Cherril Wilson-Toft

My main working days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9am to 5pm.

I will work alongside you to explore difficulties, losses and changes you may wish to make; to increase your understanding of yourself and thus maximise your potential. My breadth of experience of working with individuals and with referrals from the emergency and medical services and with the corporate sector, enables me to work with what you need: whether it be healing, letting go or new ways to see your situation. Gaining insights from the past to help you shape your future narrative and relationships.

Why do we go to counselling?

It may start with loss, grief, trauma, a difficulty at work, anxiety, childhood abuse/adverse childhood experiences but it can also manifest as feeling overwhelmed, anxious or depressed, of feeling excluded, losing confidence or not being able to see a way forward.

How can counselling help?

Counselling offers a safe and non-judgmental space to explore feelings and concerns. It can provide both a sense of release, validation and insight as to why we are feeling the way we are. The process of sharing with a safe, trained, other person allows us to reframe past experiences. This trusting relationship that the client and counsellor build together supports the forging of new ways of seeing yourself and your situation, adopting strategies that "hold" you through a difficult period. We can begin to feel more confident about our resources and increase our sense of our own autonomy, whilst healing past wounds.

What can I offer you?

Close, affirming attention to what you are saying and feeling. Focusing with you on past hurts, present aspirations and hopes. The relationship we develop together is key to enable healing and growth when working with hurts and difficulties. I will provide a safe, confidential space in which you will feel accepted and heard.

Some of my areas of expertise include:

Trauma resolution, specifically using EMDR to process disturbing memories & reduce emotional, somatic and behavioural symptoms of the associated anxiety. I have extensive expereince of working with grief, loss and trauma.

Attachment & Relationship: how attachment patterns and family dynamics can influence our relationship choices and our responses within our relationships.

Work environment: organisational change; inappropriate work demands; bullying & harassment: work-related stress; assertiveness; retirement.

Student issues: relationships; self-care, anxiety, isolation; study problems

My working days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9am to 5pm and Thursday afternoon.

I am experienced in working with supervisees whose underpinning theoretical orientations include person centred, integrative and psychodynamic. In working alongside counsellors and trainee counselllors, in particular, my aim is to increase understadning of the chosen model both as a coherent theory and in application to the client work.

When first contacted I offer a free 30 minute consultation to see if we would feel comfortable working together. I seek to agree mutual goals and be transparent and responsive in my approach. Together we will create a reflective space that can be supportive, challenging and creative for both experienced practitioners and trainee counsellors.  I believe that supervision is an important part of taking care of oneself and having reflective space is an important part of that process.