How I work
Counselling and Psychotherapy
I am an integrative relational counsellor.
Relational means I work at developing a safe, trusting and genuine therapeutic relationship between myself and my clients. Essentially, I will facilitate a relationship which enables you to feel safe enough to grow and change.
Therapy provides clients the opportunity to explore their relational attachments and experiences through their relationship with their therapist, so creating a strong relationship is so important to our work.
Integrative means I blend together a range of different therapeutic approaches, based on what works best for you. I mainly use person-centred and psychodynamic approaches. This means I work with you to help you make sense of things that are happening in your life currently, and also work with you on a deeper level, exploring your past experiences and how that may be unconsciously influencing you now.
I may also bring elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Transaction Analysis into our work, if appropriate for you.
The first session
Deciding to embark on therapy, and deciding to set aside 50 minutes a week to dedicate to your self-awareness and self-development, is a huge first step.
It is normal to feel nervous about having a first session, and I will do my best at creating an environment where you feel safe, welcomed and heard. I will ask you some initial questions to help me to understand your needs and how best I can support you - there are no right or wrong answers. I will provide you with a space for you to tell your story at a pace that is comfortable for you.
I will work hard to understand your needs from therapy and together we will agree on goals and how we will work together. This will be regularly reviewed with you over time.
Short term and long term therapy
I provide both short-term counselling and long-term psychotherapy, depending on what you would prefer and what feels right for you.
Client Feedback
"I'm incredibly grateful for your dedication to my well-being, and I can't thank you enough for being there for me. Your compassionate guidance and the safe space helped me explore and understand my emotions. I was able to achieve incredible personal growth I didn't think I could". Client M
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""Heather is a great therapist! She's a great listener and she created a safe environment for me to feel comfortable enough to talk about my problems. She has helped me learn a lot about myself. After our sessions together, I am more confident in identifying my emotions and knowing how to deal with them." Client R