Nicola Atkins

Owing to client demand, I am pleased to be able to offer an extended service as I now work solely in private practice. 

I offer both online (presenting issue dependent) and face-to-face sessions. Whilst I have a waiting list for evening appointments, I have morning and afternoon times available. 

 I am an accredited therapist (BA Hons. 1:1, MA 1:1, MA 1:1, FdSc Distinction) with seven years' experience. I consider it a privilege and a responsibility to assist individuals in navigating and processing difficult life events. Because of this, I take my professional and personal development very seriously and I ensure that I have thorough knowledge, training and ongoing support in the areas in which I specialise.

I have undertaken additional training that allows me to offer a number of specialisms. Therefore, I have particular interest in working with clients who would like help with:

1) Childhood trauma and abuse issues (emotional, physical, sexual psychological and spiritual)

2) Post-cult counselling or processing their experiences in spiritually abusive or high demand groups (including one-to-one relationships)

3) High sensitivity. This involves assisting highly sensitive people (HSPs) in utilising their sensitivity as a resource and managing symptoms (e.g. overwhelm, compassion fatigue)

4) Narcissistic relationships (the aftermath of toxic people and abuse)

5) EMDR processing of traumatic memories

6) I am completing psychosexual training and working towards CORST accreditation. I particularly welcome women for whom sexual pain is a problem.  

Please be assured that your issues will be treated with sensitivity and respect. I am pleased to regularly hear from clients that they find my approach warm, empathic and professional. 

Sessions are fifty minutes long and most of my clients attend weekly, but also fortnightly.

I aim to provide client-led, but focused, sessions where you are supported in exploring specific issues agreed at the outset. I find it important to strike a balance between respecting clients' autonomy to set the therapeutic agenda and my responsibility to ensure our exploration is purposeful and focused. You should never feel directed or led in session, nor should you feel left adrift or vulnerable. 

My recent Masters degree in Pluralistic Therapy has helped me to anchor my various trainings (psychodynamic, trauma-focused, post-cult and CBT) in a well-structured, empirically evidenced framework. I am incorporating EMDR and psychosexual understandings into my work. 

As a highly sensitive therapist, I appreciate the need to empathically and supportively challenge you where necessary.

My approach is best described as gentle, respectful, supportive and focused. 

For all initial inquiries, I offer a free twenty minute consultation. This allows you to evaluate whether you are comfortable working with me and confident that I will be able to assist you in your therapeutic goals. Equally importantly, it allows me to assess whether I have the training and capacity to offer you the high quality therapy that you deserve and should expect.