About me
Hello, I'm Rachel. Welcome to Lotus Counselling Therapy 🪷
I'm a qualified Person-Centred Experiential Counsellor and Psychotherapist based in Southport. I work with adults and teenagers, with an emotional focus at the heart of my practice.
You may be managing on the outside, while inside it feels completely different. Perhaps you're anxious, overwhelmed, or constantly overthinking. Maybe you're struggling with relationships, feeling stuck, or you just don't feel like yourself anymore.
My approach is rooted in person-centred therapy, with an emotional focus. We can explore what you're feeling and what may be going on underneath the surface, rather than simply trying to “manage” or mask difficult emotions. Together, we can make sense of experiences that may feel confusing or overwhelming, notice patterns that keep you feeling stuck, and help develop a deeper understanding of yourself.
Areas I Work With
I work with adults and teenagers across a wide range of concerns, including:
- Anxiety, depression and stress: Including overthinking, panic, low mood, overwhelm, low self-confidence and feeling stuck.
- Relationships and family: Exploring difficulties in relationships, family issues, boundaries, communication and the impact of relationships on your emotional wellbeing.
- Trauma and difficult experiences: Supporting people affected by trauma, emotional or physical abuse, sexual assault, childhood experiences and other events that continue to affect how they feel or relate to themselves and others.
- Women’s emotional wellbeing: Supporting women through fertility difficulties and infertility, pregnancy and birth, abortion, perinatal mental health including postnatal depression, adjustment to motherhood, perimenopause and menopause.
- Neurodiversity: Supporting adults who are exploring or adjusting to an ADHD or autism diagnosis, as well as teenagers who are neurodivergent. This can include making sense of yourself differently, navigating relationships and understanding experiences that may have felt confusing for years.
- Teenagers: Alongside my private practice, I work as a counsellor in a local high school, supporting teenagers with anxiety, low mood, self-esteem, identity, relationships, school pressures, self-harm and emotional wellbeing. I also have postgraduate training in counselling children and young
How we will work Together
Clients often describe me as warm, approachable and easy to talk to. The relationship we build is at the very heart of my practice. I work gently at your pace and without judgement, creating space to explore whatever feels important to you.
If words don't quite capture what you're experiencing, we can also explore creative approaches such as sand tray work, art, imagery and metaphor, if that feels right for you.
Take the First Step
Choosing a counsellor can feel daunting. You might be wondering: “Will this person get me?” or “Is what I'm bringing too much?”
To help you find the right fit, I offer a free, no-obligation 15–20 minute introductory phone call.
This isn't a therapy session. It's simply a chance to tell me a little about what brings you here, ask any questions you may have, and see whether we might be a good fit.
🪷 Face-to-face: A peaceful, private garden room in Southport, in between Birkdale and Ainsdale
💻 Online: Available UK-wide
If you'd like to book an introductory phone call or a counselling session, click the Message/Email button above to get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications and Experience
I hold a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Person-Centred Experiential Counselling and Psychotherapy, together with postgraduate training in counselling children and young people. I have also completed additional training in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Solution-Focused Therapy and creative therapeutic approaches, enabling me to respond flexibly to each person's unique needs.
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), work within their Ethical Framework, and hold an enhanced DBS certificate.
Alongside my private practice, I work as a counsellor in a local high school, supporting children and young people with a wide range of emotional challenges. Previously, I counselled at a local women's charity and volunteered with the Samaritans, experiences that deepened my understanding of how important it is to feel heard, especially during life's most difficult moments.
I have a particular interest in perinatal emotional wellbeing, and my degree research explored the emotional challenges and societal expectations that can accompany pregnancy, parenthood and family life.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years helping people navigate journeys across the world in the airline industry. Today, I have the privilege of walking alongside people as they navigate their inner emotional world.
Working with children, young people and adults has shown me that every person brings their own unique story. Whatever your age or circumstances, I believe meaningful change begins with feeling genuinely heard, understood and accepted.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Aviation Professionals
I have an understanding of the unique demands of working in the aviation industry, having spent many years in the airline sector before becoming a therapist. I welcome airline crew, pilots and trainee pilots, offering a confidential space to explore the personal and professional challenges that can accompany this career.
I am also experienced in supporting trainee pilots and can provide reports for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Please feel free to get in touch for more information.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a discounted fee to counselling students who block book sessions.
When I work
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