Valerie Hutchinson


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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello, thanks for clicking on my profile. I understand how tough it is to reach out to a counsellor based on my own therapy journey. I offer a free 15-30 minute session online or phone so we can see if we are a good fit and can work together, there is no pressure to commit. You may be experiencing anxiety, depression, feeling something is not quite right, you aren't happy and rarely feel any joy, I'm here to support you to start to feel better. You may feel numb, or have feelings of shame, guilt, sadness, please trust me this is all okay and normal but lets try and uncover why these feelings are there.
The therapeutic relationship, how much you feel you can trust me, is so important for positive outcome. I will strive to create a space where you feel comfortable to feely express yourself and your feelings without there being any judgement from me.
As a therapist, my approach is open-minded, practical and step-by-step and tailored to your needs. I sometime delve into your past to understand patterns you might have running out of awareness and we can work to update them for your benefit for a happier you.
Together we will work to identify any unhelpful patterns of behaviour or thoughts that might have built up over time. We will work to build a stronger and happier you. Learning to express our feelings in a healthy way to reduce anxiety, stress, depression and connect you to others more deeply.
For couples - how can I help? I can help bring you closer through making your emotional connections stronger, so you feel safe and secure in your relationship. Together the 3 of us, we will work to discover how to communicate more effectively. You will be able to express any issues clearly and kindly, leading to a better understanding of each other.
I will help you deal with disagreements in a healthier way, therefore arguments will be less intense and happen less often.
We will explore how any unhelpful patterns of behaviour/communication might be negatively impacting your relationship
I will provide a space where your feelings are acknowledged and validated so you both feel understood and valued.
You may not be sure what you need from counselling right now, that’s okay, we will work together to help you find clarity. Whatever your goal, I will tailor the sessions for your unique situation
Grief and Loss can feel overwhelming and like you will never get through it but you will, together we can look at ways of building a life around your grief, not get over it or leave it behind. Grief is something we learn to live with and build a life around. This can be the loss of a partner, child, sibling, job, pet, any loss can feel huge and may be connected to other things.
Students - happy to offer concessionary rates, i really appreciated this when doing my diploma level 4, I also understand the pressures of that course are immense so can help through that too!
If you feel comfortable and you'd like to explore how we can work together, please schedule a free initial meeting or email me. I'm eager to begin this journey with you!
Training, qualifications & experience
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in ‘Therapeutic Counselling’
- Specialist Diploma in Couples/Relationship Counselling
- RLT Couples Therapy Level 1
- Couples Institute Training
- CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
- CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
For the last few years I have been a volunteer counsellor at a day hospice. I support individuals and couples through life limiting or terminal diagnosis and those partners who have been bereaved. A cancer diagnosis is life changing whatever the outcome and processing can help. I do believe people are able to get through their devastating pain of loss and also come to terms with their new 'normal'.
My experience has opened me up to dealing with a range of issues including anxiety, low self-esteem/self-worth, grief and loss and depression both in individuals and couples.
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
Grief and loss of a partner, relationship, job, pet
Bereavement counselling, the pain of losing a loved one seems insurmountable but together we can overcome this with time and patience.
In Plato's eyes, love is in essence a kind of education: you couldn't really love someone if you didn't want to be improved by them. Love should be two people trying to grow together – and helping each other to do so.
Therapies offered
Fees
£45.00 - £85.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free 15 minute zoom/phone consultation to see if we feel a good fit and I am the right person to support you.
For an initial couples session the fee differs as this will be a 90 minute session, priced at £20 more than the rates listed below. Subsequent sessions are 60 minutes.
Couples Therapy fees (60 minutes):
£60 for online daytime sessions
£75 for in-person daytime sessions (includes room hire)
£70 for online evening sessions
£85 for in-person evening sessions (includes room hire)
Individual Therapy fees (60 minutes):
£45 online sessions daytime
£55 in-person daytime
£55 online evening
£65 in-person evening
Concessions available depending on circumstances and available times.
For individual counselling we can meet once a week, a fortnight, monthly whatever you budget and time restrains allow.
For couples counselling, meeting at least fortnightly is recommended, with weekly sessions being optimal. Meeting every three weeks is also an option. The more regularly you meet and engage with the work between sessions, the better the results—it takes commitment to achieve the relationship you desire!
Therapy can be for a limited number of sessions or open ended depending on your needs.
When I work
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I no longer offer weekends.
Further information
I am available Monday to Saturday
In Plato's eyes, love is in essence a kind of education: you couldn't really love someone if you didn't want to be improved by them. Love should be two people trying to grow together – and helping each other to do so.