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I'm a mature counsellor with in-depth experience of working with people facing difficulties and life challenges. 

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I work with a wide range of problems including anxiety, stress, relationship difficulties, depression, life crisis, addictions, low self-esteem, abuse, disempowerment, bottled up feelings, anger-management, bereavement, trauma, illness and loss of meaning.

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I also provide specialist services including family reconciliation,couples counselling and organisational consultancy.

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Benefits of talking to me include:

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  • Improved self-compassion.

  • Gaining more choice, empowerment, meaning and success in your life.

  • Better personal and professional relationships.

  • New ways of coping with difficult emotions and situations.

  • Understanding and moving on from the past.

  • Relieving symptoms of trauma, stress and anxiety.

  • Unravelling and changing self-destructive patterns of behaviour.

  • Enjoying life more.

My approach

 

My approach is rooted in kindly, non-judgemental, sensitive listening, mindfulness, and authentic relating. We are all unique and I don’t believe in fixes or formulas that work for everyone. I do however know, both from my own experience, my training and my work with others, a variety of techniques of proven effectiveness in promoting greater self-acceptance and happier, more fulfilled, living. 

 

I follow an integrative approach, drawing on what is best in the fields of counselling, psychotherapy, and various meditation practices. I like to be flexible and to work together with you in an open and interactive exploration that enables you to find your own individual solutions.

 

The sessions will be about you, not me, but I am not a brick wall and am prepared, as appropriate, to offer an opinion or a respectful challenge. I always feel honoured when people relate honestly whatever is going on for them, however difficult, and I greatly enjoy helping people to access their own inner resources in order to find greater self-acceptance and relief from avoidable suffering. 

What people have said:

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It soon felt safe to talk. The sessions were expertly guided with valuable interventions and feedback.”

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“I found you so empathic, calm and reassuring and my confidence built up through the sessions”

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“I had full confidence in you. Your gift in being able to listen has helped me gain my confidence again! I feel I am now able to manage the problems I have and look after number 1.”

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“Through your unique ability to tap into the delicate and fragile patterns that were present you managed to help me piece together the events that are my life until finally I have become at ease with the past and comfortable with my present.”

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“I am writing to say thank you for those sessions: with three and a bit years hindsight I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that they were the most valuable hours of my life.”

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Experience

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As well as running a private counselling practice for over a decade I have directed a large counselling organisation (Communicare Counselling Service in Uxbridge) of which I am now a Trustee, and worked for several charities including Oxford Family Mediation Service (as the Service Manager), Refugee Resource (where I managed the counselling team), Emmaus Oxford and Sanctuary Hosting. In addition to my work experience and training, I have a regular mindfulness practice, and, perhaps most importantly, I have a good chunk of life experience – including as a husband (happily married for over 20 years) and a father.

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Training and qualifications 

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Diploma in Counselling, Institute of Psychosynthesis, London.

Certificate of Qualification as a Social Worker, Masters in Social Science (Birmingham University).

I am a member of BACP and my work is fully supervised.

I offer  a FREE first session

so you can see if you want to work with me and I can assess whether I think I can help you. After the first session my fees are usually £50 per hour (see 'Fees' in the menu for more detail).

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