Diane Pedder

I am generally available on Monday and Wednesday during the day and evening, Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. I try to be as flexible as possible and am happy to work on a fortnightly basis. I provide private counselling to individuals by telephone or online video and to couples via online video.

I am a person-centred relational counsellor, meaning that my intention is to approach each client with an accepting, open mind in order to support them to address whatever they wish to bring to their sessions. I use my counselling knowledge, my life experience, my counselling experience and primarily the client/counsellor relationship to help clients find new meaning to past experiences, purpose in future plans, solutions to difficult problems and strategies for coping with negative or unwanted thoughts and psychological and/or  emotional states.

I aim to be kind, patient and supportive. I may offer challenge or different perspectives if clients find this helpful. 

I am experienced in working with depression, anxiety and all forms of loss, including clients impacted by suicide, the loss of a baby or child, pregnancy loss and many other types of sudden and unexpected death. I have worked with clients who are seeking to recover from abusive relationships, including domestic abuse and clients in frontline services including police, medics and the armed forces. I have also supported clients who are facing difficult life situations, perhaps feeling unhappy in a relationship, or in their work, and have helped them to work through the issues finding answers that are right for them.

I believe in the fundamental uniqueness of all human beings and that we are capable of change throughout our lives. I will offer you a confidential, safe, professional and above all a non-judgmental space to explore your thoughts and feelings, to get to know yourself in a new and helpful way and to identify and then work on your personal goals and wishes.

I want to get to know you, to understand your concerns and wishes. During our time together you will be my focus and my priority. I will never push you, but will aim to work collaboratively with you, at your pace. I will gently nudge and prompt you when I think you may be stuck or missing something, always acknowledging that you are the expert in you.

I offer an initial free telephone conversation of up to 30 minutes to give us both an opportunity to establish if we want to work together. For my part, this means that I have an opportunity of letting potential clients know if I believe they may find it more helpful to work with a counsellor who uses a different approach. Once we agree to work together I would ask you to contract with me, usually for a minimum of six sessions which can then be reviewed as necessary on a periodic basis agreed between us.