Francesca Thorpe

I work Mondays-Wednesdays.  I offer evening sessions on a Monday.

I am an experienced individual and relationship counsellor of over twenty years in the following areas:

• Relationship Difficulties/Separation/Divorce
• Bereavement/Palliative Care
• University Students
• Anxiety/Stress
• Depression

I have worked in both a school and university setting.  I am also an accredited Mindfulness teacher with Breathworks.  

I offer both short and longer term therapy.  I believe that the relationship between the counsellor and the client is of paramount importance.  I offer a trusting and safe environment for clients to explore whatever issues they come with.

I am a qualified nurse and I have particular interest in health, and education.  

I am now seeing people face to face, and regularly review the situation according to government guidelines.

I am experienced and qualified in both online and telephone counselling.

I offer sixty minutes for an initial assessment.  I feel this allows time for both myself and the prospective client to assess whether the way I work will be of support.  

For couple counselling I offer sixty minutes for every counselling session.

I trained at the Consultancy Supervision Research and Training (CSTD) using Robin Shoet and Peter Hawkins Seven Eyed Process Model of Counselling Supervision.  I work with both an Integrative and Systemic perspective.  I have worked as a supervisor with trainee counsellors at Surrey University, and with both qualified nd trainees in my private practice.

I see supervision as an essential part of the counselling process.  I provide a safe and collaborative environment; encouraging a reflective process of both the counselling and supervisory relationships.  I see my role as supporting you to grow in your work.

I feel the below quote from Peter Hawkins and Robin Shoets book Supervision in the Helping Professions Chapter 1 encompasses the role of the supervisor which I aim to provide within the supervisory relationship

"The supervisors role is not just to reassure the work, but to allow emotional disturbance to be felt within the safer setting of the supervisory relationship, where it can be survived, reflected upon and learnt from".

In the first session I encourage a collaborative approach where we can exchange our philosophy of our counselling work and to assess how we will work alongside each other.  

I encourage regular reflections on the supervisory relationship and these reflections are shared in a respectful manner.