Alison Palmer

Life can be bumpy at times. Often we manage to negotiate the bumps alone. Or we talk to family or friends. But occasionally, for whatever reason, those bumps seem bigger, too difficult, stressful or even frightening to negotiate. Reaching out to loved ones may feel too hard. 

We find ourselves needing the support of someone separate, someone we can be really honest with, confide in without feeling judged.

That's when seeing a counsellor can be really helpful. 

I'm a qualified integrative therapist (Dip Couns, MBACP ) and work in the private and charity sector with adolescents (16+) and adults. I offer a totally confidential space in which to talk, be heard, understood and in which you can explore what's troubling you, at your own pace. 

I'm aware counselling can feel nerve-wracking or you may be shy. My role is to allay those fears and form a relationship with you built on trust. I'm warm, empathic and calm with a wealth of life experience. I will support and work with you to make sense of your feelings and reactions to situations; help you untangle, piece together and reconfigure things that feel tough so they're more manageable now and in the future. 

I work with many issues (full list below). You might be under stress, feeling sad, depressed or need help managing anger or grief. Perhaps you need to talk about IVF, menopause, miscarriage or a health condition. Maybe you have confidence or relationship issues or past traumas sit uncomfortably in your present. Perhaps there's no crisis; you simply feel now's time to balance life better; deal with situations you feel stuck in or thought/behaviour patterns that don't serve you. 

In my private practice I work from a quiet, comfortable, light-filled room in a peaceful, rural location overlooking fields. The space is totally confidential, has its own entrance and is wheelchair-friendly. There's access to a bathroom and plenty of off-road parking in a large private driveway. 

Or if work constraints, geographical challenges, ill-health or a disability make it difficult for you to visit in person, I also work online. 

As my practice is located in the middle of open countryside I offer walking therapy too. Strolling side-by-side and talking rather than sitting face-to-face can feel particularly helpful for those who find the thought of being in a room too intimidating. If you're interested in this then please contact me to find out more.

I work with clients both long and short term; the number of sessions will depend on you and your needs. Because I'm integratively trained I draw from the humanistic, person-centred, psychoanalytical, cognitive and transpersonal perspectives and approaches which means I tailor the work to each client's needs and circumstances rather than offering a 'one size fits all' approach.

In addition to my work as a therapist I also offer voluntary hours to a national listening service for people in crisis. And I'm a writer. I've written extensively on men's and women's physical/emotional/mental health, pregnancy and childbirth, family dynamics, sex and relationships, sexuality and trauma. 

The first session lasts 1 hour 20 mins. The initial half-an-hour is free-of-charge and gives you time to tell me what you're looking for from counselling, to ask questions and for me to tell you a little bit about how I work. Our relationship will be key to your counselling so this is for you to see if you feel comfortable with me and I can tell you if I think I can help you. After that I will ask if you would like to continue. Should you decide to do so we go into the session proper, which lasts 50 minutes. This will be charged at the usual rate. Subsequent sessions last 50 minutes.