About me
Welcome to my profile
I have been a counsellor for over 15 years. In that time, I have worked with adults and young people on a wide range of issues including anxiety and depression, neurodiversity, family issues, bereavement, relationships, difficulties arising from a difficult and painful past, bullying, problems with school and friendships, worries about the future and much more.
I grew up in Letchworth and (apart from a few years in London and abroad) I have lived in Letchworth or Hitchin all my life. I know the area and the schools which I find useful in my work especially with young people. But I have a terrible sense of direction so never ask me how to get anywhere!
I was trained to be an ‘Integrative Counsellor’ which involved the study of many different methodologies. This was good training as it allows me to tailor an approach to the needs of each individual client.
I was and am particularly inspired by ‘Person Centre Therapy’, developed by Carl Rogers who believed that for a person to “grow”, they need an environment that provides them with genuineness (a counsellor who is open and not pretending to be anything they are not), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood). I do my best to provide that environment.
Recently I have become interested in the relatively new science of Neuropsychology, the study of the relationship between behaviour, emotion, and cognition on the one hand, and brain function on the other. Fascinatingly there is beginning to be increasing evidence that visualisation and manifesting has some science behind them. I am planning to continue to research over the winter.
I know from personal experience how transformative counselling can be, but it can also be daunting to know which is the right counsellor for you. All the research suggests the best results are gained by matching the right client with the right counsellor which is why I offer a free 50-minute counselling session so you can meet me, see if you like me and feel you can talk to me.
I work hard to be a good counsellor, and I have a good success rate but sometimes I am not the right counsellor for a particular client. On those occasions, I will help them find the right person for them, if they want me to. I don’t charge for this service.
I have a room in Hitchin with parking (!) and work on Tuesdays to Thursdays from 2.15 pm to 6.15pm.
If you are interested in finding out more about me give me a call, without obligation, on 07758 440704 or email me at: suzanne.rider@gmail.com so I can answer any questions you have and perhaps set up an initial meeting.
With all good wishes,
Suzanne
Training, qualifications & experience
I have a Postgraduate Certificate in Adult Counselling and a Post-Gradate Diploma in Child and Adolescent Counselling with Terapia, accredited by Middlesex University.
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I charge £50 for a 50 minute session. I also offer concessions. I don't charge for a first meeting.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
There is a short flight of stairs leading to my counselling room. The room is close to the centre of Hitchin and there is parking behind the building I work in
