Juliet Birkbeck

I work with clients on a wide range of issues including loss, self-esteem, anxiey and isolation. Clients may also have experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse in childhood and are looking to address the impact this has on their lives. Others grew up in homes where someone else was dealing with chronic illness, mental illness or addiction which has greatly affected their outlook on life and the way they relate to others. As a counsellor with the LGBT foundation in Manchester and in my independent practice, I do a lot of work with clients who are addressing issues to do with sexuality and gender identity. I also have an interest in working with people who are exploring the intersection of faith/community and identity and with people who are addressing spiritual abuse or abuse within a faith community/setting.

I offer open ended therapy in weekly 50 minute sessions. Our work is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that we have a shared understanding of the focus of the work and what it is that we are working toward.

Confidentiality is an essential part of the work and something that is discussed in depth during the first session and revisited periodically during the work.

I do not provide emergency support between sessions but encourage clients to make use of services like Samaritans.

Ideally I have a short phone call with prospective clients after they first contact me. If we decide to continue then a first appointment is arranged usually within one to two weeks. This will be a phone or a video appointment. During this session we will explore what it is the client wants to work on, what their existing support network is like, what they can expect from me and if relevant, what their previous experiences of counselling have been like. If we both feel that entering into a therapeutic relationship will benefit the client, then we will make a second appointment, normally for the following week. If we do not continue working together this first session is not charged for.