• Counselling rooms in Seaford
• Counselling rooms in Ditchling Road, Brighton
• Counselling rooms in Peacehaven

AzureCounselling

Qualified and insured counsellor offers counselling at locations in Brighton, Seaford and Peacehaven. If you would like to explore issues that are troubling you in a safe, confidential space, please contact me. Further details can be found on my website at www.azurecounselling.com

About me

I decided to go into counselling after attending a taster course and basically got ‘hooked'! I had experienced counselling myself in the past and found it helped me, and felt that I would like to be able to ‘be there' for others. I am trained to degree level in Person-Centred Counselling, having studied counselling skills over several years.

Although my degree is in Person-Centred counselling, I also have experience of working with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused therapies, and can integrate elements of these approaches if this is helpful to you.

I have experience of working with clients with many kinds of problems including low self-esteem or confidence, stress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, addiction, bereavement, relationship problems, sexuality, financial problems and childhood trauma amongst others.

Additional counselling training I have undertaken has covered many areas such as suicide, self-harm, common mental health disorders and Asperger's. I am also a trained couples counsellor and Specialist Adoption counsellor.

I was formerly a counsellor with Age UK and am currently working with a local organisation with clients seeking help for drug and alcohol problems. I have therefore gained experience of working with older people and those with addictions. Until quite recently I worked at The Carers' Centre and understand the difficulties unpaid carers face.

Alongside my private practice, I manage a well-known local charity's counselling service.

In the past, I have worked in education and in health, and have worked in the community in both statutory and voluntary sectors.

I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work within its ethical guidelines.

My counselling practice is fully insured including Public Liability insurance.

My qualifications:

Degree in Person-Centred Counselling Skills, University of Brighton 2012

Counselling skills at levels 1-3 2008-2010

NHS Health Trainer Course (Understanding Health Improvement) 2008

NVQ Level 3 and Foundation Certificate Award in Health Promotion skills 2008

Specialist Adoption Training

Couples Counselling

Finding creative ways to relate when words fail - working therapeutically with the arts with older people 2012

Recognising & assessing forms of mental disturbance - issues for therapists 2012

Heart Intelligence Certificate (Gill Wyatt) 2012

Dual Diagnosis 2012

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training 2012

Working Effectively with Ambivalence and Resistance 2012

Working with the Body and Imagery in Counselling 2012

Meditation and Relaxation 2012

Motivational Interviewing Enhancement Therapy 2012

Loss and Bereavement Training 2012

Safeguarding Adults 2012

Sand tray Workshop 2012

Mental Health Awareness 2011

CRi Counselling Service ‘Drug and Alcohol Awareness' 2011

Safetalk Suicide Alertness 2011

Needs Assessment and Support Planning 2010

Working Together to Safeguard Children ‘Developing a Core Understanding' 2010

Emotional Intelligence for Frontline staff 2010

Influencing and Negotiating skills 2009

Race Equality 2009

Equality and Diversity 2008

Counselling services offered

I work from convenient locations in Peacehaven, Seaford and Brighton.

I am a qualified Person-Centred Counsellor and aim to offer you a safe, confidential space for you to gently explore issues that are bringing you to counselling. I hope to develop a good relationship with you by listening carefully and empathically and without judging you.

The Person-Centred approach began with Carl Rogers work in the 1950s. He believed that we all have an innate tendency to grow and develop towards our full potential. Unfortunately, life experience can block or distort this natural growth and negative influences will often be from those closest to us. As it is important for us to be valued and liked, we behave differently, often to please, and take on these ‘conditions of worth' as our own. That is, we believe we can only be valued if we behave in a certain way that pleases others. Although we often develop these patterns of behaviour, we don't always realise that this is in response to others' expectations of us because we have taken these core beliefs and treat them as if they are our own. This difference between our inner core beliefs and our modified or adapted behaviour can often create unease in us, and this is why counselling can be useful to explore these differences.

Carl Rogers developed his counselling theory to include three ‘core' conditions that are desirable for counselling to be effective. These are firstly, a high degree of empathy from the counsellor, secondly, the acceptance of the client by the counsellor (by providing a non-judgemental environment) and thirdly, the counsellor being him or herself, that is, being genuine and open.

I also have experience of working with elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused therapies and can integrate these approaches if this is helpful to you. The important thing is that I aim to work in a way that suits you.

If you choose to, at selected locations, you can also opt to work visually with pen and paper, or using a sand tray where you choose objects and position them in ways that are meaningful to you as a means of exploring your feelings.

It will be up to you to decide how many sessions you need. I can offer short or long term therapy and suggest regular reviews to see how the sessions are going. Sessions will normally be at the same time on a weekly basis.

I work with a wide range of issues including:

couples and family relationship counselling, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, stress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, suicidal thoughts, addiction, bereavement, relationship problems, sexuality, financial problems, childhood trauma, loss, major life changes, relationship issues, self-harm, common mental health problems
Asperger's Syndrome and adoption issues.
This list is not exhaustive.

Fees charged

Each session will last for 50 minutes and the charge will be £40.00 - £60.00 per session. Some concessions may be available for students.

Counselling Services in Peacehaven, Seaford, East Sussex and in Brighton.

If you are feeling distressed, or would like to talk over something that is worrying you, counselling may help. I have counselling rooms in Brighton, Seaford and Peacehaven, mostly with free parking, or easily accessible by public transport.

I provide an opportunity for you to explore issues that are troubling you. I aim to provide a warm, understanding, non-judgemental environment, to enable you to find ways forward and to help you deal with whatever is troubling you.

Trading Since

2012