Hi, I'm Ayesha.

Person-centred counselling is a type of therapy that emphasises the importance of the relationship between the counsellor and the client. As a person-centred counsellor, I want my clients to feel supported and accepted as they navigate whatever is going on in their lives. I offer empathy, warmth and supportive challenge, to help my clients understand and accept themselves, to process past experiences or to figure out what changes they need to make.

Person-centred counselling is for anyone who feels they would benefit from an open, safe and supportive space to explore whatever is going on for them. I work with people aged 18+ who are dealing with a wide range of issues, from identity and self-esteem, to bereavement, trauma, anxiety and depression, or who may be navigating important life changes. I work with people of all genders, sexual orientations, races and religions, and disabilities or learning differences, as well as with issues around non-monogamy and kink. I am a neurodivergence-friendly counsellor and am happy to adapt my practice to suit my clients' needs. My therapy room is wheelchair accessible and I am happy to discuss any access requirements clients may have.

My standard fee is £60 per session. I have a limited number of concessionary places of £45 per session available - please get in touch to discuss, if the full fee would be a barrier for you.

Sessions are usually weekly, although some people prefer fortnightly sessions, whether this is for financial reasons or because they like to have more time to process in between sessions. I have specific slots for fortnightly clients and I will discuss with you in our consultation call what you are looking for. I do not offer monthly or ad-hoc sessions.

I am a fully qualified counsellor with an MSc in Person-Centred Counselling from the University of Strathclyde. Since qualifying in 2021, I have worked with a broad range of clients and issues in both the third sector and in private practice. I am a registered member of the BACP and am committed to abiding by their ethical principles. This means I attend regular clinical supervision and undergo regular CPD in the form of trainings and individual learning.

"Trauma-informed" means I work with an awareness of how traumatic events affect the body and the importance of establishing a sense of safety. It means I use body-based practices such as breathing and grounding exercises to help my clients learn to feel safe. I also refer to polyvagal theory as a model for nervous system education - this means I help my clients understand the impacts of trauma, and learn how to heal and find a sense of empowerment and agency. It also means that if a client is not ready or doesn't want to tell the story of what happened to them, they don't have to - there are other effective ways of working with trauma that don't require talking directly about traumatic events. "Creative" means that while I am a person-centred counsellor and talking is the main part of my practice, I also draw on other approaches, for example using small objects to represent aspects of the situation, or using pens and paper to visualise what is going on for the client. "Collaborative" means that I work with my clients to figure out what they need from counselling. I see the client's autonomy and insight into their own needs as very important, while also bringing my own experience, ideas and suggestions.

If you are interested in working together, please get in touch to arrange a consultation call - this is a free, informal 20-minute video call where we can have a chat and figure out if we would be a good match.