Natalie Read
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi. I’m Natalie, an experienced and accredited counsellor offering face-to-face sessions in Somerset as well as zoom sessions wherever you are based. My 18-year counselling experience includes working in private practice and at a University Student Counselling service. I also have an additional 10 years’ corporate experience including coaching, executive coaching, training, facilitation and organisational psychology. Alongside this I have over 30 years of spiritual training and practice so am able to bring a holistic approach to my work when requested. I am also the author of Being Human - the path to self-acceptance, resilience and happiness.
What I offer
I bring a blend of all my experiences and trainings along with my passion, belief and dedication to the work that I do. Establishing a safe place to share and explore at your own pace is fundamental to our success. I offer a compassionate, non-judgemental space that meets you where you are and supports you to find a way forward.
I’ll explore your unique circumstances, beliefs and values before tailoring my approach to suit you. I’ll help you to be more aware of your patterns, emotions and underlying beliefs and help you to connect with your inner wisdom, find healthier coping strategies, new perspectives and the confidence and strength to act on these. I believe in supporting work towards self-acceptance and self-love for a longer-term approach to overcoming difficulties as well as helping you to develop greater self-awareness along the way. Enabling a more conscious and kinder connection with yourself offers you the opportunity of greater happiness and the potential of happier and healthier connections with others.
I also offer for those who are interested, a hybrid of my counselling and coaching experience blended with my spiritual trainings to enable a greater transformation. This approach is intuitively tailored to you and your belief system and is particularly suited to individuals who have already done some work on themselves, are ready to shift to a new level, feel called to a more meaningful pathway or would like to connect with a more heart-based approach. My love transforms programme is a 12-week experience for those who want to immerse themselves in this way of working as it provides a complete reset as well as a toolkit that can be used well beyond the programme. Please see my website for more information.
What I work with
I’ve worked with adults of all ages and presenting issues including: anxiety, self-esteem and confidence, depression and low mood, overcoming trauma, coping with transitions and endings, overcoming and accepting physical illness and disability, building resilience and embracing change, relationship and family difficulties, work and academic difficulties, feeling stuck and disillusioned or wanting to attract something different in life.
I particularly specialise in working towards self-acceptance, self-love, self-empowerment, balancing mind, body and spirit, greater embodiment and connection to yourself and others, spiritual awakening and emergence, spiritual development, positive psychology, exploring meaning and purpose, balancing a spiritual and psychological journey, building healthier relationships and a more meaningful life. I also have experience of working with neurodivergence and people who are empathic or sensitive.
My approach
I work integratively incorporating a variety of different approaches including (but not limited to): CBT, mindfulness and various different approaches to trauma into my core training of Psychosynthesis. Psychosynthesis is a transpersonal approach working with the mind, body and spirit. As well as exploring difficulties, it also holds the possibility of what might be emerging from a higher perspective of potential, learning and growth.
I am also dedicated to finding new ways to bring peace, happiness, joy and meaning into my own life and helping others to do the same. To do so, I have trained in a breadth and depth of reading, workshops and trainings and as a result, offer the option of a more holistic approach in order to bring a greater number of solutions to today’s challenges. This may include guided meditation, mindfulness, energy management, clearing blocks, attracting more positive situations and connecting to inner wisdom as well as a wide range of spiritual tools and techniques tailored to you and your belief system. I also run a 12-week Love transforms programme, 4-week meditation course, and other workshops. I’m also planning a new spiritual development group soon.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications: PG dip Psychosynthesis counselling, The Psychosynthesis Trust, 2007, BA (hons) Business Studies, 1995
Additional Training includes: working with trauma (trainings with Janina Fisher, Christiane Sanderson, Babette Rothschild, Peter Levine), CBT, working with body dysmorphia, Neuro Diversity affirming therapy, Sex and Relationship diversity, Polyvagal essentials, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Business NLP, Energy management, Meditation, Heart Imagery, Reiki, Online counselling. For a full list of my CPD, please visit my website.
I’ve an additional 25 years’ experience of training and facilitating in a whole range of psychological, spiritual and corporate topics.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Spiritual emergence, exploring meaning and purpose, embodiment.
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 - £70.00
Free initial in-person or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes. I charge £70 per session (concessions sometimes available, please enquire if you are drawn to working with me) I also offer a free 30 minute introductory session for us to determine mutually if we’d like to work together. It’s important with any counselling relationship that it feels right for both parties and I will always be honest if I believe an alternative form of support may be more suitable. After the introductory session, there is no obligation or pressure to work with me - I value your honesty and ability to make the decision that is right for you.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
I can offer daytime and evening appointments.
Further information
I work within BACP’s ethical framework for good practice. I work both short and long-term on a one-to-one basis, face-to-face and zoom. For more information, please contact me or visit my website www.natalieread.co.uk
