Cindy Matthews

I currently have availability for online sessions (via Zoom) on Monday and Friday evenings.

I can usually respond to your initial email inquiry within 24 hours 

I offer introductory consultations (free via telephone) to introduce myself and discuss your needs and whether working together could be beneficial to you. This will be 20 minute phone call.

Firstly hello! If you are reading this it could be that you are experiencing some struggles or challenges in your life and are searching for some help. You may feel this is a temporary phase or even have unresolved problems resurfacing from your past. Counselling is a safe space where you can explore your individual needs - it as an investment in you and the quality of your life that you live. 

​However, I know that taking the first step and acknowledging we need help can sometimes be difficult. Therefore I strive to make this part of your journey as smooth as possible by working alongside you, at your own pace. Direction is so much more important than speed! I am a dedicated, passionate and fully qualified BSC (hons) integrative counsellor for adults. Being an integrative counsellor helps me to tailor each individuals sessions to their unique needs. ​​I have experience helping individuals with issues including Anxiety, Depression, Stress and Relationship problems. 

The therapy approaches I use, depending on your needs are:​Person Centered. This approach is what I will use from the beginning of our sessions together. It works by building a therapeutic relationship whereby you are able to gain a sense of personal power and respect. It can help in identifying how you want to live and then support you to achieve your goals. ​​​                    ​Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This approach is suited for individuals who are suffering with anxiety, depression and addiction but can also be incorporated to help other issues. Using this we will focus on acknowledging and accepting the negative thoughts and feelings you have, instead of trying to push them away. We can incorporate therapeutic techniques to help change how you perceive these thoughts and feelings, allowing you to connect with your present moment.

Other approaches and techniques: Art Therapy, Writing Therapy, Meditation and Mindfulness, CBT, Existential Therapy.​

The way I work is built on trust and giving you the freedom to speak and the opportunity to be heard. I put my clients at the center of my focus, providing them with a safe, non-judgmental space and the opportunity and tools to take steps to improve their mental-wellbeing.

After our telephone consultation, we will schedule in our first session. Our sessions will be 50 minutes, usually on the same day and time weekly. As the sessions will be via Zoom, you can do this from the comfort of your own space.

I have experience of therapy myself, so I know starting therapy or with a new therapist can be very daunting. The thought of where to start and what to say can be quite worrying. This is why it's so important to me that I offer a non-judgmental space where you can feel safe, respected and listened to. I believe that each of us are individual and unique, therefore together we can work on your journey offering insight, understanding and personal awareness - tailored to your needs. 

Our sessions together can help to discover your self-awareness and perspective of your current reality. Together we can begin to look at the development of different strategies to help you cope or move towards different choices you wish to make. They can help you unpack and reorganise your thoughts and feelings, enabling you to understand and recognise how they impact you. As I have said previously, this is an investment in you and the life you want to live!

I offer both long term and short term therapy. The time of our therapy journey depends on you as an individual.

So perhaps you are struggling with feelings of anxiety, depression or Low Mood, or even with stress or burnout. If you are going through life changes or want to improve your self-esteem, maybe you are struggling with grief, past trauma or relationship issues. If you are not feeling like you would like to, then counselling can offer you the opportunity to work through these problems.

Our first contact will be via email, this is how you will start the process. I will then contact you and arrange a telephone consultation. This will be a free 20 minute phone call where we can do first introductions and discuss your reasons and needs for wanting therapy and whether I could offer you the best space for you to get your desired outcome. 

If you are happy to move forward and for us to work together, I will send you some forms to complete via email which will give us confirmation that you understand how I work as a therapist and what to expect from our sessions. The forms also include an assessment for you to return before the first session. This will help me further understand your needs and reasonings for therapy and know a bit more about you.

We will arrange our first session via Zoom which will take place at a time and date agreed together. The sessions will last 50 minutes.