Welcome to EC Counselling Services
Royston, Cambridge & SG8
Helping you to take steps towards a hopeful future
Introduction
You have taken the first, most important steps in reaching out to EC Counselling Services, Royston, Cambridge & SG8.
If your feeling overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, or exhausted from holding it all together, your not alone, I use different models in counselling to help people understand and work through anxiety, depression and trauma.
I am a fully qualified counsellor who takes pride in helping people navigate life’s challenges. Counselling can be challenging but can be the most powerful and rewarding experience, I am here to support you through this time.
I have many years of experience supporting clients with a variety of needs, both as a counsellor and pastoral lead, as well as working and supervising on a mental health crisis line. I understand that life can become overwhelming, resulting in heightened anxiety and feelings of depression. These can be caused by various experiences, including trauma, stress at work, relationship breakdowns, bereavement, self-confidence issues and suicide ideation, among many others.
Within my private practice, I offer the flexibility of working with clients face-to-face in a confidential, therapeutic space within Royston town. Alternatively, you may prefer to work online or over the telephone, depending on what suits you as the client.
MY APPROACH
As a counsellor my role is to provide a space and guidance to help you on your journey of self-discovery, enabling you to examine your life and make new, meaningful choices. I am an integrative counsellor, which means I offer a holistic approach that's tailored to each person’s needs. I can work with various models and approaches to help each of my clients work through their specific issues. This could involve psychodynamic therapy that looks into childhood, CBT to help you better understand your thinking and behaviour or person-centred therapy, which means I am empathetic, non-judgemental, and I provide emotional support. I also work creatively which could involve drawing, emotional cards, timelines and many other techniques, depending on what works for you.
It is Important to me that the counselling I offer is helpful and effective, giving you a chance to reflect on the difficulties or problems you are experiencing in a safe and confidential environment with someone outside your day-to-day life. Together, we can explore your situation in a way that leads to fresh perspectives and perhaps a new understanding of yourself. Counselling isn't about giving you solutions or advice but empowering you to make your own changes. My role as a counsellor involves facilitating a safe space for clients to explore and work through their difficulties.
People come to me for help with a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavement
Problems with addiction
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Abuse
Depression
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger management
Issues relating to sexuality
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Training, Qualifications and experience
- Level 3 certificate in Christian counselling
- CPCAB Level 4 diploma in Christian counselling
- Certificate in Online and telephone counselling
- Completing CPD in bereavement, trauma, neurodiversity
- Over 12 years of experience in pastoral care, working with those that have been bereaved and supporting mums with young children.
- Currently working for a mental health charity, supervising and working on a crisis line alongside my private practice in counselling.
- Sessional contract counsellor for Manna House Counselling Services in Northampton.
- Completed a leadership safeguarding course and have an enhanced DBS.
A PROBLEM SHARED...
Trouble with a relationship, anxiety or panic attacks, mood swings or depression. Many of us face challenges in our everyday lives that can feel overwhelming. Counselling provides a supportive space to explore your feelings and gives us a set of tools to manage your difficulties. Together, we can work through the underlying issues and empower you to move forward.
MAKE BETTER, HEALTHIER NEW CHOICES
Working together in counselling I can help you see the bigger context into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you behave or react to them the way you do, and see how you can change those behaviours, making healthier choices moving forward.
Kind Words from my Clients
CONTACT ME
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on +44 07842 922597 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
MY LOCATION
I work from the Royston Complementary Health Centre, a calm and accessible space located at 31c Market Hill, Royston, SG8 9JS. I welcome clients from Royston and the surrounding areas, including Cambridge and wider Hertfordshire. Whether you’re coming from nearby towns or travelling in from the local villages, the practice offers a peaceful and convenient setting for your sessions.
FEES & AVAILABILITY
Sessions last 50 minutes, usually taking place on a weekly basis although this can be discussed, and cost £55 per session. Please contact me to enquire about availability.
We offer a complimentary 30-minute initial consultation via Zoom or telephone. This gives us both the opportunity to connect and ensure we are a good fit to work together effectively. I will be in touch shortly to arrange a time that works for you.
Please note that thereafter the session fee will need to be paid 48 hours in advance, if you need to cancel appointment I require 48 hours notice; otherwise you will still need to pay for any sessions missed.
Please pay by bank transfer, details will be attached via confirmation email. I am fully insured and am a Registered Member of ACC and adhere to their Ethical Framework to ensure that I work to a professional standard.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Counselling is held in a confidential, safe space and is usually a good way to help with current and past issues. These can be explored and hopefully resolved within sessions with a trained counselling therapist. Over a certain number of weeks, the understanding of the problem improves, and a way forward becomes clear. Alternatively, counselling may need to go deeper, addressing more substantial life issues and problems that have a deeper effect on the client’s life. Sometimes this requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open-ended.
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availabity. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availabity of that free ‘slot’.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.
Note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others, and there the law requires that I notify an authority; in these cases I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. Having someone else with you who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.