Hi, I'm Steph and I know that choosing a counsellor can be a daunting experience and it is important to feel reassured and to be able to feel you can connect with your counsellor. Here is a little bit about me, and who I am.

I am a down to earth, fun and quirky person. I see the best in people and understand that we have all come from different places in life, for this sometimes we are judged or treated differently. I was born in the south and have since moved to Northumberland. I love the area, the people and find the atmosphere and sea very calming. I enjoy walking my dogs on the beach, arts and crafts, sea swimming and begrudgingly going to the gym!

I strive to provide a safe and nurturing space for individuals to explore their mental health and well-being. I use an integrated counselling approach which combines various therapeutic techniques to support a journey towards healing and self-discovery. An integrative counselling approach means you are the centre of your journey. It is mainly a person centered approach with the use of other techniques from various modalities, these help to broaden the way in which we can explore your thoughts, worries and emotions. Working integratively is beneficial as there is no 'one box fits all' element with counselling as we are all different and unique, being integrative makes counselling adaptable and suitable for everyone. 

I am a highly skilled and experienced integrative counsellor, specialising in working with adults and adolescents with anxiety, depression, abuse, and trauma. Through my combined integrative approach, I am compassionate and can build trusting, strong and supportive relationships with my clients, supporting them through their journey of development and growth. Using an integrative approach, I combine a person centred therapy with CBT, Psychodynamic, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis modalities. Together these provide a practical problem-solving approach and puts the client at the centre of their journey of overcoming issues. The focus of our work together is to identify issues, look at practical steps and strategies, and to change negative patterns in thinking and behaviour. My goal is for my clients to be autonomous and achieve their own personal and professional goals, including their mental health, wellbeing and quality of life. I enable my clients to feel relaxed and able to explore their issues, thoughts and emotions without feeling judged enabling them to explore their thoughts and feelings, working towards positive and long-term growth.

I have experience of ADHD and autism and understand the unique challenges that can impact day to day living, varying from struggles with time management, focussing and attention. I can adapt sessions and incorporate different skills and tools into the sessions to aid the client and to help the client develop skills to cope with their thoughts, emotions and improvement in relationships that can work for them and their unique ability.

I have a deep understanding of trauma, including childhood trauma, sexual abuse, domestic violence, PTSD and working with a combination of deep issues. I can work with visualisation techniques, grounding methods, skills to help with panic attacks and disassociation. I recognise that it can be sometimes nerve-wracking and embarrassing to talk about past or current trauma, but I always remains non-judgemental, open and welcoming.