Jane Nicholls

I am generally available on Wednesdays and Thursdays, during the day and in the evening.

I am an experienced BACP accredited counsellor and EMDR practitioner and together we can work with whatever you choose to bring whether that's on-line, on the phone or face-to-face. 

I love having the opportunity to listen carefully and respond with empathy in a way that will help you. My intuition, my ability to listen and my willingness to provide you with a warm accepting presence, means that I can help you to work through issues that concern you, be they personal, social, work-related or relationship based; trauma, anxiety, bereavement, depression, bullying, self-esteem. I believe passionately that everyone has the resource within them to find a way forward.

I will provide you with a professional, confidential, empathic, and non-judgemental environment. I work as a humanistic, existential counsellor with individual adult clients of all ages and sometimes I offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapy if I think it will help. This means that I am guided by what you choose to bring to the counselling sessions.

I have a degree in counselling from the Metanoia Institute, London and I am also qualified as a coach to Executive Level 7 with the Institute of Leadership and Management.  I am a trained EMDR therapist.  I initially trained as a pharmacist to postgraduate level and have worked for many years in public service with patients and staff, innovating, developing and managing complex situations.

I have been practising as a counsellor since 2003 and I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I work within the values, principles and personal qualities demanded by BACP’s ethical framework. 

Have a look at my website for more information (https://www.janenicholls.co.uk). 

I specialise in trauma, bereavement and loss; working with people who have experienced trauma that affects daily living.  In addition I enjoy working with young adults experiencing anxiety and I have worked with people with phobias, particularly agoraphobia. 

Where I think it might help you I am able to offer Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.  This is a way of processing memories that may be disturbing you or affecting your everyday life; particularly those related to a single traumatic event or perhaps things that have happened in the past and that have been difficult to come to terms with.  If it seems as though it might be helpful I combine it with a more standard approach; talking through your experiences and paying close attention to what you are bringing to therapy.

I reserve one appointment for individuals who cannot afford the full fee so it is worth asking about the availability of concessions.

I work in a comfortable and private room on the ground floor near the centre of Reading.  There is plenty of free parking outside. I am 25 minutes walk from the train station and I am very close to the bus routes 1, 1a, 2 and 26.  I am also experienced in working with people remotely (on-line or on the telephone).

I offer sessions of one hour up to once a week

When you contact me I will ask you a little bit about what you are seeking. I am able offer you a short introductory session free of charge so that you can see how we might work together, if that would be helpful.

During our first meeting I will ask you to tell me about what has brought you to see me and we will decide how often we will meet and we will draw up a rough plan for our work together.  It is important to me that you are in the driving seat and I am happy to operate on a week by week basis rather than asking you to commit to meeting me for a set period of time.  I usually see people not more than once a week.

I will give you written information about me and my service and I will ask you to complete a form so that I have your essential details. This also lays out the boundaries of our agreement and will act as a contract for our work together.