Madeleine Bentley

Tuesdays 10am-5pm 

Wednesdays 10am-8pm

Thursdays 8.30am (Zoom only) 

Hello. I am an experienced BACP accredited counsellor providing  face to face and online counselling in York. I am particularly experienced at working with 18-40 year olds, university students, LGBT people and people with autism.

Clients often come to see me for the following reasons:

• Feelings anxious, depressed or overwhelmed. Wanting to better understand these feelings and consider how to improve things.

• Support with past and current adverse experiences such as bullying, separation, loss, illness and family problems. 

• Dealing with life transitions including finishing university, leaving home, work, study and career changes.  

Am I the right counsellor for you?

Finding a therapist that you feel comfortable working with is the key to successful therapy. 

If you have read a few of these directory listings you might be thinking all sound pretty similar. 

I offer an optional free 15 minute Zoom or phone conversation so that we can start to talk and decide whether we might work well together.  You are also welcome to email me any questions you have about counselling so you have the information you need. 

The counselling I offer 

I offer person centred counselling. A core belief of this kind of counselling is that everyone can change and grow. This means that if your current approach to yourself and your life is causing you problems, you can make changes. 

Key to this change process is first feeling accepted and understood. I aim to give you a space where we can explore any experiences, feelings, thoughts and beliefs that may be having an impact on you living the life you want. We will focus on what you chose to, at your pace.

My style is conversational with an emphasis on listening to you. I won’t give you advice or to tell you what to do. Often people come to counselling because advice and suggestions from other people have not helped. Increasing your understanding of yourself and your situation can often be more helpful. With more awareness and insight, it can be easier to start to see a way forward making changes that are right for you.

Where will I have my counselling?

My welcoming practice is based in my home in Heworth.

It is well located for York city centre, University of York and York St John University campuses.

It is also well located for Burnholme, Derwenthorpe, Heslington, Huntington, New Earswick, Osbaldwick, Yearsley and Tang Hall.

There is plenty of free parking in the street and the number 9 and Coastliner buses stop near by. 

How long will I need to have counselling?

This will depend on a few things including how you are currently feeling, what is happening between sessions and where you want to be after your counselling. 

Most people start to feel better after a few sessions of counselling. More significant, lasting changes can take longer. 

I am interested in counselling with you - what is the next step?

Use the contact form to let me know a bit about yourself and whether you would prefer a session on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. 

​After you contact me

I will reply within 24 hours. I will let you know about sessions I have available so you can decide whether starting counselling with me might be possible. I also will send you some further information about my counselling practice and offer you an optional free 15 minute Zoom or phone conversation.

​Initial Zoom or phone conversation

This is for you to get a sense of what it is like to talk to me. You can ask any questions you have about counselling. ​I will be interested to hear what has brought to think about having counselling at this point. I will let you know whether I think I will be able to work with the issues that you want to bring to counselling. If we both want to go ahead, we can arrange a first session date.

Your first session

Your first counselling session will be an opportunity for you to tell me more about yourself and what is going on for you at the moment. We will then look at how you would like to use your counselling sessions and what you hope to gain from therapy.

If you are not sure about what to focus on in counselling we can explore this together. 

What can I talk about in counselling?

You can talk about whatever you want to, there is no right or wrong with counselling.

Most people usually come to counselling because something is wrong and will focus on what is causing them difficulty or distress. This might be your relationships with others, recent life events, your academic study or job. 

You may want to talk about your current feelings or less specific things; your fears, disappointments and failures. You might be starting to notice problematic patterns in your life about how you relate to yourself and in your relationships others; we can explore these too.

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