Empowering You to Achieve a Better Life Ahead

Psychodynamic counselling is designed to help you overcome personal challenges and achieve your goals using a supportive and non-judgmental approach and a confidential space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings, gain insights into your behaviour, and develop strategies for positive change. Psychodynamic approaches consider us to be the sum of all of our parts, our relationships, upbringing and life experiences, which influence the way we behave, our world view, and how we react to situations and the decisions we take.

Couples counseling services can help you and your partner improve communication, resolve conflicts, and build a stronger relationship. Whether you are facing challenges related to intimacy, trust, or other issues, you can be supported to  work through them and achieve greater satisfaction in your relationship.

Family counselling is available using a range of approaches. DDP is designed to help families overcome challenges related to communication, conflict, and early life trauma. DDP uses PACE strategies to strengthen relationships and understanding and reduce conflict, using empathy, understanding,  and playfulness. NVR, Non Violent Resistance, is a family focused method which aims to reduce conflict in the home and build and strengthen positive relationships through improved communication and using specific parenting strategies. Parental psychoeducation supports parents using a range of strategies to improve their ability to cope and understand their children better and reduce emotional and behavioural difficulties in the home. Families are supported to identify strengths and weaknesses, improve communication and problem-solving skills, and develop a stronger sense of cohesion and support.

Child and adolescent counselling  is designed to help young people overcome a range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, self-harming, behavioral issues, and more. Evidence-based techniques are used to help children and teens develop coping skills, improve self-esteem, and achieve greater success in school and other areas of life.

Addiction counseling can help you overcome substance abuse and other addictive behaviours. A variety of evidence-based techniques can be used to help you develop coping skills, build a support network, and achieve lasting recovery. Support for family members affected by addiction is also important.

EMDR is an evidenced based trauma therapy.  It is used notably for PTSD following shock trauma, but also has a place in developmental trauma. It commonly uses lights or hand movements to process, but story narrative and tapping are often used with children.

NeuroAffective Touch© is a form of treatment which is particularly good for developmental trauma. It integrates the key elements of somatic psychotherapy, attachment and developmental theory, and affective and interpersonal neurobiology, and is polyvagal theory informed. Somatic Experiencing is used to support those experiencing shock or developmental trauma, developed as a result of the work of Dr Peter Levine. It is a somatic based trauma treatment.

Clinical supervision is a requirement for all professional  counsellors and psychotherapists. Clients are encouraged to check whether their counsellor or psychotherapist is in receipt of clinical supervision from a suitable experienced practitioner. Supervision has a supportive function as many practitioners work alone, it has a quality control function, talking through decision making and reflecting on practice to ensure high standards are maintained,  It provides a safe and confidential space for counsellors to reflect and discuss elements of their practice, without breaching client confidentiality. The type of supervision varies depending on the experience of the counsellor, and can include teaching elements, for example, or be more consultative for experienced therapists.

Supervision can be provided online or face to face  either weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on individual requirements. Student therapists are advised to check with their training organisation or university to confirm frequency required. Supervision requirements are influenced by the caseload held by the individual and some practitioners have very specific requirements from their professional body. Supervisees may bring material of their choice to supervision, in the method that most suits them, and which meets their professional requirements and best serves the needs of their clients, however, some training authorities have specific requirements for verbatim notes for students in training. 

Group supervision can suit some therapists,  and  can be an enjoyable  and supportive learning experience for students in training. Group supervision can be for between 2 and 4 supervisees and the time divided pro rata.  Groups normally self select and present with specific days/ times in mind, but if individuals request small group supervision we will do our best to facilitate and identify other potential group members. Costs are split pro rata based on session length.

We can provide bespoke confidential supervisory and consultancy support to other professional groups. This can be on or off site or online. Please contact to discuss your specific requirements. 

Supervision is provided by Lead Therapist, Penny, who holds Masters Degrees in Psychodynamic Counselling and Nursing, qualifications in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and a range of other psychotherapeutic and somatic treatments, and is a qualified and experienced psychodynamic supervisor who works with qualified therapists, including those who specialise in trauma work, and who also supports counselling and psychotherapy students, with either personal therapy requirements for their training courses or with their clinical supervision. Penny commenced her counselling training in 2006 and has had a successful career in the NHS as a clinician and in senior and regional management and has held a number of senior positions during her lengthy career.  She has written clinical supervision policies for NHS organisations.  in addition, she has held positions as a Designated Safeguarding Officer and has undertaken senior safeguarding responsibilities in the NHS and Charitable sector.  She provides supervisory support for students from a number of training institutions and universities and is employed to provide supervision for trained therapists for a local charity, in addition to providing private supervisory support for individuals  and groups. 

Requirements for supervision vary with each professional body and you should check with your registering body to ensure that you are meeting minimum standards,. If you are a BACP member and wish to work towards professional accreditation with the BACP, for example, then you will need to evidence that you have received at least 1.5 hours supervision a month.  This can be obtained from different sources if appropriate, from a combination of one to one supervision and peer or group supervision, although the ratio should be checked depending on group size to ensure you are receiving sufficient supervision for your individual needs.  

Choosing the right supervisor for you is an important decision. Penny offers a preliminary discussion on zoom or telephone for 30 minutes, to help you make your decision, free of charge.  Penny says 'I try and be as flexible as possible and would describe my natural supervisory style as supportive, calm, and holding, and I work with supervisees to try and gain additional insight and perspective into their client work. My length of experience in working with clients and professionals and my wide theoretical knowledge base means that I can bring different perspectives to supervision and I have a lot on my 'toolbox' to assist. I hold a broad caseload including complex trauma, working with all age groups, so my clinical practice is up to date, and I have expert knowledge of safeguarding so I am a safe pair of hands. I am a lifelong learner with multiple qualifications and I continue to study to give of my best to my clients and supervisees. I support and motivate  others to develop their practice and grow, whatever their professional aspirations,  working towards accreditation, qualification, graduation, or just to be the best therapist they possibly can'. 

Trauma comes in various types, including shock trauma, for example, following a bereavement, accident or sudden event, or developmental trauma, where someone has had childhood difficulties or disrupted attachments, such as those who have been adopted, or who’s parents had their own problems and weren’t able to form the relationships they would have liked with their own children. Some treatments are better suited to some forms of trauma than others, but it is ultimately for the individual to decide what they are most drawn to and feel most comfortable with, following discussion with a professional. 

There are a number of recognised trauma treatments, of which EMDR is probably the best known. It is used with both children and adults using a range of techniques and involving bilateral stimulation, such as following a hand move from side to side, tapping, and in conjunction with narrative for children. Somatic treatments such as Somatic Experiencing consider how trauma is stored in the body, and use focus on the body and movement to alleviate trauma.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy was founded by Dan Hughes, and is designed to support families where there are issues with developmental trauma, for example where children have been in care and adopted. Work is undertaken with parent(s) and child in the room using a technique called PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy). Life story work is also available if appropriate. 

 The impact of psychological trauma can be devastating and impact the lives of the person and those around them profoundly. It can lead to a variety of mental health problems including depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and can inhibit a person's ability to function properly and reach their full potential. It can be very complex and there is a lot written on the subject, and research continues to be undertaken.

 Adults may experience a variety of issues including, for example, sleep problems, increased agitation, hypervigilance, isolation or withdrawal,  and have flashbacks or dissociate, and it can lead to problems with alcohol or drug abuse and can profoundly affect relationships.  Traumatised individuals may exhibit increased withdrawal, be reluctant to leave home, experience social isolation, be unable to work in the same roles they had previously, and they can be more prone to chronic illnesses, anxiety, depression, and fear. Notably, adults who experienced abuse as a child often exhibit problems in adulthood, leading to increased anxiety and inability to reach their full potential, and trust others, for example. Everyone is different and not all trauma survivors will experience the same difficulties, and some find ways of coping through the emotional pain they have experienced. It is hoped that specialist therapy will help them and others improve their quality of life.

.

.