Counselling , Psychotherapy and Counselling supervision in Shepherds Bush, Holland Park, and West London
Welcome to my Website.
I am only offering telephone or online counselling at the moment.
Are you finding it hard to cope?
Do you need the time and space to share your thoughts with someone who is neutral ?
I am a fully qualified and experienced Person centred counsellor, Psychotherapist and Supervisor.
I have been in practice as a Person centred counsellor/Psychotherapist for 29 years in Shepherds Bush, West London close to Holland Park, and during this time I have worked for various counselling organisations including 21 years in the NHS. I was awarded a Healthcare Hero NHS Award for Kindness and Compassion in 2020.
I offer individual and couples person centred counselling and psychotherapy on both a short and long term basis, ensuring that I am flexible and work with you to agree the right approach for you, at your own pace.
I provide a confidential non-judgemental person centred counselling and psychotherapy service where I offer the time and space for you to explore your issues.
Counselling
We all feel stressed, anxious or low at times. Most of the time we cope but sometimes we can become overwhelmed and feel that everything in life is on top of us, and we can find it hard to manage. At times like this it’s best to get the right kind of help when you need it.
My aim is to support you and help you to overcome and cope with difficult periods in your life, and especially when you may be experiencing a very emotional and low point in your life.
I have received counselling myself, and know how difficult it was to make that first step, and learned how to not waste my time in therapy. My own experience of counselling was life changing, having someone walk alongside me on my journey every step of the way, and accept me for who I am. I recognise how important it is getting the right fit in finding the right therapist, someone who you can open up to, feel comfortable with, and who accepts you for who you are. While counsellors are in training, some counselling training institutions require that you have your own counselling. After you qualify, there is no requirement, and some counsellors think this is not necessary. I think it is best practice to remain in counselling, as I can take care, and be aware of my own issues, to be there for my clients, and not allow my own stuff to get in the way. I still receive regular counselling.
I am experienced in helping you with the following issues :
- Stress
- Coronavirus
- Relationship issues with a partner, with a friend or with family
- Affairs, betrayal
- Anxiety
- Bereavement, complicated grief issues
- Coping with loss, resolving past difficulties
- Redundancy
- Depression
- Spirituality
- Domestic violence
- Physical, sexual and emotional abuse
- Historical football child sexual abuse
- Cross cultural issues, race, culture and difference
- HIV/AIDS
- Stress at work
- Coping with medical conditions
- Loss of meaning of life
- Personal development
- Victims of torture
- Refugees
- Bus Drivers
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth
- Termination of pregnancy
- Infertility
- Traumatic birth
- Ectopic pregnancy
This list is not exhaustive, these are just some of the areas I work in, I am happy to explore other issues with you.
I currently manage a women's health counselling service within the NHS, where I specialise in offering counselling to individuals and couples who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth,fetal abnormalities, infertility, neonatal death,maternal death, ectopic pregnancy and traumatic birth. I have also worked as a counsellor in voluntary organisations, with diverse client groups. I also work with several Employee Assistance Programs as an affiliate counsellor. I am able to offer cross cultural counselling.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and abide by their ethical framework. As required by the BACP, I am in supervision myself. I am also a member of the British Association of the Person Centred Approach. I am fully insured, and have been checked by the criminal records bureau(CRB).
My counselling and psychotherapy practice is in Shepherds Bush (Central line and Hammersmith and City line), West London bordering Holland Park, Kensington and Acton within easy reach of Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, Olympia, Paddington, Edgware Road, Ealing, Hammersmith, Acton, Ealing, Fulham , West Brompton, Chiswick and Willesden .
I am a fully qualified Person centred supervisor. I have worked as a Person centred supervisor for 21 years. I offer Person centred counselling supervision to qualified counsellors, and psychotherapists.
The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy requires that I have ongoing continuing professional development. I have been on many courses. These are some of the courses I have done, brief solution focused therapy, working with women and violence, family therapy in a multicultural context and the practice of person-centred couple and family therapy with Charles O'Leary.
I have also done a three year course in Spiritual healing.
"Sue is a really attentive listener, I've never really been one to express my feelings and I used to suppress a lot of my thoughts and feelings, but Sue really helped me in becoming more open with myself and others. I have noticed big changes in my personality since the beginning of our sessions. She has also helped me connect with platforms to further my aspirations, such as mentoring young girls."
"Counselling with Sue has given me perspective and the tools to continue growing and to forgive the hurt and anger caused in a past relationship which I ended ; and a job I quit due to racist and backward views.
It's great that I could speak to a counsellor of Black ethnicity as this helped me open up more about my situation , with someone who understands the challenges and prejudices Black people face in society.
Sue I want to thank you for having a listening ear, being neutral and challenging my views, thoughts and actions.
You have been a blessing to me and I know to others. Keep up the great work. God bless you."
"I wanted to thank you again for your support during the hardest times of my life. During the past three and a half years you have given me much-needed support through four heartbreaking miscarriages and a pregnancy, at first in person and then online and by phone throughout the pandemic. I was lucky enough to access your support quickly after my missed miscarriage in January 2019, and to continue to have access throughout my multiple losses and my fifth - first successful - pregnancy.
Usually we met every fortnight and I relied on this contact to get me through some exceedingly tough times. Although I have a strong support network, talking about pregnancy loss can be challenging and loaded with close friends and family, and it was important for me to have an impartial listening ear to offload and be guided through some very painful and complex feelings. You were always understanding, patient and non-judgmental, and I felt invariably stronger, calmer and more grounded each time that I had the privilege to speak with you. You gave me the tools to navigate both my close relationships and the reactions of many others who did not know how to approach my situation. I was particularly traumatised by my first and final losses, and your skill and sensitivity, your ability to hold up a mirror to my feelings, and the space you provided for me to process them, enabled me to regain my usually positive outlook and the confidence I had lost; it also contributed significantly to my determination to seek the medical support I needed and to keep trying for a baby. Our discussions helped me to feel validated in my response to my losses, and to be kinder to myself, resulting in me giving myself time and space to recover properly, and setting the boundaries I needed to set with others in my life in order to do this.
As you're aware, at times I had reached rock bottom due to the trauma of my own losses; without the knowledge of your support I am not sure that I would have been able to bounce back with such resilience and to continue my journey to becoming a mother.
Thanks for everything and please continue your fabulous work - it really makes a huge difference."
"We found the counselling very therapeutic as an outlet for all the various emotions we were going through during the different stages of our grief.
You helped us make decisions that took a world of stress off our shoulders (like myself not rushing back to work - which ultimately led me to want to try to go back to work after 6 months rather than just quit) so thank you!
We found the ability to be able to talk face to face “virtually” of comfort, rather than just over the phone.
Your work is invaluable to make people feel “normal” through all the emotions they are currently going through and we’re forever grateful. "
"Thank you for supporting us through our IVF treatment, and looking after our wellbeing."
"My counselling has been invaluable. I feel more positive and am in a better place mentally. Thank you for listening, your support and guidance. You have been fantastic."
"Thank you for being so helpful, and being there for us all the way."
"An enormous thank you for all your help and support this year. I will be endlessly grateful for it and for all your care and wisdom, and am sad to be ending our sessions, but I am in a far better way than I would have been by this point in the year without your help. I feel more confident about moving ahead."
"I had an extremely good experience with Sue and am incredibly grateful that she was my counsellor. My counselling sessions with Sue were an invaluable part of my road to emotional recovery. Sue realized that I was dealing with other bereavements at the same time and helped me through an incredibly painful time in my life with great warmth, grace, and expertise."
"It seems to me that a fundamental shift has happened in the way I view things. I have always struggled with guilt and shame, and found it hard to make my own value judgements and live according to my instincts. That has really changed. I still have my good and bad days but I no longer feel I am a bad person. I know I am not. I feel much more human."
"Counselling with Sue has helped me to put my everyday problems into a perspective that is appropriate, and it's been very good at helping me not to let my problems get on top of me. When I've been through some difficult situations in the interim, it's helped me pull things into focus and remind myself where I'm succeeding, whereas without the counselling I probably would have focused on where I was failing. It's also been extremely useful to be able to discuss my problems with someone who is completely independent of them, and able to advise objectively. Crucially, I never felt as though I was being railroaded into a conclusion I wasn't comfortable with. I just felt as though I was being encouraged to look at things from angles I might not otherwise have considered, but being left to draw whichever conclusion I felt most appropriate."
" I am extremely happy with the counselling Sue provided. It has helped me to evaluate things in a way that perhaps I would not have managed on my own, looking at situations from all possible perspectives and being as objective as possible. I feel as though I've been able to evaluate my problems from an external perspective, which is the best way to do so, and I like to think that to some extent I've been able to take that ability away with me and to some extent evaluate my problems that way outside of the sessions as well. I think it's left me more balanced in that respect."
" Counselling with Sue was really helpful. I felt that I was able to explore the big issues in my life in a non judgemental relationship. The way things were reflected back to me helped to clarify what's going on for me, as I have often been confused or overwhelmed by my own feelings. It was as if the counselling focused in on the core issues underneath the emotion."
"Thanks Sue, it has been good to talk to you along the way. I have really valued your experience and insight."
" Sue was flexible in days and times to meet my needs. Sue explained the counselling process and listened attentively. This was the first time I had met with a counsellor and so was not quite sure what to expect or if it was for me. It was helpful to speak to an experienced professional after a traumatic experience. Thank you Sue."
"I started speaking with Sue after my miscarriage. She has been incredibly supportive in our sessions throughout my subsequent pregnancy, and birth of my daughter in the last month. I was struggling with anxiety around pregnancy and a lack of support from midwifery services during the Coronavirus lockdown. Sue has been invaluable and I am extremely grateful."
" My sessions with Sue were really helpful. She was accepting, present and allowed me time to process my recent bereavement during the sessions, whilst offering me warm support. I would not hesitate to work with Sue again as I found our sessions a safe place to look at issues that I have carried with me for a long time. Thanks for that."
"I suffered two early miscarriages . Although I had my husband, family and friends to talk to, I found it difficult to really open up and just talk about what I was thinking or feeling without the other person feeling like I need something from them or that they have to say something to me or give advice. I needed someone to just listen and Sue was such a great means of support. I looked forward to our appointments knowing she would understand where I was coming from. She could understand my feelings and help me to also understand them without trying to “fix” what I was feeling. She allowed me to go through my grieving process in my own time knowing that only I could help myself heal. I truly cannot thank Sue enough. Especially during this pandemic, she has been a god send."
"Sue helped me through the hardest time of my life, when I lost my partner. She got me through each week. I have come out the other side. There is no way I would have got through my bereavement without Sue. Sue enabled me to do the stuff I needed to do. It got me to where I am today. It gave me the confidence to go on."
" It has helped to talk to Sue and get certain stuff off my chest that I can't tell other people."
"Sue has helped me enormously through my loss. This is the first time I have had any therapy and had been apprehensive in the past, but due to the nature of the loss I found Sue's help invaluable. I felt safe, listened and cared for at all times. Suggestions were made which helped me see things in a much clearer light, which in turn helped me to get better. There was no time pressure on our sessions as well as a 'door is always open' approach, which is something that I am very thankful for. I am really appreciative of all that Sue has done for me and I'm not sure what stage I would be at now had I not had counselling. Thank you very much."
" It's been a lot having to deal with having Coronavirus, I have found it helpful talking to somebody, and appreciate all the strategies you have given me."
"I found counselling helpful. I am able to return to work, and am able to manage my anger. "
"Sue was very understanding and helped me realise my grief and disappointment was valid. Where I preferred practical solutions she took great pains to lookup books and websites to help me and suggest. "
" From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for all your love and support throughout our journey. We can't easily put into words how much we have appreciated your care and support. Your expertise and ability to listen and relate to our situation helped immensely with guiding us through an incredibly difficult time. You always had our best interest in mind, and we cannot thank you enough. "
"Thank you so much for being such a kind support, having this safe space has been vital to my recovery. I feel very blessed to have had these counselling sessions with you, because you have helped me through a very dark and sad time."
"Thank you so much for your support during this really difficult time for me. Its been really helpful and very appreciated!"
" Sue is an excellent counsellor with so much experience. She listened and made very valuable contributions during my sessions. I felt very fortunate to have counselling with Sue, and was able to see Sue as frequently as I wanted to until I no longer required the support."
" I started seeing Sue last year, every week. I looked forward to her help every week. She is an amazing therapist. She has helped me, supported me, so I became stronger and able to get back to work. I am now working full-time, so I have not got time to see Sue.But even in situations at work recently, with the counselling I had with Sue I feel stronger now. I feel blessed and thankful I was helped by Sue."
"Thank you for the counselling sessions I had with you, and giving lots of time and peaceful spirit to those who need it. Thank you for providing me with some of that peace. It was a great relief to me."
"You have been so supportive. My counselling sessions have kept me sane and helped me through a difficult time."
"Sue helped me during one of the most emotionally difficult times of my life, she was always caring, patiently listening, and thoughtful. I cannot thank her enough. Counselling was absolutely important."
" Sue's help has been invaluable both from a practical and empathetic perspective. At times when it really mattered, Sue has been there. Our situation has been very difficult, and I think it has been a saving grace for us that we have had counselling."
"Sue we wanted to express our gratitude for the huge amount of support you have offered us over the past five months. From the very beginning, you have been there for us, giving us absolutely invaluable practical and emotional help. We cannot thank you enough."
"I have found Sue to be an excellent counsellor. She is easy to talk to and trust. Her availability is good and I have managed to see her at times that are convenient for me. She has helped me a great deal over the past number of months and I am sure that without counselling , I would be in a much worse place than I am."
"Thank you for your invaluable support and help over the last 18 months.You have no idea how much you helped me."
"It was really difficult coming to counselling, but I felt so much better after the sessions."
"Sue provided an invaluable service to me at a difficult time. I felt able to discuss my difficulties in a comfortable environment. Sue actively listened and tried to assist in creating solutions."
" Sue was flexible. She was very client centred and helpful in terms of processing and making sense of my issues. I felt listened and cared for throughout my sessions."
"Very positive, Sue focused on our needs and we felt listened to and supported in a safe space to explore difficult issues."
"I found the experience of counselling with Sue incredible. I am not sure how we would have got through our situation without it. The care we were given was amazing, and helped enormously with the healing process."
" Sue was absolutely fantastic throughout my counselling experience. She has helped me and my husband at a time where I felt the most vulnerable. She was a crucial element in my psychological recovery, and I hope those in need find the same support with their therapists."
" I feel very fortunate to have been able to have counselling. It helped me through a difficult period"
" Sue was excellent. She really helped us come to terms with what happened in our first pregnancy, and helped as much as possible to manage anxiety in the subsequent pregnancy."
"Counselling was invaluable in helping me come to terms with and adjust to my loss. I believe it was fundamental in helping accelerate my mental recovery and therefore my return to paid employment."
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for my counselling sessions in August and September 2015. I only had a few sessions with you but it made such a difference to me after I suffered a miscarriage. "
"My experience of counselling has been almost life changing for me. It has allowed me to gain an understanding and cope with the loss of my baby, after a stillbirth. It has allowed me to gain an understanding and strength to cope with the loss of my baby, helping me to become a better person for the rest of my family."
"I would like to thank you for listening to me for the past two years. You have made a huge impact on mine and my childrens lives, I know it is your job but you are truly a wonderful person. By listening to me, I have been able to gain a very important understanding to all of the heartache that has happened since I fell pregnant with Maddison. It is because of you that I will now be able to walk away with the ability to at least try and help myself when I feel troubled by my emotions. You have shown me why talking is essential to my progress but more so how valuable it is to have people around me who will listen. I still have a way to go before I will be able to say I have fully come to terms with the loss of Maddison, but because of you I know and feel that it is okay for me to be upset and affected by this. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. You have helped me more than you will ever know. I will never forget you."
"After losing my son to stillbirth someone at SANDS recommended Sue to me. I soon warmed to Sue’s patient and supportive style. Following losing my firstborn I went on to have miscarriages and difficulty in conceiving, it was a very bleak time in my life. Sue saw me through this, listening and coaxing and gently helping me to move forward. In the last two years she has seen me through two very stressful pregnancies; she helped to get me the right care and guided me through making decisions that were right for me. I am full of gratitude and respect for Sue and I know of the value counselling has given me"
"We would like to thank you, for being one of the people who helped us come to terms with Michael's brief time with us. To have someone, who has no doubt seen such tragedy countless times before, act with such compassion and sensitivity helped us to feel special and unique, even if we knew we were not alone in our suffering. Your job is an impossible one, but so vital to us and others like us: thank you, so very much".
"Thank you very much for all your kindness, understanding, listening and just being there for us. You have helped me cope with the situations I have at the moment and made them much better to cope with. I will miss your counselling sessions very much, but will always remember your kindness."
"I was in a very dark place after I lost my son. During pregnancy Sue's help and support have been invaluable in getting me from that very bleak place to the position where I am now; ready to face the future and am indeed looking forward to it. I am most grateful to Sue for this. "
