Aaron Swainston

I am currently taking on new clients.

My current availability is Tuesday Mornings 9-12AM (In Person or Online), Tuesday evenings 6-7PM (Online only), Wednesday evening 6-8PM (Online only), Friday 4-6PM (Online Only) and Saturday 9-11AM(In person or online) and 5-7PM Sunday (Online) *Dependent on availability*.

I always endeavor to be flexible for my clients so don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any uncertainties about session time and frequency etc.

Hello, I'm Aaron, a fully qualified humanistic counsellor and registered member of the BACP. Choosing to embark on a therapeutic journey with me I hope that my passion, open mindedness and dedication to you comes through in my work. I find that my sensitive but committed style of therapy is helpful for clients who are looking to explore the root of their issues and heal at a deep level, creating meaningful, lasting change.

The modern world can feel overwhelming and confusing. For many of us it can be hard to make sense of it all, to know what to do, and we can struggle to feel understood. There is often pressure to think, feel or act a certain way and suppress our own wants and needs. Consequently, we can often feel disconnected and detached from our authentic self, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression and the need to escape.

Fostering an environment rooted in deep trust and without judgement, we can work together to sensitively explore the layers of your hurt, making our way through the issues which are most meaningful to you.

I relish working with the unknown, the hard to fathom and the confusion which underly many of our hardships. With an existential slant to my work, I welcome often daunting aspects of our existence such as; 'Where is the meaning in my life?', 'How do I find purpose?', 'How do I connect with my true self, and what does it mean to live authentically?'

My hope is that I can be alongside you to understand, untangle and make sense of your suffering in order to bring about change.

I would describe my style of practice as open minded, warm and fundamentally optimistic. You are capable of healing at a deep level and you have the potential not only to alleviate suffering but to go beyond this and flourish into the best version of yourself.

My method of working brings together approaches from the Humanistic school (Person centred, Emotion Focused, Gestalt and existential approaches to name a few). For those who are interested in understanding more about this please don't hesitate to get in touch and ask about how this might be useful for your needs.

 My approach means that I will not be directing you or offering you strategies or techniques but rather supporting you to utilise your own inner resources and capacity to create lasting and meaningful change. This can be a deeply fulfilling and empowering experience as you develop trust within yourself and your ability to heal beyond the confines of the counselling session and our time working together. The intention here is not to offer a 'quick fix' approach but rather touch on something much much more meaningful in order to have long term therapeutic impact.

Whilst I do not choose to limit myself to any one particular client group I have found that my style of practice has been particularly successful working with the following issues: Anxiety, Low Mood, Self confidence and Self esteem issues, Relationship issues, Navigating difficult life choices, addiction and existential confusion to name a few. That being said, my way of working relationally means I am open to working with most presenting issues and I personally find it most fulfilling to welcome an array of needs and types of people regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality etc.

The cost of my sessions are £45.00 for online sessions and £57.00  for face to face sessions (to cover cost of room booking). I also offer a limited number of home visits so you can access face to face therapeutic support from the comfort of your own home *distance permitting* These are priced at £60.00 (to cover an approximate cost for fuel).

I offer an initial free of charge 20 minute introductory video call which you can choose to utilise if you wish to meet and discuss your presenting issues and get a feel for how I may be able to help before committing to your first session. This call will not take the format of a typical counselling session but instead me more of a conversation around what you wish to gain out of therapy. We can discuss my method of working and you can ask me any questions you like about how we may work through your issues together. Ultimately I want you to succeed, therefore this initial consultation offers a brilliant opportunity to explore if I would be a good match for you.

It is quite common for people to have built up some tension with regards to talking about the things which they choose to bring to therapy. Booking the first session is a big step and clients often report a cathartic release after the very first session. Some change can happen quickly but for others change may take some time. For this reason I do not limit my sessions but work for as long as is useful to you.

I offer face to face sessions in a clean, relaxing and comfortable therapy suite in Chorlton, Manchester.

My online sessions take place via zoom. It is always ensured that sessions take place in a private setting without interruptions to ensure your privacy and confidentiality. When you book with me you will be sent a link to join the mutually agreed scheduled session. This is easy and seamless.

If you would like to access face to face counselling from the comfort of your own home then a home visit appointment could be a great opportunity. Please get in touch regarding home visits prior to booking so that I am able to check my availability and travel time. Please note, it must be ensured that you are able to provide a safe and confidential environment for the session to take place.