Hello, my name is Chris (he/him), and I am a qualified Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counsellor (MBACP) working with adults in-person, online and by telephone.

I have specialist training in bereavement, suicide bereavement, identity, and working within the neurodiverse & LGBTQ+ communities. I also work with:

• anxieties
• relationships, 
• stress,
• gender & sexuality concerns,
• life changes, 
• decision making,
• addictions. 
• I am an LGBTQ+ affirmative counsellor. 

What does that actually mean?

My work draws from the Humanistic tradition which puts you at the centre with an aim to understand you as a whole person; 

• how you understand the world around you, 
• what might be influencing your thoughts or behaviours,
• how you develop an understanding of situations, others & the self, 
• how you understand choice & freedom, 
• and make meaning. 

We might look back to your past but always with an intention to focus on the here-and-now of your life.  

LGBTQ+ affirmative counselling practice means having a positive view towards LGBTQ+ experiences and relationships with an awareness of negative external influences, and an extra informed study on my own identity and its possible impact on others. 

When to start counselling?

Knowing when to start is an individual choice. Therapy and counselling are best viewed separately to emergency first aid. For example, if you are very recently bereaved, it would be advisable to wait some time – around 6 months is usually suggested – before beginning a therapeutic encounter. This is because therapy can often feel like a bit of a shake-up of ideas, beliefs, and thought processes. Your assessor can usually help you decide if now is the right time to begin. 

How would we start unpacking issues?

My approach is to typically offer a gentle start as we find your therapeutic needs using a person-centred approach. This means allowing you the space to really tell your story whilst offering you a safe, empathic, and genuine therapeutic encounter with unconditional positive regard. This can then be expanded on depending on those needs.  I may draw from other schools of counselling theory such as Transactional Analysis, Gestalt and Existential therapies to aid and support you in the here-and-now. The aim will be to help you come to an awareness that might be currently out of reach. Through a shift in lens and perspective, together we can start to aid you on a journey to find meaning behind what life is like for you and to discover your true potential. You deserve to feel your best self.

How long does this process take?

I work open ended with clients and not everyone comes to therapy with a specific goal. Part of the therapeutic journey might be to discover this, and to eventually work towards an agreed ending. It is not unusual to discover that when we start to unpick a topic of thought, that this opens more subjects of interest. 

You might just find that you come to therapy looking for a destination, only to discover that the journey is much more interesting and meaningful.

If you would like to seek mental health services in Bristol, our team can help. At Bristol Counselling and Psychotherapy, we have a team of experienced counsellors who are ready to offer support for a wide range of mental health issues, welcoming individuals into safe and non-judgemental spaces within which to begin their journey to recovery. For more information or to book an initial consultation, please email hello@bristolcounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk. Alternatively, to speak to us directly, please contact 07751 271 709.