LIGHT IN THE STORM 
COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY

Firstly, breathe - being nervous is natural and something that is to be expected. Unfortunately, therapy still has a lot of stigma around it and this might leave you with feelings of shame. You know you need some help with figuring things out and making changes so that your life feels better than it does at the moment. That's perfectly valid and, actually, asking for help is possibly one of the most courageous things you can do. One way to combat those nerves is to focus on the environment - as you leave your car on the car park to walk to the building where the therapy room is located, try and focus your mind on what sounds you can hear, what smells are there - are those things nice or are they unpleasant? Where would you like to be if you could be anywhere? You could also try this on the bus by looking out of the window as you travel - what do you see? By doing this, your heart and breathing should relax and allow you to feel calm. In the first session, we chat about what it is that has brought you here to this moment and any goals you may have. This doesn't need to be in any great detail and therapy goals may change as we go on this journey together but every journey needs a starting point, a desired destination and a bit of thought as to what the journey might be like in order to get there and the first session is where we can explore that together. You will also be provided with a booklet of grounding techniques. These are optional and there is no pressure for you to engage in them if you don't wish to but, historically, it has been found that these techniques work really well for those struggling with trauma-related issues.

Unfortunately not and on-street parking is limited in the area. There is a car park located at Queen's Park, Chorley New Road, BL1 4QP which is only a few minutes walk from the building. Alternatively, there is a bus stop on either side of the road directly outside the building to make travelling to therapy sessions accessible by public transport as well (if you are not familiar with the route, the 575 and 576 buses use this route and are scheduled approximately every 10 minutes).

Sometimes we all have circumstances that are beyond our control and, as a therapist, I do understand this. If you become aware that you may need to cancel the session, please let me know as soon as you possibly can. This will allow me the opportunity to try and find you an alternative date/time to attend and/or arrange for the session to be online rather than in-person. All sessions that are cancelled within 48 hours of the appointment time will be payable at the full session fee. In the rare occasion that I need to cancel, I will always try my best to offer an alternative or cancel without charge.

Yes! As long as your dog is well-trained and kept on a lead to ensure there is minimal distraction away from the therapy then you are more than welcome to bring your dog along for the walk. Please make me aware beforehand if you intend to bring a dog and let me know the breed so that I can ensure I pace the walk appropriately.

For individuals seeking therapy, £60 per session and for couples, £75 per session. I do offer a limited amount of concessionary appointments for anyone on a low income but these are strictly on a first come, first served basis so cannot be guaranteed. Please feel free to request this if this is something you require. For therapists seeking supervision, £50 per hour or £75 per 1.5 hour session. This includes the cost of any reports you may require.

You'll find the therapy room located within Neil Pike Architects at 17-19 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 4QR. This is directly across the road from Landmark House Pharmacy.

This is a very common question and the answer is sometimes, yes. This is always done with your best interests and heart because supporting you effectively is paramount to your safety and a successful therapeutic outcome. By law, it is the responsibility of every therapist to consult with a clinical supervisor. During such conversations, you will remain anonymous and the details of what we've discussed in session will be kept to a minimum. An example of a supervision conversation might be similar to the following: Therapist: I have a wonderful client I'm working with that is presenting with low mood. I suspect this is coming from X that happened to them a considerable number of years ago and the client is in agreement with this. Supervisor: OK, so how are you working to support this client? Therapist: Well, I've offered some grounding/stabilisation techniques and we've done some psycho-education around self worth and acceptance but I wondered if you knew any other ways I could support the client? As you can see, the supervision is not to judge you or cause you any cause for concern, it's to ensure that you are being treated in an ethical manner and that your best interests are always the focal point of the therapy. The only other time when it may be necessary for a therapist to share information about you with someone else is if you share that you are going to cause harm either to yourself or to somebody else or that you are involved in an act of terrorism, drug or people smuggling. If I am able to discuss this with your beforehand then I will but, unfortunately, it is not always possible as the law governs how and when your confidentiality needs to be breached, in order to keep both you and others safe.

A choice of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water and orange juice are available and offered at each session but you are always welcome to bring your own drink if that is preferable to you as it is important that you feel comfortable in therapy sessions.

Unfortunately, children cannot be present in the therapy room during the session unless in the instance where the session is booked as a Relationship Therapy session for more than one member of the family. As the therapy room is located within the premises of a firm of Architects, children cannot be left unattended in the Reception area. If childcare is problematic for you, please make me aware and I will arrange for the session to be online rather than in person.