Psychotherapeutic Counselling with Adults

I am an integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor supporting adults to make meaningful change to improve their quality of life. I draw on a diverse range of theory and practical approaches to offer an individualised and flexible approach to best suit those I am working alongside.

Walk and Talk/ Eco-therapy

Indoors

Online

Sessions can be indoors, outdoors, or online. Often therapy involves a mixture of settings depending on individual preference and my availability. Sometimes outdoor sessions are slow or static, sometimes moving, sometimes in woodlands, and sometimes in the fells. This is something we can discuss in our initial session and can change and adapt depending on the needs of your therapeutic journey.

In Staveley, Kendal and Lancaster, I work in spaces that easily accommodate the movement between indoor and outdoor work.

Embodied

In the past few decades, research has shown what many cultures have long known; that our emotions are held in our bodies. Movement, gesture, walking, and embodied play can offer significant change by harnessing innate strength and peace.

Nes draws on her training and many years of personal experience of embodied practices, including yoga, somatic trauma therapy, and radix body psychotherapy, to explore ways of connecting, nurturing, and expressing the emotions held in bodies. As a Mountain Leader, Nes also offers walk-and-talk sessions, which offer movement, and nature-connection in addition to talk therapy, in the beautiful Lake District National Park.

Nes is committed to a practice grounded in consent and individualisation, practices will be explored mutually to ensure you feel in control and within your window of capacity.

Eco-therapy

Research has shown that connecting with nature offers vast benefits including a reduction in anxiety, depression, and inflammation. It can offer feelings of belonging and cultivate curiosity and motivation. This can also be useful in working with climate-anxiety.

As an eco-psychotherapist Nes combines psychotherapeutic counselling with nature connection, offering sessions outdoors in woodlands and in the Lake District National Park to harness these benefits. Sessions can take the form of a walk, stopping now and then, going at a pace to suit you. They can also be in a more fixed setting. We would discuss options in the initial meeting.

In these sessions, the other-than-human world can take a more active role in the sessions, as well as focusing on a specific nature-connecting activity, such as therapeutic land art, mindfulness and grounding.

Creativity

Nes is trained and experienced in using a variety of techniques to help to express and explore feelings, sensations and experiences creatively, as well as to gain greater control, deeper understanding and to find calm. These include:

  • Sandtray using miniature figures as symbols

  • Sensorimotor art therapy- exploring body responses and sensations through movement with art

  • Painting, drawing, sculpting with clay

  • Creating and building to express and connect using other than human materials

  • Image-work includes using imagination and visualisation.

Yoga Therapy & Mindfulness

Nes is trained in yogic mindfulness and has twenty years experience as a practitioner. Mindfulness, put simply, is paying attention to the present moment (easier said than done!). It is a powerful and ancient technique that can help alleviate various difficulties including flashbacks, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, and panic attacks. The yogic part refers to including an intention that is around wellbeing. For example, it is possible to do anything mindfully but not everything is useful to your wellbeing. Mindfulness is often incorporated with nature, such as using senses to connect or with creativity to mindfully express internal feelings.

FAQs

Cost

Initial session (on Zoom) £30

Usual session cost is a sliding scale £35-£70 for 50 minutes

A: £70 High:

  • I am comfortably able to meet my basic needs* all the time.

  • I am employed and/or have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • I have access to ample financial savings or assets.

  • I have ample disposable income. E.g. In a month, I could regularly eat out, or go out for coffee, or could regularly pay to events or activities, such as a yoga class, or the cinema, or concert, or buy new clothes/ books every month.

B: £60 Average:

  • I am able to meet my basic needs* the majority of the time.

  • I am employed and/or have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • I have access to some financial savings.

  • I have a moderate expendable income. E.g. In a month, I could sometimes eat out, or go out for coffee, or could sometimes pay to go to events or activities such as a yoga class or the cinema.

C: £50 Low:

  • I may stress about meeting my basic needs* but still regularly achieve them.

  • I have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • I don't have any savings.

  • I rarely have an expendable income. E.g. in a month, I could rarely eat out, or go out for coffee, or could rarely pay to go to events or activities.

  • I hold marginalised identities that impact upon access to money.

  • I cannot afford an annual holiday or take time off without financial burden.

More info on the sliding scale and concession rates here.

Number of sessions

It really depends on your individual need and preference. Clients would usually have a minimum of 8 weekly sessions and then a review.

Online/ Outdoor/ Indoor

Online sessions take place on Zoom
Outdoor sessions take place in Staveley, near Kendal
Indoor sessions take place in Staveley, near Kendal.

Techniques and Approaches

As an integrative therapist, I draw on a variety of theories to underpin my work and help me to develop a deeper understanding that helps guide the therapy. These include: somatic trauma therapy, transactional analysis, gestalt, radix body psychotherapy, systems theory, attachment theories, Relational Trauma Therapy, yoga therapy (Svastha).

Interventions are highly individualised and can include: nature-connection, sand tray, movement and gesture, yoga, mindfulness, image-work, art and creativity.

What is a psychotherapeutic counsellor?

The professional body, UKCP, describes the difference between psychotherapeutic counselling and traditional counselling as “the emphasis it places on the in-depth therapeutic relationship jointly created by the therapist and the client. This relationship is a central factor.”

What do I need to bring to an outdoor session?

It is good to be prepared for any weather, especially here in the Lakes.

  • Wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy

  • Wear shoes with some grip

  • Bring waterproof coat and trousers, even if it’s sunny where you are.

  • Bring a drink, water or a flask of tea

  • Wear layers and bring a spare jumper

  • Bring suncream and a hat if it’s sunny. Gloves and a hat if it’s cold.

  • I will have a map etc. with me and we will be keeping to areas that I know very well.

What's the usual itinerary for a walk and talk or outdoor session?

  • Meeting at the designated place

  • Make decisions together about the route, landscape, terrain, distance, speed etc.

  • Journey through the session, with pauses for mindfulness, Nature-connection, land art… whatever comes up.

  • Homeward journey

  • Return to origin

  • Parting

What happens if I cancel?

Please note that I need 48 hours notice (2 working days) if you need to cancel an appointment, otherwise the fee may be charged for the missed session.

Crisis

I do not offer a crisis service.

If you or a child you care for are experiencing suicidal thoughts and are making plans to end your life, please go to your nearest A&E.

If you or a child you care for are severely depressed, please go to your GP.

If you or a child you care for are experiencing emotional difficulties and need to speak to someone without delay, please call The Samaritans on 116 123.

When will you respond to my message?

If you send me an e-mail: I usually respond to e-mails within a week. Much of my work is away from a computer and so I am not able to answer straight away. If I am away on professional development or holiday, you will receive an automatic e-mail response informing you when I will return to work.

What if I don't want you to respond?

If you do not want me to respond to your e-mail, call or text, please tell me explicitly in your message.

I am the only person who has access to my e-mails.. However emails are generally not guaranteed to be secure. Therefore, please do not include personal or sensitive information about you or a child.