Melissa Venter

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About me

I offer a warm, reflective space where you can talk freely and feel deeply listened to. My counselling style is gentle, curious and grounded in psychodynamic thinking, which means we explore both your present experiences and the earlier relationships or events that may still be influencing you. This can help you understand yourself more fully and begin to shift patterns that feel difficult or repetitive.

I currently work online with adults, offering weekly sessions that provide a consistent and confidential place to pause, reflect and make sense of what you’re feeling. I support people through anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship challenges, loss, and periods of uncertainty or change. You don’t need to have the “right words” we work things out together, at your pace.

My aim is to offer a space where you feel understood, supported, and able to make meaningful shifts in your life.

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained as a psychodynamic counsellor through The Counselling Foundation, completing several years of in‑depth training that focused on understanding how our past experiences and relationships shape the way we feel and behave today. This training forms the foundation of my work and supports the reflective, relational way I practise.

I also completed specialist training with Place2Be in counselling children and young people, where I learned how creative play and symbolic expression can help people communicate feelings that are hard to put into words. Although I currently work online with adults, this experience has strengthened my sensitivity to emotional expression, attunement and the different ways people share their inner world.

Alongside my training, I have worked with adults facing anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship difficulties, loss and periods of change or uncertainty. I have experience in both short‑term and longer‑term therapy, offering a steady, confidential space where clients can explore their feelings and begin to understand themselves more fully.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Fees

£55.00 per session

Additional information

My fee is £55 per session. I invoice monthly by bank transfer, keeping things simple and consistent for you.

Further information

I place a lot of importance on creating a steady, safe relationship where you can speak freely and feel met with warmth and curiosity. I know it can feel daunting to reach out for support, so we take things at a pace that feels manageable for you. The first session is simply a chance for us to meet, talk about what brings you to therapy, and get a sense of whether working together feels right.

My practice is grounded in ongoing supervision and continued professional development, which help me stay reflective and attuned in my work. I welcome people who may feel unsure about where to begin you don’t need to have everything clear before starting. Therapy is a space where we can explore things together.

Type of session

Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Online platforms

Microsoft Teams
Melissa Venter
Melissa Venter