Matt Taylor

I have worked in the field of personal change and development for over 25 years now. After working as a minister of religion for eight years, I trained as a hypnotherapist and mindfulness coach and then as a counsellor. I am currently training to become a Psychotherapist.

My work with my clients centres around the idea that we all have the most remarkable abilities and resources and the capacity for change and growth but sometimes we just get stuck.

Life is sometimes complex and the difficult times can leave us doubting ourselves, feeling low, isolated, anxious, or frustrated. We often bounce back but there are times when we need support, someone to listen to us in confidence, and a safe space to say what's on our minds.

Counselling and psychotherapy offer the opportunity to process difficult experiences, explore unpleasant feelings and to get in touch with our own inner strengths and resources.

My work philosophy is influenced by many roles in my professional life and more recently, my many years of training in Transactional Analysis, as well as being a husband, father and family business owner.

I aim to provide an open and safe environment, free from judgement, which allows you to speak freely so that we can work collaboratively towards agreed aims and goals.

Ultimately, we all want peace of mind and the freedom to live authentic lives of joy, connection and meaning, something that I believe is a journey of discovery, a journey which we are all on together.

Couples Counselling and Therapy:

Navigating the complexities of our relationships can be challenging. We humans are complex creatures and when you get two of us together, things get even more complex. 

I view difficulties in our most important relationships to be par for the course, part and parcel of the journey - a journey of ups and downs, of wonderful times and troubled times.

I have worked with couples and families for many years, first as a minister of religion and later as a therapist. I have been married many years to my wife (who is also my business partner) and I recognise the challenges and obstacles that modern life creates. I am also a father of two adult children and I believe family responsibilities apply a special kind of pressure to a partnership.

Mostly, my work involves promoting understanding, intimacy and learning how we can accommodate our own needs as well as the needs of our partner. I aim to provide a non-judgemental and unbiased environment where we can talk, listen, share our hurts, our experiences, and our wisdom - as we work together towards a greater sense of closeness and partnership.

Sometimes my work involves exploring how to best move forward when it becomes clear that a relationship is ending. 

Often there are many factors to consider during the process of therapy, including other loved ones, such as children, family and friends, as well as the more practical aspects of life such as work, finances and property. 

For couples work, each appointment lasts slightly longer (1.5 hours) and in that time I offer time and space for each partner to share their thoughts, feelings and reflections, ensuring an opportunity for open dialogue both ways.I use Transactional Analysis as my main approach towards the work we do together, as well as other training I have done in other psychological theories, and my own life-experiences and influences. During our first couples appointment, we will spend a good part of the session establishing and agreeing upon what you would like to achieve from the sessions. This can be revisited again as the sessions progress.

I charge £60 per hour and offer discounts for students and I offer discretionary rates on a sliding scale.

I charge £90 per 1.5 hour couples appointments.