About Me

What I Believe

I became a counsellor because I went to counselling. I believe that the therapeutic relationship developed in counselling leads to self awareness. Once we begin to be more aware of ‘how we work’ we can begin to exert more control over the choices we make and how we feel. Below I describe how counselling helped me and the sort of counsellor I am.

My Story

I came to counselling late in life. After years of just coping - with stress, anxiety and low moods - a life event led me to therapy. It has transformed my life.

Before I was a counsellor I spent 20 years in business before running my own business. I enjoyed both but never felt entirely comfortable in either. Like a square peg in a round hole.

Those experiences led me to therapy. Now they inform the sort of counsellor I am. They have been as important to my training as the years of formal counselling training I’ve undertaken.

Therapy enabled my self awareness. Before therapy it felt like I was on auto-pilot, at the mercy of moods, events and people. Self awareness gave me choices and more control. It’s how I knew I wanted to be a counsellor.

Today I work as a counsellor in private practice alongside NHS contracts and unpaid voluntary work for a low cost counselling service. I am also a regular magazine columnist for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

How I Work

I believe that you are the only person who knows what is best for you. I see my role as a therapist to help you explore what that means. I believe that the relationship we develop plus my understanding of psychology provide a sort of pathway to enable that to happen.

I can help you clarify your thoughts. It’s a bit like shining a light or using a mirror to illuminate the bits that are maybe confusing, troubling or difficult.

But, ultimately, the counselling room is your space to use as you wish. I will keep it safe and secure.

I work at your pace. I may encourage and challenge you if I think it is appropriate, but you are in control of where we go and how fast we go there.

I won’t:

  • Try to fix you

  • Give you advice

  • Tell you what to do

  • Pretend I know more about you than you do

  • Assume what is best for you

  • Have all the answers

  • Make the hard stuff go away

I will:

  • Support you with empathy and without judgement

  • Give you room to process your experience

  • Remember that only you know what is best for you

Space to Think

Professional Memberships

Qualifications & Training 

CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling

Seminar Programme For Working With Young People

Areas of Work

I work with a wide range of presenting issues for adults and young people aged 16+. Below are some of the common ones.

If you don’t see what you want to talk about, please still get in touch. If I don’t feel equipped to help you, I will let you know.

Anxiety

Low Mood & Depression

Anxiety takes many forms and occurs for many reasons. I will help you work with the causes of anxiety and can provide coping techniques to deal with the day to day.

Whether you’re experiencing low mood, ongoing depression or a more recent change in mood, counselling provides a safe, supportive place to process your feelings. I can provide empathy and a lack of judgement.

ADHD & Neuro Diversity

More and more people are confronting the reality of an ADHD diagnosis or the fear they may need to. I can help you work through that experience and what it means for you.

Stress

Autism

Stress brought me to counselling, so I have a personal interest in it. I can hep you work with the underlying causes and techniques for alleviating or managing it.

I recognise the issues that autistic clients can experience in counselling. I focus on providing a safe space that recognises neuro-diversity.

Anger & Rage

OCD

Anger can be a difficult emotion. But it is a valid emotion like any other. I provide a non-judgemental place to explore your feelings, what might be behind them and how anger and rage play out in your life.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be debilitating, stressful and tiring. I can help you work through how OCD affects you and patiently use proven techniques that can help change your thought patterns and improve your quality of life.

Get in touch

You can use this form to ask me a question or arrange a free, no-obligation 30 minute confidential chat.

07943 287083

counsellingwithgraham@gmail.com