Counselling in Eastbourne and online
People come to counselling and therapy for all sorts of reasons.
You may be struggling with something specific - anxiety, a relationship, loss or a major change. You may recognise patterns you want to understand. Or perhaps you simply know that something doesn't feel right.
You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what's wrong, why you feel the way you do, or what you want to change. We can start with what's brought you here and work things out together.
If counselling is new to you, there's nothing you need to prepare. I'll help you understand what to expect and we can take it from there.
What can counselling and therapy offer?
Counselling can give you somewhere to talk openly about things that may be difficult to say elsewhere, and time to make sense of what you are feeling and experiencing.
As we talk, we may begin to notice connections - in your feelings, relationships, beliefs, earlier experiences or the ways you have learned to cope. Understanding these patterns can help make what is happening now feel less confusing and create more possibility for change.
Sometimes the work is about changing something. Sometimes it is about accepting something, grieving something, understanding what you need or becoming more comfortable with who you are.
What are sessions with me like?
Our sessions are conversations. Sometimes you may need room to talk and think, with time to explore what’s happening at your own pace. At other times you may want me to take a more active role. I might ask questions, offer an observation, explain a psychological idea, gently challenge something or suggest a practical way of exploring it.
We can talk openly about what feels useful and adjust as the work develops.
Nicki Wakefield, Integrative Counsellor, Eastbourne
An integrated approach to counselling
I'm an integrative counsellor, which means I can draw on different therapeutic approaches according to you and what seems useful, rather than working in the same way with everyone.
That gives us flexibility to explore the past where it helps us understand you, what's happening in your life now, and what you want for the future.
You don't need to know which approach you need. We can pay attention together to what seems useful as the work develops.
Trust matters
The quality of the relationship between counsellor and client matters. I want our work to feel collaborative, genuine and respectful, with enough trust for you to bring what is difficult and feel comfortable to disagree with me, question something or tell me when something is not helping.