Counselling & Psychotherapy

Counselling is £50 for 50 minutes and includes a free, no-obligation phone call with me (or online chat if you prefer) for you to decide if this therapy is suitable for you. Register your interest using the contact form and I will be in touch with you.

You are courageous and brave to be seeking counselling. It might feel difficult, or you may have some fear about being vulnerable. Let me reassure you though that my approach is very client centred. I am conscious of how you may have feelings locked up tight or a fear of opening ‘Pandora’s box’. I will hold and contain you through this process of exploration’ I will constantly remind you how amazing you are. Counselling can empower people and can make positive changes as you work with your internal feelings and then see your outer life changing in ways you never believed was possible.

‘Who looks outside dreams; Who looks inside awakens’ (Carl Jung).

The type of counsellor I am

I am empathetic, warm and accepting. I am also down-to-earth and compassionate. If you choose me for your therapist, you will see that I am committed to building a close relationship with you to enable you to trust me and trust the counselling process. I am genuinely interested in people’s experiences and able to be wholly comfortable and fully present with any suffering and pain you are going through. It is often a relief and extremely healing to be able to be yourself in our therapeutic relationship (I will be myself too). It can be powerful to know that what you share will be confidential (unless you express intent to harm yourself or others). Please see more about me in the ABOUT ME section of this website.

Anxiety Support

Anxiety is very normal and extremely common. It is a natural response to fear and worry. However, if anxious feelings are not addressed, anxiety can be debilitating and can take over everything and stop a person from fully enjoying their life. I encourage clients to explore their feelings of anxiety with me and we develop a clear way forward so that they can start feeling relaxed and joyful again in any given moment. This often takes time and commitment but can be life changing and empowering. If you feel that anxiety is taking over your life and stopping you from being fully happy, then my counselling sessions will help you. Please be reassured that I will be non-judgemental, compassionate and empathetic. This will allow you to be as authentic and real as possible.

My counselling techniques

The CORE of my business (CORE Mental Health) stands for my values as a counsellor as being:

Client-led: I will be guided by you and personalise your treatment to your needs.
Open: I will encourage you to be your authentic self in the therapy room.
Relationship-focused: The key to effective treatment is in the strength of the relationship we will build.
Empathetic: Whatever you are finding difficult right now, I will listen and offer you non-judgemental understanding and empathy.

I have a wide range of strategies to suggest (this is always in your hands though) and these will be tailored to your needs and specific anxieties. For example, anxiety or loss that has been triggered by a trauma may need different approach other than talking therapies. Please see the model on the right for a quick visual of the techniques I employ. Don’t worry if you don’t know about all of them, there will be an opportunity to discuss these during the free 20-minute consultation, or during the first session, to find out if any interest you.

Types of counselling

I offer 3 main types of counselling:

Humanistic counselling: which is very person-centred, empathetic and validating.
Psychodynamic counselling: which explores your unconscious thoughts and feelings and may delve into your past to look at any unhelpful patterns or ways of behaving. This may challenge you and is powerful in evoking change.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): which looks at how your thoughts, feelings and behaviour all impact on decisions you make. This treatment can be fast-acting and may involve actions or steps for you to take outside of our sessions together.

Bereavement Support

Feelings of loss and grief are particularly difficult and I am experienced in helping bereaved individuals as a trained bereavement support volunteer for the charity The Compassionate Friends (The Compassionate Friends (tcf.org.uk) I am passionate about being open and honest about feelings of loss and forming continued bonds with the person that has died.

Counselling costs

I also offer counselling sessions as a package which works out at a saving:

8 counselling sessions = £350 (saving the cost of one session)

12 counselling sessions = £500 (saving the cost of two sessions)

N.B. I offer concessions for students = £45 for 50 minutes.

Other conditions I can treat

I am also able to help with the following conditions:

Addiction
Anger management
Any type of abuse
Attachment issues
Bullying
Chronic fatigue or illness
Depression
Divorce and separation
Eating disorders
Emotional pain
Financial difficulties
IBS/Digestive complaints
Menopause support
Mindfulness
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Panic attacks
Phobias
Post-traumatic stress
Relationship and family challenges
Relaxation
Self-defeating disorders
Self-esteem
Self-harm
Sleep problems
Shyness/social phobia
Stress and burnout
Suicidal feelings
Trauma

Testimonials

‘The sessions have made such a difference to me, and I acknowledge how powerful they are’.
‘Kind, funny and compassionate are words that belong to you, Suzanne.’
‘You make people feel heard and cared for.’
‘Thank you for helping me to come to terms with my feelings and thoughts around my mum dying. You have been so helpful.’
‘I have never had someone understand what I feel so accurately about my mom dying when I was five. Thank you for making it feel like it is okay for me to feel the way I do.’

Counselling & Psychotherapy​