Rosie Driffill MBACP BA PGDip MA

Many people consider counselling, but are not sure what to expect. It can sometimes feel very hard to take that initial step and seek help, and to talk through things that you may never have shared with anyone before. My aim is to create a comfortable and relaxed environment to enable you to explore what is going on for you.

Counsellors work in all sorts of different ways; I work from an integrative perspective, which means that while I believe we all have the resources within us to enable us to achieve our full potential, there is no one-size-fits-all way of supporting someone to do that. Some people prefer just to talk; others like a more structured approach, with set goals in mind. The main aim of counselling is to help you to 'live your best life,' to coin a popular phrase, which many of us - perhaps by circumstance or because of our relationships - are sadly prevented from doing at times.
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I have worked with people who bring a lot of different issues to counselling, from depression to bereavement; relationship difficulties to social anxiety. In terms of my specific areas of interest, I have experience of working therapeutically with people with eating disorders, and their families, and have run workshops and self-help groups for families affected by eating disorders based on the Maudsley Method on behalf of charities Beat, Student Minds and the Retreat hospital in York. I also run staff development courses for therapists working with people with chronic illnesses, and have a lot of experience of working with clients with long-term illnesses; I know from personal experience what a uniquely lonely place this can be, at times.

*Please note that I am currently offering counselling via Zoom and Skype in lieu of face-to-face work. If you would prefer to meet in person, I practise at the Oakdale Centre in Harrogate, and would ask all clients, after our initial conversation, to contact Oakdale for a formal assessment and referral. I also offer walk and talk therapy, which can be a great way of combining the healing potential of being outdoors with the healing power of talking; a lot of people also report how much they value the scope that walking gives them to process everything. For more details, including how this service is risk assessed and how session content is kept confidential, please don't hesitate to get in touch.