Lucy O'Connell

I currently work on a Monday, Tuesday and Friday. 

I am based in Ashby de la Zouch town centre and can be reached easily from surrounding areas such as Swadlincote, Derby, Tamworth, Coalville, Loughborough and Leicester. 

Throughout our lives we experience times of turbulence and loss which are confusing, sometimes frightening and can really challenge our sense of who we are. It can create intense feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, guilt and confusion. Finding a way to navigate this can feel really challenging. Counselling provides a space to explore what is going on and the feelings this can generate. By dedicating space and time to explore the elements that are important, you have opportunities to gain insight into yourself you may not have experienced before. Life can be challenging, the aim of counselling sessions with me is to move you towards clarity and improve your sense of wellbeing.

My role is to be the supportive element in your exploration and processing of what is going on for you. Often clients find it refreshing to talk with someone who is outside their family and friendship group - someone who can see it through their perspective without any judgement, advice or fixing. I will work alongside you to create that space to support you in finding a route that works for you so you can move forward feeling clearer and lighter. We can explore different factors which may be impacting you. By discussing different elements such as coping strategies and boundaries, we can re-evaluate, understand where they come from, and begin to create more effective tools which will support you in moving forward. Positively impacting on your wellbeing, confidence and self esteem.

Many life transitions can present a sense of loss and impact on our sense of identity by challenging who we think we are. A new job, relationship ending, bereavement, menopause, health diagnosis, retirement, can be really difficult to navigate on our own. Engaging in therapy can give you the space and time to understand the impact of these events on your sense of self, reevaluate what matters to you and to reconnect alongside someone who is understanding and compassionately on your side. 

I have been on your side of the screen - feeling stuck and overwhelmed by it all, but wanting to be able to take back some level of control and get back on track with life. I have reached out for support and had counselling to give me the opportunity to understand what is going on for me and navigate a way forward. I recognise how challenging it is to ask for help when things are troubling you and I understand how important it is to find the right person to talk to. I offer a free 15 minute phone call to find out about what is going on for you and for you to decide if you feel I am the right person to work with. I can work flexibly and at your pace; a number of my clients work on a fortnightly basis and I can happily accommodate this. 

I am a Person-centred counsellor and registered member of the BACP. I am trained in person centred counselling which means I work to ensure you are at the very heart of the process; offering you a safe, compassionate and honest relationship to really explore what is going on for you in order to find a sense of clarity and a way forward. I follow the ethical framework set out by the BACP to ensure I offer you the best professional practice I can. I am trauma informed, working with an understanding of the physical and mental impact that trauma can have. I understand that no experience is the same – as individual as those I support. I appreciate the importance of having someone there to really listen to, and understand, your experiences.

I have volunteered and worked extensively within a Leicestershire cancer charity supporting all those impacted by a cancer diagnosis and those bereaved.

Currently I am working alongside a national Pregnancy loss and trauma charity providing support to those impacted by miscarriage, TFMR, stillbirth and neonatal loss.

This is complimented by my experience of working with a broader client base in my own private practice, dealing with issues including self-esteem, anxiety, depression, stress and trauma. 

I can offer a free 10 minute introductory telephone call to discuss availability, your expectations of counselling and, most importantly, to see if you feel comfortable to work alongside me.

The first session is an initial assessment which will be 50 minutes long and gives us the opportunity to meet, for you to explore what you are looking for, your expectations and understanding of counselling. This will enable us to have a shared view of why you are seeking counselling. There will be some paperwork to complete, I will highlight how confidentiality works within counselling and I can provide a copy of my Privacy statement for you to look through. 

If you would like to proceed with counselling then we would look at setting a regular weekly appointment in order to work together. The decision of how many sessions you engage with is yours, however, we will regularly review to check the counselling is useful, purposeful and benefitting you. 

The initial session and counselling sessions are charged at £55 per session.