About me
Hello and welcome. You have made the first step in looking for support and assistance which can be very daunting and takes courage. Life can present us with so many different challenges and difficulties, it is hard to navigate our way through these alone. You may be struggling with issues related to anxiety, depression, grief or major life changes. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or stuck? Is it difficult to confide your worries and feelings with those around you? Be it a present matter or an unresolved pain from the past, I may be able to help.
My counselling approach is Humanistic which means I believe in the positive nature of human beings and that we all have the potential, resources and strategies we need to meet our own needs, but sometimes it’s hard to access this knowledge. It is my aim to offer a warm, empathic, honest and collaborative relationship in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment in which we can explore and build on your inner strengths and resources. Sometimes it may be just a compassionate space to voice your inner thoughts and feelings without the fear of upsetting anyone.
There's also an invitation to pay attention to the connection between your mind and body as we don't just experience life through our thoughts and emotions - we also carry experiences in our bodies. When something feels overwhelming, stressful or traumatic, our bodies often respond - sometimes by tightening, shutting down, or holding tension. Becoming aware of bodily sensations can help you regulate emotions, feel more grounded and increase a sense of safety. We call this somatic work and can be simply pausing to notice what's happening in your body as you talk, exploring where and how you feel certain emotions physically. I will support you through this process of exploration and offer gentle breathwork and grounding exercises. Somatic work is about listening to your body with curiosity and compassion, not forcing it to change.
There has been much research that suggests it is the quality of the counselling relationship which has a major influence on the outcomes, more so than any techniques. For this reason, I offer a free initial session online or via the telephone where you can assess if you are comfortable working with me and you can ask any questions about counselling. I work on a short term or long-term basis which we review every 6 weeks. I am only able to offer counselling to adults 18+.
🌿 What to Expect in Your First Counselling Session
The first session is a chance for us to meet and begin creating a safe, respectful, and accepting space — one where you can start to explore whatever feels important to you, at your own pace.
🤝 Building the Relationship
In humanistic counselling, the relationship between you and your counsellor is central. We’ll focus on creating a sense of connection and trust. There’s no pressure to share everything at once — we’ll go at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
📝 Assessment & Information Gathering
While there may be some gentle questions to help understand what’s brought you to counselling, the session is more of a conversation than an assessment. You’re not expected to “have it all figured out.”
We might talk about:
• What’s been going on for you lately
• How you’re feeling day-to-day
• Anything you’d like support with
• Some of your life context or experiences (only if and when you’re ready)
📄 The Counselling Agreement
We’ll also talk through the counselling contract — a simple and clear agreement that covers:
• How we’ll work together
• Confidentiality (and its boundaries)
• Practical details like session length, fees, and cancellations
This is part of creating a safe and ethical framework for our work.
🌱 Exploring Hopes and Goals
You might already have a clear idea of what you’d like from counselling, or you might just feel that something isn’t quite right and want space to explore that. Either is completely okay.
Rather than setting fixed goals, we might reflect together on what you hope might shift, change, or become clearer over time.
💬 A Gentle Start
There’s no “right” way to do this. The first session is simply a beginning — a space for you to be heard, perhaps in a way you haven’t been before. You are the expert on your own life, and this space is here to support you in reconnecting with your own sense of meaning, choice, and self-worth.
Testimonial:
"I am a 71 year old man , just finished a year of chemotherapy treatment for leukaemia, having previously had treatment for both prostate and bladder cancer. Following the chemotherapy, my self confidence was shattered and my mood very low. I was referred to Niki Ralph for counselling, something that I had never experienced before, but I was open to the idea.
As soon as I met Niki I just knew that our sessions were going to be helpful, I didn't realise just how helpful. Niki's calm and confident manner immediately filled me with confidence as did the amount of effort that she put in to prepare our sessions. She listened, suggested and questioned my attitudes, all the time working to improve my flagging self confidence and to lift my mood. Niki showed me that my thoughts were actually quite rational and common in cancer sufferers and she used her counselling skill to alter the way that I thought about various matters.
My appointments with Niki were specifically related to my cancers and treatments, but I am sure that her experience could be equally applied to other matters.
My heartfelt thanks to Niki Ralph for helping me to regain my 'old self'. Anon June 2025"
"My experience with Niki has been transformative on a personal level. In our time together, I have moved from a place of initial reluctance to being able to bring my whole self to the experience. Niki is a wonderful counsellor to work with as her warmth and genuineness are felt in every session. She inspires trust, confidence and connection which enabled me to open up and therefore get the most out of our sessions. I would not hesitate to recommend Niki to others looking to take that step into counselling."
Training, qualifications & experience
I have over 15 years of experience working within Higher Education, Drug and Alcohol services, Carers, & Cancer support services.
- Accredited BACP 2023
- BUPA registered
- BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling – University of Chichester 2015
- Diploma Humanistic Counselling – University of Chichester 2013
- Certificate in Counselling skills level 3 – Guildford college 2010
- Certificate in Conscious Connected Breathwork (400 hour training programme @Breathguru)
Some of my training includes:
- Conscious Connected Breathwork
- Currently training with Oxygen Advantage Functional Breathwork
- Grief & loss
- Depression, the Brain and Recovery
- Certificate in Facilitating Therapy Groups
- Anxiety and Single Session Therapy
- Mood and Food -The Connection
- Sexualised Trauma Workshop
- Mindfulness for Professionals
- Trauma within Substance Misuse Counselling
- Attachment as a Therapeutic modality
- Clinical notes and Supervision & counselling tools
- Cycle of Change
- Safeguarding Adults
- Safeguarding Children
- Counselling Contracts
- Brief Solution focused Therapy
- How to end with clients
- “Keeping it in the family” drug and alcohol family training
- Telephone and Online Counselling training
- Safeguarding and Managing risk through digital media – Practitioners
- Relationships and Regulation – Neuroscience
- Polyvagal Theory - Neuroscience
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
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
Breathwork
Nervous System Regulation
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Free initial 20 minute assessment session via telephone or online
£60 for subsequent sessions (50 minutes)
On BUPA's register for clients with insurance
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
Further information
I offer counselling via online platforms, phone or face to face in Emsworth @ Apollo Practice and Bosham @ Green Door Centre (formerly Hamblin Hall, PO18)
