Martin Rigby

I currently have availability for new clients and am accepting referrals. I offer flexible daytime and evening appointments for in-person, online and telephone appointments. My work hours are Monday-Friday 9am-9pm. I do not work on bank holidays or weekends and my holidays for the remainder of this year are scheduled for the following dates:

Wednesday, 27.03.24-Mon 08.04.24

Wednesday, 05.06.24-Mon 17.06.24

Wednesday, 24.07.24-Mon 05.08.24

Wednesday, 18.09.24-Mon 07.10.24

Weds 18.12.24-Mon 06.01.25

Hi my name is Martin and I’m an experienced, BACP-registered person-centred counsellor, trainee supervisor and accredited Breathworks mindfulness teacher. My counselling approach is accessible, confidential and client-focused.

I offer both short-term therapy and longer term counselling to individuals, young people, adults and couples and I can work with a wide range of issues including abuse, addiction, anger management, anxiety, bereavement, bullying, debt, disability, discrimination, domestic violence, loss, men’s health, mental health, relationships, self-esteem, self-harm, stress, trauma e.t.c.

I have been qualified since 2005 and have worked in private practice for the last 9 years. Previous to becoming self-employed I worked for a young people’s counselling service, volunteered for Samaritans and undertook placements in schools, a homeless charity, victim support organisation and Sure Start family centre.

I now see the majority of my face-to-face clients from the quiet, comfortable and confidential surroundings of my home in Lostock Hall (PR5) and accept referrals from Preston and surrounding areas reaching out as far as Wigan. If my work schedule allows I may occasionally be able to accommodate clients in-person from other venues within the Preston area and Wigan but this will normally involve me charging an additional fee for room booking and travel time.

In addition to working face-to-face I am qualified to counsel clients online and over the phone and I am insured to work remotely in the UK and internationally. I provide therapy by video/audio (Zoom, Facetime or WhatsApp), over the phone or by email and I am regularly supervised for all formats of my work. I’m also currently a trainee supervisor, have recently gained my fitness to practice and am now taking on supervisees at a reduced fee to complete my placement hours. My supervision approach is person-centred and I combine this with using the Hawkins and Shohet seven eyed model.

 I understand that acknowledging your issues, reaching out for support and contacting a therapist is a big step and perhaps one of the most important things you may ever do. Rest assured I will be there alongside you to support you at every step of your journey throughout the ups and downs. I am friendly, warm and caring, do not give direct advice or judge you. I provide a safe, supportive and welcoming environment where you are valued and invited to be yourself and explore your personal issues in your own time, in your own way and at your own pace.

I am continually seeking opportunities to develop myself both personally and professionally. I regularly attend CPD events, training days, supervision and peer supervision to ensure that I can incorporate new skills and learning into my client work. For example, I am frequently developing resources that I can use in-person and online with clients. As an accredited mindfulness teacher I have a daily meditation practice and when appropriate I sometimes incorporate teaching meditation skills and relaxation into counselling sessions. Working with couples and people who are on the autism spectrum is also a developing aspect of my practice at the moment and in the future I plan to do further training around working therapeutically with and supervising groups.

From my personal life experience I have acquired extensive knowledge and skills for working with issues of disability and diversity and I specialise in counselling disabled people or clients with a longterm health condition, students, carers and parents with young families. I aim to make my counselling services accessible, available and affordable for people of all abilities, cultures and backgrounds and I will do everything I can to make reasonable adjustments and support anybody with additional needs.  

Whenever I receive a new enquiry for counselling I always aim to respond promptly and, unless I’m on holiday, within 24 hours. I believe in the importance of making counselling accessible and giving clients choice, so I offer a 30 minutes initial appointment.

All of my initial appointments are free of charge, conducted online or by phone and are an opportunity to discuss your needs, find out how counselling can help and decide if you feel comfortable working with me. This is a relaxed and informal appointment during which we will be able to explore what you want from counselling, you can ask me any questions and you will be able to get a sense of me, my approach and how I work.

Following your initial appointment there is no obligation to continue therapy but if you do choose to carry on full sessions normally last one hour and you can then choose if you’d like to see me face-to-face, online or by phone. The time, frequency and duration of appointments is up to you and we’ll discuss this as part of our counselling agreement.

If you decide you would like to have further appointments I will take some personal details from you and we’ll agree an appointment time. I normally take payment in advance and my fee is £35 per hour. You can pay by bank transfer, cash or PayPal. Once I receive advance payment I will send you a receipt, book you in the diary and confirm the session. My cancellation policy for all appointments is 48 hours and I ask you to let me know as soon as possible if you’re unable to attend. If you do not attend your initial appointment I will try to contact you but if I don’t hear from you I will assume you no longer wish to have counselling at this time.

At your first session we’ll do a counselling agreement. I will provide you with a copy of this in your preferred format. This is the terms and conditions for our work together and will cover everything we have discussed verbally.

 currently have availability to take on new supervisees (student and qualified therapists) who are interested in having supervision with me to help me complete my training placement hours. I offer flexible daytime and evening appointments for in-person, online and telephone supervision. My work hours are Monday-Friday 9am-9pm. I do not work on bank holidays or weekends and my holidays for the remainder of this year are scheduled for the following dates:

Saturday 22/02/25 -  Monday 3/03/25

Saturday 12/04/25 - Monday 21/04/25

Saturday 31/05/25 - Monday 09/06/25

Friday     01/08/25 -  Sunday 10/08/25

Friday     05/09/25  -  Sunday 21/09/25

Friday     14/11/25 -   Sunday  23/11/25

Thursday 18/12/25 - Sunday 04/01/26

Hi my name is Martin and I’m an experienced, BACP-registered person-centred counsellor, supervisor and accredited Breathworks mindfulness teacher. My counselling approach is accessible, confidential and client-focused.

I offer both short-term therapy and longer term counselling to individuals, young people, adults and couples from all backgrounds, and I can work with a wide range of issues including abuse, addiction, anger management, anxiety, bereavement, bullying, debt, disability, discrimination, domestic violence, loss, men’s health, mental health, relationships, self-esteem, self-harm, stress, trauma e.t.c.

I have been qualified since 2005 and have worked in private practice for the last 10years. Previous to becoming self-employed I worked for a young people’s counselling service, volunteered for Samaritans and undertook placements in schools, a homeless charity, victim support organisation and Sure Start family centre.

I now see the majority of my face-to-face clients from the quiet, comfortable and confidential surroundings of my home in Lostock Hall (PR5) and accept referrals from Preston and surrounding areas reaching out as far as Wigan. If my work schedule allows I may occasionally be able to accommodate clients in-person from other venues within the Preston area and Wigan but this will normally involve me charging an additional fee for room booking and travel time.

In addition to working face-to-face I am qualified to counsel clients online and over the phone and am insured to work remotely in the UK and internationally. I provide therapy by video/audio (Zoom, Facetime or WhatsApp), over the phone or by email and I am regularly supervised for all formats of my work. I am a qualified supervisor. My supervision approach is person-centred and I combine this with using the Hawkins and Shohet seven eyed model.

I decided to take the next step on my professional journey and train to be a supervisor because with 20 years of practice experience behind me and nearly a decade working in private practice, I feel I have much to offer to counsellors and psychotherapists, who are just at the start of their personal journey, undertaking training and perhaps require a supportive, restorative space to help them navigate the ups and downs of establishing a therapeutic practice, or to more experienced practitioners who may have been qualified for many years but are looking to find a supervisor to help them “think outside the box”, explore new areas of practice and continue their personal growth and development.

If you choose to have supervision with me you will find me warm, approachable, encouraging and non-judgemental. My supervision approach is underpinned by combining my person-centred values with an active use of the seven-eyed process model, originally developed by Peter Hawkins and Robin Shohet.

I am supervisee-centred, prepared to adapt my approach to work with different needs and I work collaboratively and flexibly with supervisees at different stages of their career. I believe that a healthy and supportive relationship between therapist and supervisor is essential for safe, aware and creative client work.

I aim to provide a supportive supervisory relationship where you can explore your client work, your feelings in relation to your clients and any other concerns, in an atmosphere that is non-judgemental, purposeful and respectful. As your supervisor what you can expect is:

• Support in developing insight and competence with your client work

• Space and encouragement to develop your internal supervisor

• A holding environment through all stages of client relationships

• Invitation to describe and unfold your evolving theoretical model

• Opportunities to explore your work with differing client needs

• Space to be yourself and express yourself creatively in your client work

I offer an initial meeting for trainee or qualified therapists who feel they may be interested in having supervision with me, now or in the future, and would like to find out more.

Initial supervision meetings are free of charge, last 30 minutes and give prospective supervisees the opportunity to discuss their needs, find out about my supervision approach, how I work and decide if they feel comfortable working with me. This really is a relaxed, get-to-know each other session and there is no obligation to continue. It is your opportunity to see if we are a good fit and I’m always happy to answer any questions about what I offer and what you can expect from me as your supervisor.

I believe choosing your supervisor is one of the most important decisions you will make as a therapist and for that reason I encourage you to take the time to consider and reflect on if I am the right supervisor for you and your practice. If your answer is yes we will agree when you would like to start working with me and I will then send you my supervision agreement. I have different supervision agreements depending on whether you are a trainee or qualified therapist and I will make this available to you in your preferred format (print, electronic or audio).

The supervision agreement contains the terms and conditions for our work together, the boundaries of our supervisory relationship and both our individual responsibilities as supervisor and supervisee. I ask supervisees to complete and return this agreement to me before booking their first session.

Once supervisees have agreed to work with me I ask them to make advance payment to confirm their first session. My supervision fees are as follows:

Student therapists (1.5 hours) -£45

Qualified therapists (1 hour) - £50

Qualified therapists (1.5 hours) - £60

I normally take payment in advance and accept cash, bank transfer or PayPal.