Ali Press

Amazing things can unfold when we truly feel seen, heard and accepted for who we are.

The heart of my approach to counselling is rooted in a deep commitment to building genuine, meaningful relationships that celebrate your individual uniqueness and difference.

My goal is to create a safe haven from which we can explore what troubles you in ways that celebrate who you are. From this secure base, together we can discover new pathways towards healing, growth and peace.

Hi! I’m Ali, a warm, empathic, neurodivergent counsellor passionate about supporting people who feel in some way different, and not like the others. 

Affirming counselling for people who are different, and not like the others

Feeling different can stir up a range of complex and sometimes conflicting emotions, shaped by our unique characteristics and circumstances. While there are many reasons we may feel this way, I believe that the right support can help us discover new confidence, fulfilment, and empowerment.

• You may find yourself feeling isolated, sensing a disconnect between yourself and those around you, which can make it difficult to find a sense of belonging. Loneliness can follow, even in the company of others, as though no one truly understands your experience.
• Perhaps you're questioning your own value, skills, or identity, especially if you don’t align with societal norms. This self-doubt can lead to feelings of insecurity, where heightened awareness of your differences makes you feel vulnerable or inadequate.
• Confusion and overwhelm might have become familiar as you struggle to understand why you feel different and how to reconcile your uniqueness with societal expectations.
• You might also experience frustration, anger, or irritation from being misunderstood. Sadness and depression might emerge, stemming from feeling like an outsider.
• Anxiety may set in as you worry about being judged, rejected, or not being accepted by others.
  

If this sounds like you, know that change is always possible.

Our sessions are a safe place to explore what's happening for you, whether that's themes from your past that trouble you, or things that are happening in your life right now.

I blend techniques from both counselling and coaching, as appropriate for each, which provides me with an authentic and ethical way to work safely at emotional depth and be able to sit with the process when needed, and inject forward momentum, opening our horizons to the future.

My clients often find the freedom of movement between forward motion and exploration of the past energising and refreshing. 

Whilst we may well be looking at the past through a lens of what was missing and what went wrong, we will also be looking to the future, and working out the extent to which solutions already exist in the present. And where they don't, we can spend some time looking at how to find them.

Essentially, my work incorporates past, present and future, and my belief that we all have the ability, given the right support and circumstances, to change. Having an eye on the future means we can build better lives in real time, rather than having to excavate ourselves and/or the past in order to find the 'magic key' that's going to unlock everything for us.

If this sounds like what you're looking for, get in touch for a confidential, judgement- and shame-free chat about what you're looking for from counselling.

What can you bring to counselling?

Anything you want. Our work together - where we go, what we bring in - will be led by you, and what you feel will be most helpful. And we will only go where you lead, when you feel ready to - I am not going to impose any kind of agenda, and push you into talking about things you don't want to talk about, or don't feel ready to open up about.

Our work together will start with looking at themes or areas in your life that trouble you, and any areas you would specifically like to focus on. And that might change over time, or even from week to week, and that's totally OK.

Our first step towards working together is a free, 15-30 mins phone or video call, which allows you to share a bit of what brings you to counselling and what you're looking for, and to get a sense of me and what it might be like working together.

We will then arrange our first session, during which we will get to know one another a bit better, and go into more depth about what's happening for you.

I will ask open questions like what brings you to therapy and why now, as well as provide you with information about how I work and what I can offer you. My aim is for both of us to feel like we have enough information to make a decision about working together.

I will always be honest about whether I feel I can help you, and will only agree to working with you if I feel I can be of genuine help. You are also free to choose whether or not you want to work with me, and welcome to say so if you don't feel like I'm the right fit for you.