About us
Hi, I’m Matt, a qualified Integrative Counsellor who came to the world of talking therapy following a background in music.
I myself have experienced significant mental health struggles in the past and, believe me, I know what it’s like to feel incredibly alone in psychological pain and weighed down by deep feelings of shame. I bottled things up, pushed them down, and presented a cool, confident exterior to the world, a mask that took enormous energy to uphold and maintain. In learning how to open up, initially within the safe spaces of therapy, my life began to transform. My healing journey since has been ever-revealing, empowering, and at times profoundly surprising.
It has been a privilege to integrate these personal experiences with my formal counselling training and theoretical understanding, allowing me to accompany others as they navigate some of the darkest, most vulnerable, and transformative moments of their lives.
How do I work?
As an Integrative Counsellor, I draw from a range of evidence-based modalities to find an approach tailored to your individual needs and way of being. This is achieved through a collaborative and co-created process in which the open, warm, and non-judgemental space we form together becomes the foundation upon which all else is built.
This work might involve delving into past experiences and uncovering the origins and patterns of being that continue to burden you in the present day. It may include befriending, or letting go of, parts of yourself that are no longer serving you and that limit your capacity for joy and fulfilment. It might also involve reconnecting with your authentic self, developing the ability to listen to and understand your emotions and the body-mind’s innate intelligence, enabling you to step into a fuller and more expansive expression of your life.
At times, therapy may focus more directly on present-day challenges such as loss, relationship breakdown, anxiety, burnout, or life transitions.
Ultimately, I believe the most enduring insights and revelations are those that arise from a deep inner knowing, and perhaps my most valuable role as a therapist is to support your growing ability to uncover these pearls of intelligence and strength within yourself.
Unearthing Creativity
Before training as a counsellor, I worked in the music industry as a recording producer/engineer. This background has given me a particular sensitivity to the struggles often experienced by those immersed in creative lives. The joy of creativity and pain of psychological instability can often exist side by side, and creative blocks or loss of momentum can feel deeply unsettling, even identity-shaking.
It has been a great joy to bring this understanding into my therapeutic work, supporting many creative individuals, including musicians, songwriters, producers, dancers, illustrators, artists, and game designers as they navigate their unique challenges. While I hold a special affinity for working with creative people, my practice is open to anyone seeking a space to explore themselves more deeply. I believe creativity is innate to all human beings, and reconnecting with this creative potential, however it may be expressed, can be a deeply empowering and healing process.
Working with Young People
While I work with adults of all ages, I am also particularly drawn to supporting adolescents (16–25+) as they navigate the often-complex transition into adulthood. This stage of life can be rich with new experiences and possibilities, while also bringing significant challenges and deep shifts in identity and sense of self. I offer steady support to individuals as they move through this formative and sometimes turbulent period.
It has also been a great honour to weave these different strands of my experience together through my work with Seed Sessions (seedsessions.co.uk), a charity that supports young male musicians who are experiencing poor mental health by providing access to talking therapy alongside music mentorship.
Mindfulness and Spirituality
Finally, I am also deeply interested in mindfulness meditation and its transformative potential in cultivating self-awareness and enriching our subjective reality through an intimate connection with the present moment. I firmly believe that mindfulness stands as one of the most potent tools at our disposal for effecting positive change to entrenched patterns and ingrained modes of thought.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have an Advanced Diploma in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling from Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (BCPC). My integrative training allows me to draw from a range of therapeutic techniques and tools, enabling me to create a personalised approach that best meets your unique needs.
As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) BACP, I am committed to providing a safe and ethical practice in line with their ethical framework and adhere to their complaint & appeals procedures.
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.
Areas of counselling we deal with
Other areas of counselling we deal with
Adolescent transitions into adulthood
Masculinity and men's work
Creative struggles and blocks
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
