Rachel Hughes

I offer daytime, evening and weekend appointments. Please contact me to discuss my availability.

Hello and welcome to my page, I am Rachel a psychologist (BSc; MSc) and psychotherapeutic counsellor (DPC; MBACP) with over 22 years of experience of supporting children, adolescents and adults with mental health and emotional wellbeing needs.  I have worked within schools, Local Authorities and CAMHS.

I am an integrative therapist and my practice is rooted in person centred humanistic psychology; however I draw significantly upon Transactional Analysis, Neuroscience and Attachment Theory.  I tailor my therapeutic approach to accommodate the needs of each individual client.

Psychoeducation is an integral part of my therapy and where appropriate, I also draw upon cognitive behavioural therapy, somatic bodywork, guided imagery and offer a range of creative approaches.

I recognise the value of both talk and creative intervention across the age range and like to invite both child and adult clients to use creative methods to facilitate their emotional expression. This can include the use of sandtray; art; craft; metaphor/story work; and clay-field therapy. 

With children my sessions will always involve the use of play therapy and creative media.  I view play as the natural means through which children express, communicate and make sense of big, difficult and confusing feelings. When engaging in play and creative activity children are more likely to feel at ease; with the containment and co-regulation provided by the therapeutic relationship, they are able to revisit painful memories and emotions without becoming overwhelmed.

Exploring thoughts and feelings within the safety of a therapeutic relationship can help a child/adult turn difficult even unbearable feelings into something they can manage, understand and tolerate. I support all clients to make sense of their life experiences and develop new empowering stories which help them move forwards with resilience.

I am passionate about supporting people to become their true, authentic selves. 

Through a safe and compassionate therapeutic relationship, I aim to help people become autonomous in their here-and-now thinking; regulate their emotional states; develop new skills; and make sense of their past and present life experiences. 

Sometimes people on their life journeys can become disconnected from their authentic feelings, needs and aspirations. I aim to help people get to know themselves deeply, and support them to clarify their values and life goals, and move towards their desired future. 

I can support people who have experienced trauma to develop a new path beyond the trauma. Within the safety of the therapeutic relationship, a less fragmented and more coherent narrative can emerge, which offers autonomy, strength and resilience. I seek to empower clients to know that their trauma experience does not need to define, limit or control them. In trauma work, I work gently and sensitively at the client's self-directed pace. I invite somatic body work, mindfulness, sandtray and creative media as appropriate. 

In dyadic and family work I seek to strengthen interpersonal relationships by developing shared understanding through open and engaged communication. I am guided in this work by the principles informing Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Dan Hughes' and Kim Golding's work on Therapeutic Parenting and the 'PACE' approach. The PACE approach seeks to strengthen connection through Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy.

Prior to the first session I am happy to offer a free 20 minute introductory meet-up or telephone consultation.

Child / Adolescent Therapy: 

If referring your child, the first session will be a parent consultation and this can take place either face to face, over the phone or via Zoom. This session will last up to 1 hour 15 minutes.  All subsequent sessions will last for 50 minutes.

The second session will be face to face and at this session we will establish a business and therapeutic contract; parents are asked to be present for part of this session. Subsequent sessions are offered to the child individually. Where appropriate, and with the child's consent, dyadic sessions can be offered.

Adult Therapy:

The first session involves some preliminary assessment and business / therapeutic contracting. The first and all subsequent sessions last for 50 minutes.