Counselling creates a supportive and safe space for growth.

About Me

Welcome. My name is Nicola and I am an experienced and qualified counsellor. I work with adults and young people aged 12+ and I am currently offering my counselling and psychotherapy services online and over the phone.

I have a Post-Graduate Diploma in Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy from Wealden Psychology Institute and an Advanced Diploma and Master Practitioner Qualification from the National Centre For Eating Disorders. I believe it is very important to keep my skills and knowledge up to date, so I also undertake regular further training.

As my training has included different modes of psychotherapy I work in an integrative way to tailor the work to each individual client.

I’m a Member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy) and a Registered Member of UKATA (UK Association for Transactional Analysis) and EATA (European Association of Transactional Analysis) and I follow their ethical codes and practices. I’m fully insured and I receive regular supervision.

Eating Disorders & Obesity

I am very enthusiastic about working with clients’ relationships with food. Each person’s relationship with food is highly individual and my work involves supporting each client to reach a healthy place, both physically and mentally. I usually take a multi-disciplinary approach when supporting clients with eating disorders and I recognise that family is often a hugely essential resource, particularly for young people.

Work to address eating disorders or obesity will often include targeting other areas as well such as trauma, body image, stress management skills, self-esteem, self-harm, motivation and assertiveness skills.

There are three main types of eating disorder which are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). I am skilled in working with clients presenting with these disorders as well as Night Eating Disorder, Orthorexia and EDNOS. I understand that an eating disorder can affect every single aspect of your life and I am sympathetic to the disruption and chaos that it can bring.

I also appreciate that eating disorders bring extreme disruption not only to the person suffering, but to their family members and loved ones. It can be extremely distressing watching your child, sibling or loved one struggling and I offer counselling and emotional support to loved ones which also includes teaching you how to manage the eating disorder.

I also offer obesity coaching which includes supporting clients through changing their relationship with food and guiding them through making life long, healthful choices. My focus is on health and the work is tailored to each client and what works for them. No one approach will suit every client because we are all different – which is why diets don’t work!

I have an Advanced Diploma in Practitioner Skills For Eating Disorders and a Master Practitioner Qualification, both from the National Centre For Eating Disorders (NCFED). I have carried out extensive training in working with eating disorders which includes the Excellence in Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders (NCFED), Essential Obesity: Psychological Approaches (NCFED), Working with Eating Disorders and Obesity and I have also attended workshops for Carers of Loved Ones with an Eating Disorder with New Maudsley Carers, Kent.

Adolescents & Young People

I am extremely passionate about working with young people. Teenagers and young adults often benefit from speaking to someone in a confidential space about a range of topics including school stress, exam season pressure, problems in friendship groups, behavioural difficulties, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, to name but a few.

In addition to my post-graduate Diploma, I have undertaken extensive further training to support my work with young people. This includes a course in Understanding Adolescents with the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust, training at Place2be, training in Young People and the New Porn Landscape and CPD with the Voice Collective who support young people hearing voices and/or seeing images. Other relevant CPD includes Working with Dreams, Sandplay, Self-Harm and Depression.

The work I undertake with young people is confidential and generally does not involve much parent contact. This does, however, depend on the age of the young person and their presenting issues. I will always require parent contact details should I need to contact you about your young person and, depending on age, I may request a brief phone conversation with a parent prior to any sessions.

Adults & Couples

I work with both adults and couples and there is a vast array of reasons why you may wish to speak to a counsellor. I understand that taking those first steps to speaking to someone can sometimes seem daunting and I can offer you a safe space to explore what is important to you. Counselling is supportive and creates a safe space for change and growth. It is non-shaming, non-judgemental and confidential.

As well as my Post-Graduate Diploma in Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy I have also completed further training in working with couples. During couples counselling I provide a safe space for people to explore what is happening in their relationship and how you can look at making changes to best support you both to create the healthiest relationship possible.

I have experience of supporting clients through the following: depression, dissociation, social anxiety, anxiety, family issues, stress, hearing voices/seeing images, low self-esteem, lack of assertiveness, suicidal thoughts, abuse, panic attacks, trauma, bereavement, loss, relationship problems, sexual abuse, bullying, self-harm, cancer, separation & divorce, eating disorders, obesity, discrimination and sexuality.

This list is not exhaustive so please do contact me to discuss your individual needs.

Fees

I offer a free 20 minute phone consultation to people interested in any of the services I provide. This gives us the opportunity to find out a little about each other and for you to decide whether you would like to arrange an initial session. My fees are then as follows:

Counselling & psychotherapy for adults and young people aged 12+. This includes supporting family members of those with an eating disorder:

Specialist eating disorder counselling & psychotherapy:

Specialist obesity coaching:

Couple’s counselling:

Sessions usually take place on a weekly basis unless agreed otherwise.

Contact

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