My name is 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, reading and coffee!

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 personal and professional 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 remain non-judgemental, open and welcoming.

I have worked within the charity support sector for 10 years. I have gained lots of experience providing helpline support and as a counsellor. I have many skills and I have worked with many differnt types of people, genders and circumstances. Here is a small example of what I can work with:

Anxiety

Depression

Grief

Anger

Sexual violence and abuse

Child abuse

Intimacy issues

Autism/ADHD/Neurodivergence

LGBTQ+

Self harm/Suicide

Long term health conditions

Chronic pain

Migraine

I am a qualified integrative counsellor. I am registered with and an individual member of the BACP. I adhere to and follow the BACP ethical framework at all times. I have regular supervision with a qualified supervisor to ensure that I remain up to date, ethical and to look after my own mental health.