Welcome
Seeking the right support is a gift to your future self.
It can be a life changing experience.
However you have found yourself here today, and whatever is going on for you at present, my goal is that you leave feeling hopeful.
Seeking support is a hugely courageous and admirable step. It demonstrates your strength. You recognise that something needs to change to enable you to thrive, living free from the shackles of whatever is holding you back.
You may feel nervous or reluctant for all sorts of reasons and this is understandable. You can be assured of a safe place to explore whatever challenges you are facing.
I'm Laura, a friendly and experienced Counsellor.
Thank you for exploring these pages. I hope that my words here help you to feel seen, and leave you feeling hopeful of a better tomorrow.
I am passionate about normalising seeking support when you need to. It is a gift to yourself and your future generations.
In my experience people can feel uncomfortable about seeking external support for personal reasons. In fact it could be the strongest and bravest thing you'll ever do!
Read on to discover more about my work and how I can help.
My experience
I re-trained as a counsellor after 10 years practising as a lawyer, most of which I spent at a global top-tier firm. I now have the privilege of supporting people in a completely different way, a way that is more aligned with my values.
I am trained in a humanistic, person-centred approach to counselling. Without giving instructions, with empathy and patience I will support you to discover your needs, how to meet them and how to make long lasting positive changes so that you leave understanding yourself better than you did before.
Over the years I have worked with many men, women and children facing a wide range of issues. These have included resilience, anxiety, depression, grief, loss, loneliness, trauma, obsessional behaviours, life transitions, parenting challenges, relationship struggles, workplace stress, overwhelm, abuse and low self esteem.
This however is not an exhaustive list and many issues are interlinked. For example, you may be facing family or work challenges which start to affect your relationships. Anxiety, depression or grief might be affecting your day to day functioning which leaves you feeling isolated and lacking in confidence. You may be depressed, questioning the point of life and feeling like a complete failure. Low self-esteem may be inhibiting your ability to be assertive and decisive in life. A family member may be in crisis and you are struggling to support them and yourself.
With warmth, compassion and honesty I will help you to find a clear way forward.
Particular interests
I have a particular interest in working with anyone going through a life transition.
This could be a young person navigating maturity/independence, corporate professionals who are at a crossroads, anyone adjusting to a change in their family dynamic for example through having/not having children, divorce/separation/blending families, retirement, death and more.
I can support you or a young person you know with any such transitions.
“If a person is understood, he or she belongs.”
Carl Rogers
Is Counselling for me?
-
Am I desperate enough?
-
I am suffering enough?
-
Am I deserving of that time?
-
Will it change anything?
-
Am I weak for considering this?
-
How can I trust a stranger to support me?
It's important to know that we ALL experience times in our life that are overwhelming, challenging and sometimes paralysing. Life can catch us completely off guard and problems can manifest for months, even years.
You absolutely do not need to have experienced something catastrophic to justify why you are finding things difficult. There is no criteria for needing professional support; it is an investment in yourself your future.
You matter, your feelings matter and your happiness matters. If anything is impacting that, with my support you can work things through.
What you can expect
Central to my approach is a trusted and confidential working alliance where you feel safe to express yourself.
I work hard to immerse myself in to your world so that I can understand your experiences as closely as possible.
My insight and intervention will help you to identify how your feelings could be impacting your behaviour, your choices and the quality and depth of your relationships, particularly the relationship you have with yourself.
I will help you to discover a new way of moving forward which feels positive, and is aligned with who you are and what you want for your life.
Working Online
I am trained in working therapeutically online and I successfully provide therapy via Google Meet.
Online therapy offers an important level of flexibility. All you need is privacy, a device and an internet connection. It is particularly effective for those with busy working schedules and students away from home in term-time.
Some benefits of online therapy are that:
-
it's available anywhere that is comfortable and convenient.
-
appointments times are widely available.
-
you can wear your slippers, clutch a warm cup of tea and have your pet on your knee if you wish!
-
the choice of professional is wider; you're not limited to location.
-
you're less likely to experience interruptions to your sessions due to conflicting commitments like being at Uni, holidays or work travel.
Your progress can really be consistent and stable, which is integral to its success.