Abigail Howarth

I have appointments during the day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Please get in touch to check availability.

If you are finding life difficult at the moment, for whatever reason, I hope I can help. My first task as a counsellor is to be there for you; to be someone that you feel you can trust, and to build a safe and dependable relationship.

As a person-centred therapist, I will not offer you 'expert advice' or tell you how to fix things. I believe in the power of the counselling relationship to heal and to enable each of us to thrive.

I hope that you will feel able to express yourself honestly, without fear of judgement or reproach, and in the knowledge that you will be truly heard. These seemingly simple steps are often quite rare in our daily lives and yet can offer so much.

• I will work hard to understand things from your point of view and to get what it feels like to be you. I will not presume to know in advance how you feel about something.
• I will be honest and open with you, helping you to explore your experiences and feelings by responding genuinely, and with compassion.
• I will value you for who you are, with no agenda, expectation or conditions.

Counselling is not an easy process, but it can help you to reconnect with yourself and what you need in your life in order to feel better. 

What to expect

How we work together will depend on what you need. It may be that you need time out to talk about what's happening in your life and to feel more supported. It may be that you need tools and coping strategies to help you to navigate certain situations.

It may also be helpful for us to explore some of your life story to understand what’s going in the present day. I believe that our early life experiences have a significant impact on how we are in the world around us, and that by gathering information about how the past may have shaped us, it can help us to move forward.

I trained as a Humanist Integrative Counsellor. This means that I believe in the potential within each individual to find their own path ('Humanist') and that I have been trained to bring together different counselling approaches to help facilitate this process ('Integrative').

Experience

I have been based at the Rose & Crown Clinic in South Molton for the last six years, supporting adults of all ages to work through their own unique challenges and life situations. 

Bereavement and Loss

I have specialist experience in supporting people through their own experiences of attachment, love, loss, death and dying.

Neurodiversity

I have a particular interest in neurodiversity and am actively involved in developing my knowledge and understanding in this area. 

If you are neurodivergent and would like to talk about how therapy sessions may work best for you, please do let me know and we can discuss this together.

(The term ‘Neurodivergent’ includes, but is not limited to; autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, sensory processing disorder.)

About Me

I have lived on Exmoor for nearly 20 years and spend a lot of my spare time outdoors in the countryside with my family. I also love playing netball and have been a member of Dulverton Netball Club for many years.

If you haven't had counselling before you may be feeling unsure about what to expect or how the process works.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation session.

This gives you the chance to see whether I am someone you feel you can talk to, and for me to check that I have the right skills and experience to support you. This is also a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about the counselling process.

After this, I charge £50 for an hour's session. 

I may be able to offer a reduced fee if you are on a low income and/or you are currently experiencing financial difficulty. Please talk to me about this if this applies to you.