Firstly, I see you for an initial interview which lasts 90 mins. This is an opportunity for us to meet and get to know each other: I will explain how counselling works and ask you some questions about your current situation and your background. You will have the opportunity to share how you feel, voice any fears or concerns about the counselling process and ask me anything you need to know about me. You will get a sense of who I am and how I work and I will be able to discern whether I am the right counsellor/ therapist for you. When we both agree to work together, we will book a mutually convenient time for our regular weekly meetings.

There is no obligation to make a commitment at our first session. Each counsellor has a unique personality and way of working. Many people take time to consider their choice of counsellor. 

Most sessions last 60 minutes and take place each week on the same day and hour. To be able to notice any results, an initial arrangement is made for 5-6 sessions. Block Clearance Therapy (BCT) sessions last 90-100 minutes. They are longer because apart from a conscious discussion there is a guided visualisation to access sub-conscious mind. I use BCT sessions only once every 4-6 weeks. The duration of counselling is strictly individual and will depend on your personal goals and needs. 

I offer the initial 90 mins session at £90. All subsequent 60 mins sessions cost £65-75. BCT sessions cost £90-95, based on when we finish. Evening sessions tend to cost slightly more. Some concessionary rates are available, if needed. Please ask. 

I work from two locations: The Tree of life Centre, Staverton village GL51 0TW and My Practice in Painswick GL6 6QX. Both are set in quiet, picturesque areas and are within easy reach from Stroud, Cheltenham and Gloucester.

For more details location and how to get there check the "Find Us" option. 

Block Clearance Therapy (BCT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on accessing and modifying deep-seated subconscious beliefs and emotional blocks. Through techniques such as guided visualization, interpreting imagery and affirmations, BCT aims to help individuals identify and re-pattern these subconscious patterns for improved mental and emotional well-being.

Individuals dealing with repeated painful emotional experiences, relationship issues, low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma, or PTSD may find BCT particularly beneficial. However, it takes a caful assessment of your unique presentation to determine if BCT is appropriate for your specific condition and at what stage in the therapy it can be used.

While Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on conscious thought patterns and behaviors, and psychoanalysis delves into the unconscious mind broadly, Block Clearance Therapy (BCT) is unique in its targeted approach to the subconscious mind. It aims to identify, understand, and re-pattern deeply ingrained beliefs and emotional blocks that affect behavior and emotional well-being.

While many find BCT beneficial, there are potential risks to consider. The therapy may bring up unsettling or traumatic memories, leading to emotional upheaval. With that in mind, it may not be applicable to every client, at least not in the early stages of counselling. After a caresful assessment within the first 3 sessions, you will be advised if BCT is suitable for you. That may not be the case, especially if you have severe mental health disorders or are currently on medication.

As of now, BCT is relatively new and lacks the extensive peer-reviewed research that more traditional therapies have received. However, there are numerous case studies and anecdotal reports that confirm its effectiveness. More scientific studies are needed to establish its efficacy definitively.

I work with children and adolescents starting as young as 9 years old and collaborate closely with their parents. Around the ages of 13-15, many adolescents reach a level of maturity often referred to as "Gillick Competence," which means they are capable of making their own decisions about attending counselling. At this stage, they have a legal right to attend counselling sessions without the explicit consent of their parents.

In private practice settings, where parents are typically the ones financing the counselling, they are, generally, aware that their child is receiving emotional support. However, it is important to note that the specific content discussed during the counselling sessions is kept strictly confidential between the therapist and the child or adolescent. In consideration with parents' care and concern for their children, clients are encouraged to share, at their discretion, some content of what happens in our sessions.

Block Clearance Therapy (BCT) is generally not recommended for children younger than 12. However, adolescents aged 12 and above can start using affirmations as a part of their therapy process.

For children younger than 12, affirmations can still be a useful tool, but they should be delivered by the mother or the primary caregiver rather than the child saying them independently.

I see clients on a weekly basis for 60-minute sessions.

BCT sessions are offered every 4 to 6 weeks to allow time for the old coping mechanisms to be dismantled and the new insights to be consolidated. 

The distinctiveness of my approach lies in intergrating emotional understanding and processing on a conscious level and  helping clients recognise and release their unhelpful subconscious beliefs/patterns. 

Since the guided visualisations  require an element of trust and surrender, I prepare my clients for a BCT session by introducing the BCT framework- a short, trial visualisation- before we do an actual clearing. I make sure that each client feels emotionally held and in control of the BCT process when we set out to clear a subconscious block. Following the session, I assist them in navigating the deep-seated feelings that may resurface and support them in integrating the new insights gained into their self-concept and sense of self.

I have designed my approach to ensure that there is no danger of overwhelm. My clients consistently feel held and supported throughout our collaborative journey. I also teach grounding techniques for self-regulation, if clients feel flooded by emotions outside of our sessions. 

Firstly, we speak on the phone or exchange emails to make arrangements for an initial no-obligation first call or a meeting at a mutually convenient time. 

The first appointment is an opportunity for us to meet - for you to get a sense of who I am and how I work and for me to discern if I am the right counsellor for you. At this session you could also ask any questions you might have about me or the counselling process and voice any worries or concerns you might have. 

Working together is a joint decision. 

There is no obligation to make a commitment at our first session! 

When we both decide to work together, we will meet weekly, on the same day and time, if possible, for 60 minutes’ sessions.

Most sessions last 60 minutes.

The first session, however, takes 90 minutes. It lasts longer than usual to allow enough time to get an overview of your current situation, gain some context of your feelings and set an aim for the end result of our work. It also gives room for you to ask any questions you might have. 

Block Clearance Therapy (BCT) sessions, (optional), also last longer -90-120- because apart from the usual discussion on a conscious level, they involve a guided visualisation to access the sub-conscious mind. 

The duration of counselling is strictly individual, and it is based on your personal goals. It can be short term -6-12 sessions, or longer term - up to a year or longer. 

An initial arrangement is made for 5 to 6 sessions. It is possible to extend counselling according to your individual needs.

We would normally have a review at session 5 to check our progress. If you feel you have achieved the goals you set out at the beginning of our work, then the 6th session would be our last. 

If, however, more work is needed, we would plan ahead our time together with regular reviews factored in. 

Endings are an important part of our work. The longer we meet, the more sessions we would need to dedicate to the feelings around the end of counselling and any other difficult or unresolved endings that you may have experienced before. 

For best results, it is recommended, that we meet once weekly on the same day and at the same time whenever possible. This regular rhythm provides safety and predictability, which is very beneficial for the counselling process. 

Life happens though and, sometimes, either of us may be unable to stick to the original schedule. In this case we will try to arrange an alternative day and time in the same week.

The initial session is £95 for 90 minutes. 

All subsequent 60 minutes sessions cost £70. This rises to £75 for evening sessions starting after 4pm) 

Block Clearance Therapy sessions last 90-120 minutes and cost £95-£100, based on when we finish.

Some concessionary rates are available, if needed. Please, ask.  

Both my practices are situated in picturesque and peaceful parts of the Cotswolds - one in Painswick, within 5 minutes walk from  the Rococo Gardens and the Painswick Surgery, and the other - in the village of Staverton . 

I offer counselling sessions in quiet,  soundproof and private rooms. I will greet you personally at the door. 

The rooms are on the ground floor but not all doors are wheelchair accessible. 

My therapy room in the  Tree of Life Centre is best accessible by car. The nearest bus stop- "Bamfurlong Lane" for bus No:95- is on the Old Gloucester Road and 20 mins walk from the Tree of Life centre.   

The Painswick Practice is 5 minutes’ walk from the "Rococo Gardens/ Gyde House" bus stop of buses No: 66 and 166, which run every hour.  You may also prefer to come by car. 

There is ample parking space provided in both places.

Most emotional wounds occur in relationships and, yet, it takes a safe, trusting and reliable relationship, for emotional healing to take place. 

It is strictly individual as to how soon people begin to notice the positive change from counselling. It largely depends on their past, their presenting problems, the goals they have set and, most importantly, on their commitment to the counselling process. On average, it takes about 5-6 sessions for people to begin to notice any difference from when they started counselling. 

If you have to cancel or rearrange an appointment, please, try to give me as much notice as possible – preferably, at least 48 hours. I will aim to offer an alternative meeting of mutual convenience on a different day the same week. If you are able to attend, there will be no charge involved.

If that is not possible, however, then I would charge for any cancelled appointments. 

I charge half a session fee, if I have 48 hours’ notice and we cannot meet that week. I charge full fee if I get less than 48 hours’ notice or no warning at all. This will be stipulated in my Client Counsellor Agreement, which you will receive, and we will sign at the start of our work. 

The main aim of a BCT session is to identify and clear a specific subconscious block. 

A typical BCT session involves a short discussion on a conscious level (about 20 minutes) and a guided visualisation (40 mins or more) at the end of which, there is another short discussion. The guided visualisation feels a bit like conscious dreaming as you can see, hear or think various symbolic scenes, but you are fully awake and in control of the process at the same time.

At the end of the session you will be given affirmations, designed individually for you, based on the block we have just cleared. 

When we work with the subconscious mind, apart from acknowledging the feelings present in the room, we focus primarily on the subconscious patterns (or scripts) formed as a result of recurring emotional experiences. As a therapist, I help you identify those patterns and formulate a question to your subconscious mind, specific to you and that very session.

The access to subconscious mind involves a guided visualisation which can take about 40-60 minutes. We cannot exit the subconscious mind until we clear the block fully. Each person’s subconscious mind is unique and responds at a different pace. Therefore, I have less control over the exact termination of those sessions compared to the sessions in the conscious mind. 

BCT sessions take place every 5-6 sessions to allow enough time for the affirmations to set, to repattern the mind and form new neuropathways in the brain.

Yes. BCT sessions are experienced strictly by choice. 

Firstly, I would offer a description of the process and a gentle introduction to the guided visualization frame for BCT. Most people like the sense of calmness and peace that it evokes. 

If that does not feel comfortable for you, however, we can focus just on conscious discussions. Usually, as the trust in our relationship grows and with the help of some affirmations, our subconscious mind becomes more at ease and responsive to the BCT process. 

Yes. In this case we will meet once a month. 

It is worth being aware that BCT sessions tend to bring up new insights and powerful, deep-seated emotions. Most people prefer to have additional professional support between the BCT clearings. They enable clients to process those feelings more safely and thoroughly, as well as to consolidate and integrate the learning from them more successfully. 

If I find that what you bring is beyond my area of expertise, I will do my best to refer you to a more experienced counsellor, where you would be better helped and supported.