Laura Ward

I am currently accepting new clients. 

Hi, I’m Laura. I never undervalue how hard it can be to take that first step towards counselling, thank you for reaching out. I offer flexible hours either in person in central Leeds, online or over the phone and a free initial call for you to ask any questions.

Do you have a particular issue or pattern of behaviour you would like to talk about, or would you just like to make sense of your feelings and emotions? Counselling can help you make sense of what’s been going on for you and help to build your confidence to move forward. I understand how hard it can be to share your feelings and to feel heard. I will go at your pace, so you feel comfortable to share with me when you are ready.

I offer a therapeutic relationship of understanding and acceptance, focused on you. Connection and honesty are integral to how I work, providing a safe and judgement-free space to explore your thoughts and feelings, with the aim of helping you reach your full potential.

I have previously worked in charitable environments and have a special interest in supporting those who have experienced bereavement. I believe that loss and the subsequent grieving process allows us to learn more about ourselves as individuals and how we may relate to others. Our relationships can be complex, but by exploring them we can achieve a deeper level of understanding about our connections with other people, and those we have lost.

I follow a person-centred integrative approach to therapy. This method of therapy reflects my own personal beliefs, as I genuinely believe that we all have the tools within us to become the best version of ourselves that we can be, but sometimes we need to feel heard and understood to unlock those abilities. 

My approach to therapy means I may offer tools and elements from different counselling modalities to tailor my approach to fit with you and your goals, creating a bespoke therapy created around you. However, this will always be alongside an empathic, supportive relationship to facilitate change. 

I am currently offering online and telephone counselling for clients within the UK on Tuesday and Fridays. From November, I will be available on Thursdays too and I will also be able to offer in person sessions, which will be in central Leeds. 

I use Microsoft Teams for our online sessions, this means you can have our session wherever you feel most comfortable. Microsoft Teams is user-friendly, works on phones, laptops, and tablets, and is encrypted end to end, so you can feel assured we are using a safe platform.

Or you may feel more comfortable with telephone sessions, which can be less unnerving if you are uncomfortable with using a camera or the internet. 

I understand how hard it may be to reach out for support, so I offer a free, initial 20-minute phone call to talk about what you may need support with or want to explore, and so you can find out if I'm the right counsellor for you. In this session, I will ask you questions about your medical history and why you want to come to counselling. This is a time to get to know a little about you and for us to discuss how we may work together.

If we decide that we would like to work together, in our first session, there will be a small amount of admin, which is mainly checking if you have any questions relating to the contract which will have been sent to you ahead of our session.