Amy Batchelor

I understand how daunting it can be to even get to the point where you feel you would like to find a therapist to speak to, let alone then trying to find the 'right' one.

I am friendly, caring, compassionate and I truly do care about your well-being. I will provide a space where you can talk (or talk only a bit if that is what you need) and I will listen and be present with you. I understand that trust can sometimes take a while which is to be expected and normal so I will be patient, understanding and non-judgemental when listening to you so I can truly appreciate how your difficulties are affecting you

I currently work with over 15's and adults with a range of diversities, in private practice. This is from my home in Shorne which offers a lovely view of fields from the conservatory. I work with clients who experience difficulties with anxiety; OCD; depression; relationships which includes families; friends and partners; low self worth and self esteem; PTSD ;sexual, emotional and physical abuse; bereavement, loss and those who are towards the end of their life. I also find that some of these can overlap and you also cannot always put how you are feeling into a box or put a label on it.

My work experience previously before private practice was working with with adults (mainly parents) at a family hub working with a range of mental health difficulties. I also worked as a bereavement counsellor working with adults in a hospice, where the age ranges from young adults to older adults (over 80’s). My personal experience of working with more older adults has demonstrated that it does not matter what age you are, counselling can be hugely beneficial.

Person-Centred is the approach I use as a base for my sessions with clients which means the sessions are led by you, this could seem daunting and some clients worry that they need to ‘bring’ something to every session. But all it means is that the sessions revolve around what you need at that time. You may not know what that is, which is ok, I am here to guide you through that. When I say ‘base’, this means that I am not restricted to this approach therefore if your situation/you requires a more integrated or structured approach, then this is what happens. 

​Person-centred counselling aims to help you understand yourself so you can know what the best is for you, and that is what I incorporate within my sessions. This involves guiding you to where you want to be by understanding who you are and working together to encourage the freedom to be able to make decisions without all the noise that often surrounds us in day-to-day life.

The relationship between counsellor and client is, I feel, the most important and integral part for any personal growth to really happen. That doesn’t mean we have to have some things in common, the one thing we have in common in the sessions is that the sessions are about you. How often in everyday life do you get to sit with someone where it is purely just about you, no conflicting advice from family or friends or well-meaning colleagues/acquaintances. There will be differences between you and me like there are with every single person you meet however that only makes every client to me, unique.

​I will be me. What I mean by that is you will gain a sense of who I am as a person whilst in the sessions, with the aim that you will feel like you are talking to a human being not a robot. What this aims to do is make you feel more comfortable to be yourself, not the different versions of you that other people may know……. but who is Naturally You.

I offer a complimentary phone call which lasts around 15-20 minutes. This is for me to understand what is going on for and also to answer any questions you may have. It also gives us both the opportunity to see if we would be a good fit for each other. 

I never ask that you commit to a set amount of sessions as I do not feel this helps how you might already be feeling about coming for a first session. I honestly would much prefer if you felt I was not right for you, that you found another counsellor who was right for you.

I may be your counsellor, but I have also been a client, so I understand the reservations, the hesitations, the feelings around initially having counselling and the whole process of counselling. I hope knowing this provides you with reassurance that whilst I can never know exactly what you are going through, I am certainly familiar with all of those normal human feelings that are involved when building a relationship with a counsellor. I realise that just a phone call can be incredibly nerve wracking if you do not normally talk to people.