Natalia Peace

I am an effective, warm and professional counsellor and psychotherapist practising in central Reading, in Wallingford and online at the moment. I offer one-to-one therapy sessions for adults, both short- and long-term.

I am an experienced, registered and fully accredited member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and have been in practice since 2009. I am also an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapist in the final stages of a UK and Europe-accredited EMDR training.

My professional qualifications include a five-year post graduate diploma training in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. I use the EMDR protocol when appropriate to help clients process major traumatic events and to bring relief from PTSD, anxiety, obsessive/compulsive behaviours and phobias. EMDR is also among the recommended treatments for complex/prolonged trauma such as childhood abuse.

Why Counselling?

Life presents us with many challenges. Unexpected events, illness, change and transition are some of the more obvious and universally accepted ones.
Sometimes, what we experience is less straightforward. We may feel confused and threatened by the onset of anxiety, depression or some physical symptoms. We try to find a reason why we keep feeling misunderstood, isolated and frustrated. We wonder, is this really as good as it gets?

You might be looking at my profile because you are searching for professional support in dealing with your distress. You may have reached crisis point, or be concerned you may do so soon if nothing changes.

Your reasons for contacting me will be as individual as you are. I work with a wide range of difficulties and my clients are from diverse backgrounds and of varying ages. My counsellor roles have been within community, charity and NHS settings as well as in private practice. In addition to running one-to-one and group sessions, I assess clients who approach counselling services for the first time and run workshops.
In my years of psychotherapy practice, I have come to believe the following:

Difficulties, however painful and deserving of acknowledgment and compassion, can be understood as pointers towards an area that needs our attention in order for us to be able to grow and thrive again.

Throughout our work together I'll treat you with respect, compassion and integrity. I'll provide a safe, nonjudgemental space to hold any experience you bring into the session.
Your counselling process will be as unique as the person you are, and there will always be space to reflect together on how the counselling is going and what you need. You and your needs is what matters most, and it is essential you feel comfortable.

All counselling and psychotherapy sessions including the initial consultation are confidential, and I work within the UKCP professional Code of Ethics.

Your First Steps Towards Positive Change

If you would like to make an appointment or find out more about what I offer, please contact me. We'll then briefly speak on the phone (this service is free of charge), and can book an appointment to meet online for an initial consultation.

The initial consultation is a 50-minute meeting in which we'll talk about what brings you to counselling, assess your needs together and address any questions you might have.

Following the initial meeting you can opt to come for a set number of sessions to allow yourself an introduction to the process of counselling. You might then decide to continue the therapy on an ongoing basis.

Session take place weekly unless otherwise agreed.


How I Can Help You

I'll support you in overcoming your problems and help you understand the meaning and purpose of your issues. You will gain more insight about what you want in life and in relationships, and we can then work together on finding more helpful and effective ways to approach these.
Engaging in the process of therapy will help you make lasting positive changes. You can build a more fulfilling life and keep developing towards your full potential.

Areas I Work With:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Relationship issues
• Trauma (traumatic incidents as well as complex or prolonged trauma such as abuse)
• Death, bereavement and loss, including recent and ongoing events and sudden or unnatural death
• Burnout
• Low self-esteem
• Creativity and self-expression
• Confidence issues
• Work problems
• Feelings of emptiness
• Loneliness
• Change and transition such as career change, parenthood, retirement, separation
• Feeling 'stuck'
• Dreams
• Eating issues and body image
• Feelings of meaninglessness
• Feeling sad
• Addiction
• Marital difficulties, affairs and betrayals
• Separation and divorce
• Physical health issues and chronic pain
• Family issues
• Procrastination and difficulties in decision making
• Anger management
• Sexual problems
• Sleep problems

How I Work

My approach to psychotherapy is holistic.
I believe our experiences shape us from early on and continuously throughout life. As our beliefs and patterns of thinking and behaviour get established, they not only influence how our life unfolds but manifest in all aspects of our being - mind, body and soul. I invite my clients to engage their behaviour, conscious and unconscious mind and body in the therapy as appropriate.

The integrative counselling and psychotherapy modality I trained in allows me to meet your individual needs using a range of therapy approaches: person-centred and humanistic therapy and Gestalt, existential therapies, psychodynamic therapy, family and systemic therapy, transactional analysis (TA), cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and transpersonal psychotherapy. Trauma and its recurrent disturbing symptoms can be addressed using the EMDR protocol. I also use play therapy, creative imagination and dreamwork to help clients access the more unconscious aspects of the self.

Privacy Notice

I aim to be fully compliant with current GDPR legislation  and to let you know how I use and protect the data you've given me. GDPR replaces the previous Data Protection Act. Identifiable information, if shared, will not be used for marketing, writing, publishing, research or training purposes. It will only be use with accordance to my policy statement, which you can read here http://www.nataliapeacecounselling.com/privacy_notice

Burnout
Loneliness
Work problems
Change and transition such as career change, parenthood, retirement, separation
Feeling stuck
Creativity and expression
Dreams
Body image
Eating issues
Trauma
Sadness
Feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness
Marital difficulties
Physical health issues and chronic pain
Family issues
Difficulties in decision making
Procrastination
Loss and bereavement, both recent and past
Sleep problems

£75 per session, payable online (cash payment available as an option for face-to-face sessions if needed).