ready, I am here.
