Counselling Services

Why Choose Me as Your Counsellor?

In my practice, I strive to work in a straightforward, jargon-free manner. My approach is genuine and open, fostering trust and enabling 'real talk' quickly. You can be assured that you won't feel judged or criticised here; my aim is to uplift and support, reflecting back observations with sensitivity and tact.

I am not the expert on you—only you hold that title. My role is to help you see things clearly and achieve your goals. Contrary to common misconceptions about counselling, I do not give advice. Instead, I help you explore options and offer alternative perspectives. While our sessions might not always be filled with laughter, I am adept at helping people feel relaxed and free to speak openly, even when addressing uncomfortable feelings and thoughts. If you're still with me, let's start as we mean to go on.

My approach is not formulaic; I practise Integrative Therapy, which means I tailor my methods to your specific needs and the nature of our discussions. This flexible framework allows me to respond effectively to your unique situation. If you're curious about the theoretical foundations, especially Clarkson’s integrative approach, feel free to ask when we meet.

We will work at your pace, with regular opportunities to discuss your progress and what’s working for you. I welcome and facilitate feedback, ensuring open communication about our work together.

You can trust that I approach our sessions with commitment, respect, and professionalism. Your time is valuable, and I ensure our sessions are purposeful and treated with the importance they deserve. Society is increasingly recognising the benefits of discussing mental wellbeing, as reflected in media and public discourse. Seeking support is a sign of self-awareness, resourcefulness, and strength.

What Are the Potential Benefits of Counselling?

Counselling aims to empower you to become your own therapist. From our first session, we will focus on making our work sustainable, ensuring you don’t become reliant on my support. You’ll gradually expand your toolkit of coping strategies, ways of viewing situations, and methods of relating to yourself and the world. You might even need a bigger tool bag!

Simply discussing your concerns and feeling heard can be incredibly beneficial. Being honest with ourselves allows us to hold ourselves accountable when necessary. The skills and insights gained during our sessions can be applied in various aspects of your life—improving communication with a partner, at work, or with anyone you feel you could interact with more assertively or sensitively.

Counselling can help you identify your needs and find ways to meet them, manage your time more effectively, reduce stress, and improve your work-life balance. It can also help you see yourself in a different light, fostering self-acceptance and understanding.

It's not always about changing yourself; often, it’s about accepting and understanding your experiences. Remembering a loved one, for instance, can bring a sense of peace or enhance self-awareness. If you’ve been through challenging times, attending to your feelings and memories with self-compassion can alleviate shame and keep guilt in check.

Can Counselling help with your experiences?

Areas of counselling I deal with are uniquely different with each person I meet. No two person's experiences are the same. Being listened to, feeling understood, can be very helpful experiences on their own. Counselling provides an unbiased non judgemental place to explore ideas, voice opinions and figure things out. The ability to discuss whats going on in a steady, supportive environment can allow a clarity of thinking or raised sense of self awareness, it can also be a secure place to vent or feel emotions that are difficult to do so in other settings or with certain people.

I try to view situations as a sign of what a person has been through or is going through, something to be understood, accepted or worked through, rather than a disorder, diagnosis or label, things are often so much more complex than that.

Our initial meeting will help us decide if we can work together - if I believe another therapist may be better positioned to help you, I'll let you know.

Who do you work with?

I work exclusively with adult individuals over the age of 18. People from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures access the service on a weekly basis, I enjoy assisting with the broad spectrum of issues this encompasses, and feel I can draw upon a wide range of experience as a result. I do not have a 'typical' client!

So what now?

I'm guessing if you've read this far you are considering contacting me to arrange a meeting. Doing so helps me understand your aims or situation, and gives you a chance to suss me out! It's not a counselling session - you can share as much as you feel comfy with while putting me in the picture as to why the time feels right to talk things through. You can ask questions and get a sense of how I work. From there we can agree days/times that suit and take it from there, providing I am your cup of tea and feel I can help you with your circumstances.

To do so, please feel free to email contact@garyparsonscounselling.com or call 07724 321830 07724 321830 (confidential answerphone accessed only by myself), to ask additional questions or arrange an initial meeting.