Counselling in Reading and online
Room to say it.
You bring whatever is going on. I listen, properly, without rushing you to a fix. Together we work out what it needs.
Move your cursor. Things settle.Touch the page. Things settle.
You might be here because
Nothing is wrong, exactly.
Most people who contact me do not have a diagnosis or a crisis. They have a feeling that has gone on too long, and nobody in their life has the room to hear it.
- You are fine, apparently.Everyone says so. It does not feel like it.
- You have started crying in the car.Or in the shower. Somewhere nobody sees.
- Something happened years ago and it is still here.It has not faded the way people said it would.
- Everyone comes to you. Nobody asks.You are the capable one. It is lonely.
- You cannot say what it is, only that it is heavy.That is a perfectly good place to start.
How it works
Three small steps, none of them a leap.
A free call
Twenty minutes, by phone or video. You say a little about what is going on. I say how I work. We both see whether it feels right.
A first session
Fifty minutes, online or in Reading, Berkshire. There is no form to fill in and no right way to begin. We start wherever you are.
We go from there
Weekly, usually. We review every six sessions or so, and you can stop whenever you want to. You stay in charge of this.
About me
I am Rowan. I listen for a living.
I am a person-centred counsellor, which means I believe you already have what you need to find your way through. My job is to make a space steady enough for that to happen.
Before training I spent fifteen years in jobs where everyone was busy and nobody was heard. I know the look of someone holding it together. I work with adults of all backgrounds on anxiety, grief, low mood, relationships, work and the quieter things that do not have a name yet.
I am a registered member of the BACP and work to its ethical framework. I have regular clinical supervision and continuing training.
The practical bits
No surprises.
- Each session
- 50 minWeekly, same time each week where we can.
- Fee
- £55A few places at £40 for students and low incomes.
- First call
- FreeTwenty minutes, no obligation either way.
- Where
- Online or ReadingDaytimes and two evenings a week.
Things people ask
Before you get in touch
Do I need to know what I want to talk about?
No. Plenty of people arrive with a feeling rather than a topic. We start wherever you are, and it usually becomes clearer as we go.
What happens in the free call?
About twenty minutes on the phone or video. You tell me a little about what is going on, I tell you how I work, and we both get a sense of whether it feels right. There is no obligation afterwards.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies. Some people come for six sessions around one thing. Others stay for a year or more. We review together, and you can stop at any point.
Is it confidential?
Yes. What you say stays between us, with the usual exceptions where someone is at serious risk, which I explain in the first session. I have clinical supervision, as all ethical counsellors do, and you are never named in it.
Get in touch
Start with a sentence.
You do not need to have it worked out. Tell me a little about what is going on and I will reply within two working days to arrange a free call.
Prefer to talk? 07700 900123. If I am in a session I will call you back.