Rachel Smith

Are you finding life difficult but feel unable to talk to family or friends about what is troubling you? I can offer you a friendly, safe and non-judgemental environment in which to explore and work through the concerns which have caused you to seek counselling.

I am a qualified counsellor offering short and long term counselling in Cheltenham.

Counselling aims to help you help yourself to understand why you feel the way you do, and to plan how to cope with emotional and practical realities. 

I am here to work with you as you learn more about yourself. I do not tell you what to do. You are the best person to know what the right solution is for you as an individual. My role is to help you find the answers. I do this by encouraging you to talk about whatever you want.

Talking out loud to someone you trust can help to clarify and make sense of things. It can make things feel less overwhelming, less scary, less confusing. It can help you put something in a new or different perspective. Talking about your concerns can help to relieve physical tension as 'the weight is lifted from your shoulders'.

I have worked with people who have experienced a wide range of issues including:

Depression, Anxiety, Low self-esteem, Lack of confidence, Shame, Relationship issues, Bereavement, Decision making, Long-term illness (mental & physical), Trauma (incl. sexual abuse), Pregnancy issues (incl. abortion), Infertility issues, Autism spectrum.

I work with adults aged 18-98. 

I am a qualified counsellor integrating Psychodynamic and Person Centred theories.

In practice I tend to follow a more Person Centred approach. My aim is for you to experience an environment in which you feel understood, accepted and not judged.

I will also be interested in your background and your childhood. Past experiences can have an impact on our present thoughts and feelings. Working out where your current reactions to situations may have originated can be a significant step in finding a solution to a problem.

I do not tell you what to do or solve your problems for you. I work with you to enable you to do these things for yourself.

The aim of our first session is for you to get an idea of how we might work together and to decide whether or not you wish to continue on a regular basis. You need to feel safe, comfortable and that you can trust me.

At the start of the 50 minute session I will ask you for some personal details, including which GP you are registered with. I will also discuss with you the issue of confidentiality as well as the length and frequency of sessions, payment and my cancellation policy.

The rest of the session is for you to talk to me about whatever you want. This is when you will be able to establish whether my style of counselling is suitable for your needs and decide if you want to continue working with me. It is also an opportunity for me to start getting to know you.