Laura Ward

I am currently available for both online and telephone counselling Tuesday and Fridays and contactable on those days only, however I will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. 

I am away on leave between the 4-10th October and will respond to any messages sent during that time when I return.

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. Attending counselling can be a big step for some; I never undervalue how hard it can be to make that decision. I will go at your pace, so you feel comfortable to share with me.

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 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 have previously worked in charitable environments and have a special interest in bereavement; I believe that loss and the grieving process allows us to learn more about ourselves as individuals, and this area of specialism has enabled me to explore to a deeper level human connection, the complexity of our relationships and the importance of trying to live our lives as authentically as possible.  

I am currently offering online and telephone counselling Tuesday and Fridays. 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.

I also offer telephone sessions, which may 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.