Elizabeth Downing

I work on Zoom on Mondays-Fridays. My last appointment of the day is at 5.30pm and appointments are up to one hour.

Are you a worrier or a sensitive person who thinks and feels things deeply? Do you have a need to prepare, reflect, process, and understand the meaning of everything? Are you tired of people saying that you over-react to things or that you over-think things? 

Life as a sensitive, empathic person can be absolutely exhausting. You may be feeling rundown because you are always busy looking after other people’s needs, or be heading towards burnout because you are conscientious, notice details, and feel that what you’ve done is never good enough.

You might well feel nervous about seeking therapy because in daily life you often worry about things that other people don’t seem to be bothered by. You’d love to take things more in your stride like they do, but you just can’t. As a sensitive person myself, I understand, and I know what it’s like to struggle. I am warm, caring and compassionate, and I want to hear about life as it really is for you. In our time together, you’ll find a welcoming outlet for your need to reflect and process, without feeling that it’s somehow wrong,  “too much” or that you’re taking too much space.

I have a thoughtful and gentle style, am trauma-informed, and aim for you to leave each session feeling seen and heard. Exploring your concerns in the context of an understanding and supportive relationship can help you to understand your sensitivity and anxiety and develop new strategies and approaches to life. You can work towards feeling less overwhelmed and more fulfilled. 

I have 15 years post-qualification experience as a counsellor, 9 of which have been in private practice. After my initial counselling qualification I went on to gain a MSc in Psychotherapy.  I have additional qualifications  in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)  and mindfulness and compassion, all of which I’ve found can be helpful for sensitive people.

If you’re tired of feeling that every day is like wading through treacle, please contact me to find out more.

I work with people who are over 21 and who are in the UK.

I offer regular weekly or fortnightly appointments. Subject to availability I also cater for people who need more flexibility and prefer to arrange their appointments on an ad hoc basis.

I offer a free initial discussion of up to 20 minutes. During this time I ask you to give me a brief description of what you'd like to work on and we can see whether I offer what you are looking for. We begin to get an idea of whether we'd be a good fit for working together, and I encourage you to ask me any questions you may have. I  am then very happy to answer any further questions after that by email. You're welcome to take as long as you need to decide whether you'd like to make a full appointment.

If you decide you'd like to go ahead with counselling, I will send you some information and some paperwork which I ask you to email back to me. I include some information about how to use Zoom. I can walk you through the practicalities of using Zoom if it is new to you. At the first session we will go through everything in more detail. 

Making the first contact with a counsellor can be a big step, and people often feel nervous about the first session. I aim to be as approachable as possible and to ease you through the process as much as I can.