Please reach me at stephen@freedomcounselling.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Counsellors play a vital part in supporting mental health and wellbeing, offering a safe and confidential space for adults and children to explore their thoughts and feelings. Through regular sessions, counsellors help clients make sense of their experiences, develop coping strategies, and work towards positive change in their lives. The relationship between counsellor and client is built on trust and empathy, allowing individuals to gain insight and clarity into their challenges.
It is important to seek out counsellors who are trained and accredited through recognised professional bodies. Accredited counsellors have undergone rigorous training, adhere to ethical standards, and continually update their knowledge and skills. This ensures that clients receive high quality, evidence-based care tailored to their specific needs.
While the title “counsellor” is not always protected by law, many counsellors voluntarily register with professional organisations that set standards for training and practice. When choosing a counsellor, it is essential to ask about their qualifications, experience, and accreditation to ensure you are working with someone who is professionally accountable and competent.
Counsellors are distinct from other mental health professionals. For example, Clinical Psychologists are specialists in mental health, regulated and are trained in a range of talking therapies. Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who prescribe medication and are regulated by the General Medical Council.
I am a fully qualified HE level and BACP Accredited Humanistic and Gestalt Therapist. I have also completed further training in counselling young people, trauma therapy and I have a particular interest in supporting clients with disabilities.
Currently I am a Trainee Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist in final stages and I am registered with COSRT.
The length of time it takes to see results from counselling sessions with me varies depending on the individual and the issues being addressed. Some clients may see improvements after just a few sessions, while others may require longer-term therapy.
Living with a physical health condition or a disability can bring about a wave of emotions—shock, fear, frustration, even anger or guilt. These feelings are a natural response to the challenges of a diagnosis, the adjustments to daily life, and the barriers that may come with managing your condition or disability. Sometimes, you might find yourself pulling back from others or feeling that you’re not enjoyable company, which can make coping feel even more isolating.
This is where counselling offers genuine support. Counsellors understand how both physical health conditions and disabilities can affect emotional wellbeing. Through compassionate conversation, they help you process your feelings, find new coping strategies, and reconnect with what matters most to you. While the physical condition or disability itself may not change, counselling helps to lighten its emotional burden, supporting you as you navigate the psychological and social challenges of your health journey.
I provide counselling services for individuals of ages 13 and over, adolescents, and adults, including couples.
The Covid-19 pandemic opened my eyes to new ways of working, and I've learned that online sessions can be less disruptive and work well around individual lives, work, health concerns or medical appointments. I would rather people do more of the things that matter to them than finding the time to drive to and from an appointment with me! Working online also means that I can work with amazing people all over the UK, from the comfort of their own home.