Mel Crawford

Hello, I'm Mel and I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and have worked with adults in private practice for 8 years. Previously, I was qualified in HR and dealt with sensitive issues such as performance reviews, personal challenges, redundancy consultations, TUPE transfers, employee disciplinaries, settlement discussions, and grievances. It required a solid understanding of confidentiality and ethical standards, which I carried through into my role now as a counsellor.

I have an awareness of workplace culture, power dynamics, and how organisational structures influence behaviour. I have gained a great deal of experience both professionally and personally supporting people, and I understand how it can have knock-on effects on your health, relationships, self-esteem, and the quality of your life. The average person spends approximately 90,000 hours of their life at work. If you are struggling, this can drain you emotionally and physically. 

What comes to mind for you when I say the word “work"?

Do you feel: anxious, low, Sunday blues, panicked, stressed, self-doubt, depressed, insecure, feeling nauseous, frustrated, defensive, unmotivated, disrespected, humiliated, unhappy, bored, burnt out, disillusioned, numb, angry...?

How do you want to feel?

Motivated, valued, confident, empowered, heard, enthusiastic, competent, respected, worthy, satisfied, comfortable, energised...

I can support you in working towards achieving these goals.

What I work with:

• Navigating stress and burnout.
• Anxiety.
• Low mood and depression.
• Imposter syndrome.
• Perfectionism.  
• Striving to feel “good enough.”
• People pleasing.
• Workplace conflict.
• Workplace bullying.
• Confidence issues or low self-esteem.
• Work-life balance challenges and overworking.
• Grief or loss. 
• Going through a disciplinary, performance improvement or grievance process.
• Redundancy.
• Career transitions.
• Working from home and feeling disconnected or lonely.

How can I help you?

Managing stress and anxiety: Workplace issues such as heavy workloads, difficult colleagues, or pressure from Management can cause stress and anxiety. Counselling can help you develop coping strategies to manage these feelings and avoid burnout.

Improving communication: If you're facing misunderstandings or conflicts at work, counselling can provide tools to improve communication and handle conflicts constructively.

Building confidence: If you're struggling with self-esteem or confidence in your work, counselling can help you explore the root causes and develop strategies to boost your confidence and self-worth.

Setting boundaries: Sometimes, workplace issues arise when boundaries are not respected. Counselling can help you set healthy boundaries with colleagues, supervisors, and clients, which can reduce stress and prevent burnout.

Career decisions and transitions: If you're feeling stuck or unsure about your career path, counselling can help you explore your values, strengths, and goals to make informed decisions about your career and any transitions you might be considering.

Emotional support: Having a neutral, supportive space to talk about your feelings and frustrations can be therapeutic. Counselling offers a safe place to express your emotions and work through any challenges you're facing in the workplace.

I am drawn to working with workplace issues as I understand the direct impact it has on a person’s mental health and how enormously challenging it can be.