About me
My name is Paula, and I am a qualified person-centred counsellor, registered with the BACP and working within their Ethical Framework. I hold a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and have provided counselling within the NHS, online through a Community Interest Charity, and through volunteering with local mental health support services. I now run a small private practice from my home in Shrewsbury, where I offer face-to-face sessions in a dedicated garden room, as well as online and telephone counselling.
Before retraining as a counsellor, I worked in both the private and public sectors, including several years supporting patients and families at my local NHS cancer centre. Those experiences gave me a deeper understanding of the emotional impact of life's challenges and inspired me to pursue a career in counselling.
Seeking support can feel like a big step. Whether you are struggling with something specific, feeling overwhelmed, or simply have a sense that things do not feel quite right, counselling offers a space where you can slow down and explore whatever is on your mind.
I offer a warm, compassionate and confidential environment where you can speak openly and be accepted without judgment. I won't tell you what to do or try to "fix" you. In person-centred counselling, I believe that you are the expert on your own life. My role is to walk alongside you, offering empathy, acceptance and understanding as you make sense of your experiences and discover your own way forward.
I work with individuals, couples and relationships, and whatever brings you to counselling, your thoughts and feelings matter.
Individual Counselling
Individual counselling provides a safe and supportive space where you can talk freely and feel truly heard. People seek counselling for many reasons, including anxiety, stress, low mood, grief, relationship difficulties, loss, life changes, or simply feeling stuck.
You do not need to be in crisis to seek support. Sometimes having someone alongside you who listens with empathy and acceptance can help you understand yourself more deeply, build confidence, and find ways of coping that feel right for you.
Couples and Relationship Counselling
Relationships can be one of the greatest sources of comfort in our lives, but they can also bring challenges. Couples and relationship counselling offers a safe, balanced space where both people can slow things down and talk openly about what is happening between them.
People come to relationship counselling for many reasons, including communication difficulties, feeling disconnected, rebuilding trust after a betrayal, parenting challenges, intimacy concerns, or simply wanting to strengthen an already good relationship.
My role is not to take sides or decide who is right or wrong. Instead, I aim to help both people feel heard and understood, supporting you to explore patterns, deepen understanding, and work towards a healthier and more fulfilling relationship.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have completed a Certificate in Working with Couples and Relationships
I completed a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling at Shrewsbury College, following the achievement of my Level 2 and Level 3 counselling qualifications there. As part of my training, I provided counselling services within the NHS and through an online platform. Additionally, I volunteered with Shropshire Mental Health Support in Church Stretton and Shrewsbury.
I have also undertaken extra training in the following areas:
- Suicide Awareness
- Understanding and Managing Low Mood
- Wellbeing at Work
- Stress Buster
- Grief and Bereavement
- Mental Health First Aid Champion
- Introduction to Trauma and Managing Symptoms
- Preventing Harm in Psychotherapy
- Understanding the Role of Humour in Counselling
- Shrewsbury Talking Suicide: Ending Stigma Together
- The Psychology of People Pleasing
- The Science of Women & Burnout
- Working with Goals
- Accessing Authentic Self for Embodied Healing
- Poetry Therapy
- Compassion Focused Therapy Chair Work
- Certificate in Working with Couples and Relationships
Member organisations
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
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£45.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual counselling fee £45 (£50 for evening sessions)
Couples counselling fee £60 (£70 for evening sessions)
I run a small, independent private practice from my home. Working from home keeps my costs lower, which means I can keep therapy more affordable for people who may feel therapy costs are beyond their reach.
Further information
I offer affordable face-to-face counselling in my private, peaceful garden room in Belle Vue, Shrewsbury. I also provide online and telephone counselling, depending on your preference.
There is parking available on my driveway or on the street, if you prefer. Please note that there are no toilet facilities on-site, but public toilets are nearby.
