Ruth Blake

I am an integrative counsellor, which means I draw on different tools and techniques to respond to clients in an individualised way. At the very core of my practice is:

• a belief that we all need a little help sometimes;
• a belief that everyone has their own inner guidance system which can be accessed and cultivated through approaches that suit their particular nature and circumstance;
• a dedication to providing a confidential, compassionate, authentic, and non-judgemental space for my clients  that feels both collaborative and empowering. 

I have well over a decade's experience training and working in therapeutic environments, and have been on my own journey of personal healing and self-discovery for nearly twenty years. During this time I have cultivated a particular depth of empathy, compassion and respect for others dealing with the challenges of life, and I am particularly interested in working with people who struggle with low-self-esteem, anxiety, and depression/low-mood as well as those who have experienced complex trauma, feel they don't fit in or don't know where they are going in life.

As well as client-centred talking therapy I integrate mindfulness, breath and body awareness, parts work and practical CBT tools to assist clients in accessing their inner knowing, deepening their understanding of the issues they may be facing, and building resources and self-confidence where they are lacking. I can incorporate working with dreams, visualisation, story, sound and personal or guided creative practice, and I am very open to clients who wish to explore or include their soul life or spirituality.

Alongside my private practice I work for local charity, Focus Counselling, and their weekly Young People's Well-Being Drop-In. I am a lifelong creative and a singer-songwriter who is passionate about harnessing creativity as a therapeutic tool and alongside my regular counselling practice I offer therapeutic mentoring in the art of intuitive songwriting. I also have a long-standing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy and can support people seeking to prepare for, or integrate, experiences of this nature.

I appreciate how difficult the decision to come for counselling can be, followed by the challenge of finding a counsellor that feels like the right match. For that reason I offer a free 30 minute call so that you can get a sense of me and the way that I work.

I offer a free 30 minute discovery call online or phone as you prefer.