Counselling in Gloucestershire

How do I know if counselling is for me?

If you're struggling with your normal day-to-day life or are worried about your responsibilities and relationships, you might benefit from talking with a trained counsellor.

Deciding to try counselling is a choice only you can make, but many people find that just talking to a counsellor in a confidential, safe space can make a big difference.

Counselling will provide you with regular time and space to talk about the challenges you're facing, explore your thoughts and feelings, and think about how they're impacting you.

During counselling, you'll also be invited to think about healthy ways of coping, so you can move forward confidently and get the most out of life.

My areas of counselling  expertise and experience

As a qualified, MBACP registered counsellor in Gloucester, I'm committed to helping you improve your wellbeing so you can confidently face the challenges of life.

There are many reasons you might consider counselling and I've worked with people on a wide range of issues. A common problem I can help you with, in particular, is stress and anxiety.

In addition to stress and anxiety, I've helped people deal with:

• general low mood
• loneliness
• issues arising from childhood trauma
• marital problems
• anger
• sexuality
• alcohol and substance use
• suicidal thoughts
• racial discrimination
• pornography addiction
• loss and bereavement
• low self-esteem

Counselling can help

Whatever you're facing, by sharing your thoughts in counselling, you can reflect on life events, consider how they affect you and how you relate to others, and explore suitable ways of moving forward.

What to expect during your first counselling session

It takes a lot of courage to start counselling, so I invite people to have an informal chat with me before deciding if we'd be a good fit.

So, before your first counselling session, we would have already spoken about your reasons for considering therapy during a free counselling consultation call.

Once we've had a chat, felt we'd be a good fit, and agreed on a good date and time to get started, I'll send you some digital documents for completion.

These will include important information about confidentiality, counselling expectations, payments, counselling breaks, cancellations, and so on.

How you might feel

When meeting for the first time following your free counselling consultation call, it would be normal for you to feel emotionally drained.

This is because I'll probably ask a lot of questions about you, what's most pressing for you, and how you typically cope.

We might also talk in more detail about your counselling goals.

Being emotionally prepared

It's important to be aware that therapy can involve speaking about painful events, memories, and feelings you've buried for years.

During your first counselling session, don't be surprised if you start to feel a wave of emotions you've not experienced or shared with anyone for a while.

And though it may feel strange at first to talk to a stranger (me!) in a way you've not felt able to with others, this is normal.

But don't worry, you might not experience intense emotions, and it isn't something you'd expect to happen every time we meet.

Although if you're feeling okay expressing a range of emotions, that's perfectly okay too!

What's important is that you feel safe and comfortable sharing openly.

Counselling location and areas served

Face-to-face counselling sessions are held at Eastgate House in Gloucester city centre.

With good local parking, clients can easily travel from surrounding areas in Gloucestershire, including Cheltenham, Stroud, Dursley, the Forest of Dean, and Wye Valley.

Eastgate House is a 5-7 minute walk from Gloucester train and coach stations.