A warm welcome to my website – hopefully your first step in moving forward in your life.
If you’re looking for counselling and psychotherapy within easy access of your home or work in either Ashurst Wood, West Sussex, or via Zoom, then you’re in the right place.
Life brings many challenges, and it is understandable that at times we might look for support in facing them. As a therapist my role is to provide space and guidance to help you on your journey of self-discovery; to enable you to examine your life and make new, meaningful choices within it.
There are many reasons why someone is drawn to counselling or psychotherapy. You may be trying to resolve a specific issue you’re struggling with, or need help in overcoming a distressing life event. On a more profound level, you may be asking, “Why do I behave in a certain way and how can I change it?”, “Who am I really?”, “How did I become this person and who do I wish to become?”
What issues can counselling help with?
As an experienced, UKCP-registered psychotherapist and counsellor, my work is dedicated to helping people facing a range of difficulties, including:
- Trauma (whether stemming from Events or relationships)
- Stress & anxiety
- Low self-worth
- Panic attacks
- Relationship issues
- Grief & loss
- Sexual abuse
- Depression
- Addiction
What you can expect from your time with me
From personal experience and from working with many clients from different backgrounds and over many years, I’ve found that talking therapy really helps.
Sometimes it’s not possible to talk to your family or close friends about the things that trouble you. You may feel that no-one has asked you the right questions or you haven’t been truly listened to.
I’ve always liked the following quotation from the 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, Rumi.
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
- Rumi
I believe that therapy is a collaborative process
At your core, you know what’s best for you. However, your inner-wisdom may have been obscured or constrained by your experiences - either as a child or young adult, or during the course of your life. Together we explore, in a non-judgemental way, with openness and curiosity, what these restrictions or self-limiting beliefs may be. Many of the beliefs that we hold have been swallowed unconsciously and limit us more than perhaps we realise. Once you understand how they operate, it enables more freedom of choice, allowing you to live your life more fully, transforming constraints and limitations into possibilities.
Therapy is about creating space for you to reflect and heal yourself. You lead the process. I travel with you, alongside you, using a variety of techniques to support and guide you on your journey.
Brainspotting offers another way through
One of the techniques I find particularly helpful is Brainspotting, discovered by David Grand and approved by the British Psychological Society. Brainspotting harnesses the body’s natural ability to scan itself and accurately locate where our traumas are held in order to release them - both physically and emotionally. It does this by bridging the connection between mind and body and accessing our emotional brain. This cutting-edge therapy is truly very powerful and seems to help those who are unable to move beyond their trauma or pain.
To find out more about Brainspotting, as well as my general approach to therapy, click here.
“Thank you so much for your amazing support, Dennise. I am so grateful to have been able to share this journey with you. You have given me a safe place to explore so many issues that I needed to look at – and you did this with patience, wisdom and humour, and without making me feel judged. You are such a gifted counsellor and therapist.”
RA
“I can truly say that Brainspotting has changed my life. Dennise is such an intuitive therapist and in her hands, I was able to resolve many past traumas that I desperately wanted to rid myself of. It is so lovely not to be carrying all that old baggage around anymore."
GG
“The Brainspotting session had a very profound effect on me. It has made a real, positive difference. Amazing magic – fabulous. Thank you so much Dennise.”
SY
What happens first?
Our initial session consists of an assessment*. This is an invaluable opportunity for us both. For me to get a sense of where you are and where you want to be, and for you to see whether you would be comfortable working together. We then decide together what will suit you in terms of when and how often you want to see me. I can work open-ended or to a fixed number of sessions.
The therapy hour is your space, and we proceed at a pace which is comfortable for you. But the healing stems from you exploring your experiences, and your thoughts and feelings that have resulted from those experiences.
So, exploring your feelings is your best way forward, and I may use different approaches to help you explore and gain insight in safety and in confidence.
* If you are referred to me for Brainspotting, we may simply go straight into the sessions without this initial assessment.
Your next step . . .
There is an African saying that the first step – frequently the hardest – is half the journey. You’ve already chosen to look into counselling, so you’ve begun your journey.
Fundamentally, it's the attuned relationship with your therapist which heals. Or perhaps the chance to experience a new, more trusting relationship with someone who is trained to listen, who will listen without judgement. It might be the first time you feel that you’ve been heard, properly listened to and understood. So, it’s important that you find a therapist you feel comfortable working with and with whom you can build a relationship of trust.
Have a look at the rest of my site to learn more about where your journey might take you. In particular, you might like to read about my training, qualifications and experience and learn more about my approach to counselling and psychotherapy, including Brainspotting, here.
Workshop: Balancing the Inner-Critic with Self-Compassion
- Do you have plenty of compassion for others, but little for yourself?
- Do you sometimes feel under attack from your inner-critic?
- Do you sometimes worry that you’re not good enough?
This experiential half-day workshop uses visualisations, archetypes and more to creatively explore how to heal the suffering we inflict upon ourselves with our harsh self-criticism. We look at how self-compassion builds emotional resilience and offers us support in difficult situations.
Details of my next workshop will be posted here. Please note: the hours can be counted as CPD.
A choice of locations
I currently offer counselling and psychotherapy in:
- Ashurst Wood, West Sussex (midway between East Grinstead and Forest Row)
- Online via Zoom
My counselling practice in Ashurst Wood is within easy reach of Forest Row, East Grinstead, Hartfield, Lingfield and Crawley Down and is accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Fees & availability
Ashurst Wood
£75 per 50-minute session
Online via Zoom
£75 per 50-minute session
Concessions are available for students and those on low-income.
Payment
Payment can be made by cash or bank transfer.
Cancellations policy
I request that any cancellations be made 48 hours prior to your appointment, otherwise you will be charged for the missed session.
Availability
Ashurst Wood: Mondays to Fridays 9.30 am to 6.00 pm
Zoom: Mondays to Fridays 10.00 am to 6.00 pm
Get in touch
If you're uncertain whether psychotherapy or counselling is right for you, you are most welcome to call me on 07765 542346 or Email me. Hopefully, I can answer any questions or address any concerns which you may have.
If I’m unable to take your call, please leave a message and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
I look forward to hearing from you. I hope that together we can help you address the issues that are troubling you, and you can find real and lasting contentment in your life.