Hesther Somerville MBACP

My clients reflect that I am a compassionate listener, and I combine theoretical understanding with intuitive insight, drawing on a range of different modalities to help us explore the issues you bring.  In a session with me you might simply wish to talk, or you may need a safe place where you can voice something which you haven’t shared with anyone before. You may need to hear yourself speak, or maybe you just need space and time where you feel you can really grieve and weep without being judged, and without feeling you have to hold back.  

I work collaboratively with my clients, so they have the space to find and hear their ‘inner voice’.  If talking doesn’t feel appropriate then we might have times when we’re sitting in contemplative silence.  You might need to discover what lies beneath your uncomfortable feelings, and what they might be trying to tell you.  It might feel appropriate to draw an image to depict what a feeling looks like when there are no words to describe it adequately…  There is a range of creative and therapeutic interventions we can draw on, depending on what feels appropriate and what might be helpful.

The people who come to me are from all kinds of backgrounds: professional people holding successful careers; full-time parents; single parents; university students; retired people; people who are unable to work due to mental health issues, people who are facing a difficult transition in their lives or who have lost their sense of direction and purpose.  I have worked with people seeking help with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, bereavement and loss, losing someone through suicide, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, chronic illness, sexual abuse, bullying, trauma, relationship issues, low self-esteem, anger management, attachment disorder, loss of meaning, shame, loneliness…  

I am committed to equal opportunities and provide counselling support to people from any race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.