Counselling for people who want more than just a space to talk
Integrative counselling and psychotherapy in Eastbourne and online
Sometimes you know exactly what's wrong. You may be struggling with anxiety, a relationship or a change in your life and want some relief.
At other times, it's harder to put your finger on. Life may look fine from the outside, but something doesn't feel right. Perhaps you've achieved many of the things you once wanted but aren't sure what you want now. Or you understand what's happening but still find yourself responding in the same ways.
You may want to understand yourself better, but also work out what could actually help things change.
That's the kind of counselling I offer.
A more active, collaborative approach to counselling and therapy
Therapy can give you space to understand not only what is happening now, but how past experiences and patterns may be shaping the way you think, feel and relate to others. Being listened to and genuinely heard matters. But I won't necessarily sit silently while you do all the talking.
I'll ask questions, offer observations and perspectives, and help you make connections that might be difficult to see on your own. Sometimes I might gently challenge you. At other times, the most useful thing I can do is give you room to think, feel or work something through at your own pace.
Where it's useful, we can work more practically too. I can draw on approaches including CBT, mindfulness and coaching techniques to help you find different ways of responding or begin making changes.
I'm warm, open and down-to-earth. Counselling can involve difficult and painful things, but it doesn't have to feel serious every minute. There's room for humour too.
Understanding what has brought you here - and what comes next
My postgraduate training specifically integrated counselling and coaching. This means we can make space to understand what is happening and why, while also exploring what you might want to change when you're ready.
A house needs strong foundations. Understanding them matters, but so does thinking about what you want to build.
Sometimes we need to understand the foundations. Sometimes we are ready to think about what we want to build. My training allows us to work with both.
Looking specifically for coaching? Explore coaching in Eastbourne and online.
Areas I work with
Anxiety
Does your mind keep going over the same things? Do you find it difficult to switch off, relax or trust that things will be okay?
Anxiety is an area I know something of personally. We can work to both understand what may be driving it and, where helpful, find different ways of responding.
Relationships
Are you struggling in a relationship, repeating patterns you don't understand, finding boundaries difficult or trying to decide what you want?
Relationships have been one of the richest sources of learning in my own life. Counselling can help you understand the patterns and dynamics in your relationships, while also exploring what you might want to do differently.
Life transitions & identity
Has something changed - or do you have a sense that it needs to?
You may be questioning a career, relationship, role or direction that once seemed settled, adjusting to retirement, or wondering what you want the next part of your life to look like.
I've experienced significant change in my own mid-life and know that transitions can involve both making sense of what's changing and working out what comes next.
LGBTQ+ counselling
Perhaps sexuality or gender is exactly what you want to explore. Or perhaps you're dealing with anxiety, relationships, work or something else entirely and simply want a counsellor who gets the context without you having to explain or defend it.
Meet Nicki - integrative counsellor and psychotherapist
I'm Nicola Wakefield (I go by the name Nicki), an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist based in Eastbourne. I offer counselling and psychotherapy in-person and online, alongside coaching for people who want to focus more specifically on change and what comes next. Counselling is my third career, and the work feels deeply personal to me.
I've always been a thinking person - curious, analytical and interested in understanding why things are the way they are. My own counselling helped me connect more with what I was feeling, and discover how much I could learn from my emotions too.
Before counselling, I spent many years in business and consultancy. So if you're used to being capable, analytical or the person who sorts things out - while something quite different may be happening underneath - that's a world I recognise too.
Inclusive and affirming space
Finding out whether I'm right for you
Choosing a counsellor is personal. Qualifications and experience matter, but so does whether you feel comfortable talking to the person sitting opposite you.
That's difficult to judge from a website.
Before your first counselling session, we'll have a free introductory call. It gives me a chance to understand a little about what you're looking for and make sure I'm an appropriate person to support you. It also gives you the opportunity to meet me, ask questions and get a sense of whether you might feel comfortable working with me.
The call can last up to 30 minutes. If you've already decided you'd like to work with me, it doesn't need to take the full half hour.
If we go on to an initial counselling session, you can decide afterwards whether you'd like to continue. If you decide not to continue, you'll pay for that first session as usual. If, after that first session, I believe your needs would be better supported by another therapist or service I won't charge you for the session and, where possible, I'll help you consider other options.
I offer face-to-face counselling in Eastbourne and online. I currently work from counselling rooms in Hampden Park. My permanent practice room in Eastbourne Old Town (BN20) is coming soon.
Insights
Articles exploring relationships, life changes and the questions that can arise when something doesn't feel quite right - or you know something needs to change.
