Susan Cochrane

I have availability on Monday evenings, Wednesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons.

As an integrative counsellor, my work is rooted in both the person-centred and psychodynamic approaches, allowing me to tailor the therapeutic process to meet the unique needs of each individual. This integrative framework creates a compassionate and insightful space for exploration, growth, and healing.

Person-Centred Approach

At the heart of my practice is a person-centred philosophy. I believe in the value of every individual and their capacity for self-healing and growth. My role is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, and empathetic environment where you can feel seen and heard. Together, we build a relationship of trust, which serves as the foundation for your personal exploration and empowers you to make effective change at a pace that suits you.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Complementing this is a psychodynamic approach, which focuses on uncovering the unconscious patterns and past experiences that may influence your present thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. By gently exploring these deeper layers, we can work towards greater self-awareness and understanding, helping you address unresolved conflicts and develop new ways of relating to yourself and others.

Tailored to You

Every individual is unique, and so is their journey. I integrate these approaches to meet you where you are, respecting your pace and priorities. Whether it’s navigating life’s challenges, addressing past trauma, or seeking personal growth, my aim is to support you in gaining insight, finding balance, and moving forward with greater clarity and resilience.

Your Safe Space

I provide a confidential and compassionate space where you can express yourself openly and without fear of judgment. Together, we embark on a collaborative journey to explore your inner world, empower your choices, and foster meaningful change.

My aim as a counsellor is to offer a safe, non-judgmental environment that will enable you to explore any problems you may have at present. I work from home and have a designated summerhouse in the garden to provide a quiet and confidential space.

I’m a qualified counsellor and registered with the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). I’m fully insured and in monthly supervision to support my work and safeguard both myself and my clients. I also hold a current DBS (disclosure barring service). I qualified as a counsellor after having made the decision to change careers. Previously I was a primary school teacher and SENCo (special educational needs co-ordinator).

I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds and with different life experiences using knowledge and skills gained through my counsellor training, my years as a teacher and SENCo and my life experience as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, friend and colleague. I, therefore, draw on a range of life experiences as well as training to help me empathise with my clients and to support them on their counselling journey.

I believe we all have the ability to grow, affect change and help ourselves gain a more meaningful life and that counsellors can support their clients to do this. On a counselling journey people often discover that they develop greater self- awareness and confidence to find new ways to approach life’s challenges.

We will discuss the issues you bring to counselling and decide together what you’d like to focus on. I will support you to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Counselling is supportive but can at times be challenging so we will work at a pace that is right for you.

I love to learn and am always looking for ways to better support my clients. I’m interested in many aspects of therapy and am committed to continuing my professional and personal development through ongoing training and lifelong learning.

Contacting a counsellor for the first time can feel daunting so it is important to feel comfortable with your counsellor. Therefore, once you've sent the initial email we will arrange a free online 'no-obligation' consultation. This assessment session is usually 30 minutes and is therefore different to a usual counselling session. We will talk about what you want to achieve and what counselling can offer. 

If you want to go ahead we will arrange a first session where you can share important information and  I can let you know how the sessions work moving forward.