Counselling & Psychotherapeutic Support based in Birmingham & Solihull
About me
Hello, I’m Elise, a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
You, and the issues you face, are distinct and unique, therefore I use a pluralistic approach in my work, meaning that I integrate a vast array of models and am constantly expanding my approach in order to best meet your needs.
Therapy with me is collaborative, non-judgemental, and underpinned by the belief that human beings are resilient, creative and capable of overcoming and surviving in profound ways. There is no catch all formula, ultimately, the work we will do together is about allowing you to make sense of your story, understand yourself and your needs more deeply, and to live with greater intentionality and flourishing as a result.
You will find more about me and the work I do on this website, but please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions for me.
It may be that you are navigating a loss or a life change, perhaps you are hoping to understand yourself better or to break out of a cycle, or maybe things have just felt a little stuck for a while. Seeking support can be daunting, but my hope is that in working together we will allow you to space to process, navigate or overcome whatever it is you are facing.
I am committed to providing you with a safe space and working in a way that is grounded in proven approaches and guided by genuine care. I would be happy to hear from you whatever it is that brings you to therapy.
Areas of Interest
Grief and Loss
Loss comes in many different forms, and sometimes the journey through processing what we’ve lost can feel disorientating or overwhelming. When what we are processing feels stuck or too much, it can be helpful to have someone to talk it through with, to grieve and make sense of it all. Working with death, grief and loss are areas of particular interest for me. It may be that you are processing a life-limiting illness for yourself or someone close to you, or that you are working through a bereavement or navigating a different kind of loss or life change, whatever it is, I hope to be able to help you in moving through this process.
Trauma
Trauma can be understood as any event or life experience which overwhelms our innate coping mechanisms, leaving us feeling unsafe in the world. I am experienced and interested in helping people to re-connect with a sense of safety after traumatic experiences, making space to process what has happened and learning tools to find new ways of coping and moving forward.
Level 6 Qualified Counsellor (BACP Accredited Counselling degree from Middlesex University)
Registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Training in Bereavement Care, Compassion Focused Therapy and Child & Adult Safeguarding
Currently completing a certificate in Somatic Trauma Theory
Former Counsellor with REMA Counselling (London)
Experienced in delivering bereavement and end-of-life counselling
I am fully insured, registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and hold an enhanced DBS
Qualifications & Experience
I provide one-to-one therapeutic support, meeting for sessions both online and in-person.
I offer both time-limited and open ended therapy, depending on your needs and preferences.
You can find out more about the therapeutic approaches I use in my work below, if you are interested in a certain therapy model or approach, you are welcome to name this when you reach out to discuss working together.
Services
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Pluralistic - the way I work expands regularly as I continue integrating many models of therapy into my approach. It is also client-led, meaning that your needs and interests are important, so you are welcome to name these as we decide how we’d like to work together.
Some of the core aspects of my approach include:
Psychodynamic - making space for unconscious patterns and motivations, and seeking to understand the relationship between your past and present experience
Person Centred - upholding the belief that you are the expert on yourself, along with your unique goals, needs and priorities for therapy
Relational - Much of the evidence about therapy suggests that it functions most effectively when there is a genuine and trusting relationship between client and therapist, I prioritise fostering an honest and authentic relationship with each person I meet with for therapy
Embodied - I pay close attention to the vast array of factors that impact wellbeing, from sleep to phone-use, to your work and social life. We will work with awareness of how your nervous system is responding to stress in your life, and ways to manage such responses.
Compassion Focused - Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a powerful tool for moving into a relationship with ourselves that is trusting and compassionate, which can be highly beneficial for people who suffer with internal criticism or shame
Family Systems - I integrate internal family systems (IFS) theory into some of my therapeutic work. This process of better understanding our own complex inner lives can open up greater clarity and compassion for ourselves, especially in regards to patterns or cycles we feel stuck in
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Sessions are £55 and last for 50 minutes
Therapy is a valuable personal investment, the financial commitment of which will impact each person differently. If cost is something that is preventing you from seeking support, please reach out anyway, and we can discuss possible options for you.
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For in person sessions, I work primarily from my counselling room in Knowle (B93 0HT) located just off the high street. This is a half an hour walk from Dorridge Station and can also be easily accessed by car and bus.
I also offer sessions from the Solihull Wellbeing Clinic in Hall Green (B28 0EL)
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I offer a few spaces for online sessions. Working online can be a practically efficient way of accessing counselling, allowing you to fit it into your life from the comfort of your own space.
Online sessions take place over Google Meet.
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If you are unsure what kind of support you are looking for, or whether counselling feels like the right thing for now, you are always welcome to get in touch and we can arrange a short call to better understand your situation and needs.
It may be helpful to take a look at the process outline to better understand how therapy works.
The Therapy Process
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Initial Consultation
Once you have made contact, I will email you to arrange a consultation over the phone or online
This is an opportunity for us to meet and chat through your expectations for therapy, as well as for you to ask any questions you may have
Following this, we can decide whether we would like to begin meeting for sessions together
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Sessions
Our first session will be a formulation session, which we will spend exploring your history, current concerns and goals for therapy. I will also provide you with a therapy contract, which establishes the practicalities and boundaries around our work together
Following this initial session, we can begin our work and will arrange a recurring time and day to meet on a regular basis
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Checking In
We will check in on our work together during sessions, this is a chance to reflect on how you feel your therapy is going and to decide if any changes need to be made
If we have agreed a set amount of sessions, we will aim to check in around the half-way mark. If our work is open ended, we will aim to occasionally discuss how you are finding the process.
You are also invited to initiate these conversations whenever you would like
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Ending
Endings are different for each person, but they are never insignificant. We may agree that the work you came to do feels complete, you may feel ready to move on to a different type of support, or that it’s time to pause what you are processing for a while. There’s no wrong way to end, but it can certainly feel strange or conflicting in the midst of it
You are in charge of when our work comes to an end, but I do encourage that you bring it to a session when you feel ready so that we can have a session or two to work towards our ending together
Consultation
Get in touch and we can arrange a brief call to meet and chat about the kind of support you’re looking for. This is a good chance for us to get to know each other and to decide if we could work well together.
