Gill Brennan

Availability on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays from 2.30pm and Thursdays

I have been a counsellor for adults and young people for over twelve years. I am an Accredited BACP counsellor, which means I have achieved a standard awarded to experienced practitioners who practise independently, ethically and competently.

I offer you a caring, professional relationship with a commitment to support you with your personal problems, so that you can tolerate and make sense of difficult feelings, gain awareness of what is really going on that is causing you distress, and learn to accept yourself, so that you live with greater ease.

We can explore your life together so that you can see more clearly what decisions or changes you might want to make to help you to feel positive and in control.  In a nutshell, this process can increase your self-esteem, motivation, confidence and resilience to face the future.

Many of my clients report immediate relief just from being able to speak about their current situation in what I aim to make a sympathetic, non-judgemental environment. Over time, counselling can help you more significantly with your personal problems as you gain a deeper self-awareness and self-acceptance. I am often moved by my clients’ relief and restored strength of spirit after our time together.

Although I understand it can be hard to make contact with a counsellor for the first time, please be reassured that you will receive a respectful response from me. I want you to feel safe and accepted, and for our work to be effective.

More information can be found on my website -

 www.godalmingcounsellor.com

I use an integration of a humanistic, person-centred approach (respecting your unique experiences and ability to find your way to your own solutions) alongside psychodynamic and attachment theories of development (which explore how your past relationships influence your present ways of relating).

I work with CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) tools, including compassion-focussed therapy, within my integrative practice. I undertook TA 101 (Transactional Analysis) training, and have a special interest in neuroscience and mindfulness, and their application to therapy.

I am committed to ongoing professional development, read widely and attend regular training, keeping up-to-date with current research and findings. I abide by the ethical requirements for BACP membership.

In addition to my private practice, I counselled for several years at Guildford Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC). I was also a counsellor at Christs College School in Guildford, King's College School in Guildford, for Guildford YMCA’s Open House youth counselling and Woking Hospice, and have worked for the National Autistic Society and been a Samaritan volunteer. 

I work from my garden office in Busbridge, Godalming. There is plenty of free, on-street parking available.  My room is discreet, private and comfortable, based within easy reach of Dunsfold, Farncombe, Guildford, Hambledon, Hascombe, Milford, Chiddingfold, Bramley, Shalford, Witley, Elstead, Chilworth, Cranleigh and Haslemere, the A3 and other areas of Surrey.

Access to my office is up two shallow steps with a double door entrance. Please contact me for any further information about accessibility of any kind, and let me know if I can be of assistance.

Appointments are 50 minutes long for individuals.

For couples counselling, my fee is £75 per full hour.

Video counselling is available on request. 

Many people seek support when they are feeling alone with their problems and can feel start to feel better just by arranging a first counselling session - they have taken matters into their own hands and feel more in control and optimistic.

You may, though, have some anxiety about meeting a counsellor for the first time. That’s completely normal – you are about to meet someone with whom you may decide to share very private information. You may have a fear of being shamed by making yourself vulnerable. Whatever your feelings, they are not wrong. My job is to help you start to feel safe and comfortable at what is only the start of a process. You are completely entitled to ask any questions you like and you don’t have to commit to coming again. 

Our first session can be unusual in that you may focus on facts of what has led you to seek support, and nerves can inhibit your comfort level. The real work often begins in the following sessions.