Erica Ruse-Whalley

I currently have availability during the day when I offer reduced rates for adults. Sessions are also available early morning, late afternoon and early evening. Some weekend sessions and evening sessions may also be possible. 

 Most of us have times when we find things difficult, maybe feeling anxious, sad, depressed, stressed, or confused, and it can be helpful to have the support of a therapist to guide you through this.

Working together, we can explore and begin to understand  more of what is happening, untangle emotions and confusions, find new perspectives, new strategies and move towards a more positive path.

 I have special training and experience of working with anxiety,  depression, grief and loss, (including pet bereavement) stress, relationship difficulties with partners and families, divorce and blended families. Also for dealing with life events and life changes such as ends of relationships, divorce and retirement.

I am an experienced a school counsellor with children of 4 years upwards and teenagers I also work with separation anxiety, social and performance anxiety, sleep difficulties, night terrors and nightmares, self confidence, bullying, school refusal and the beginnings of self-harm such as hair pulling

I am a Barnado's approved adoption Counsellor, offering counselling to adopted children and adults, adoptive parents and natural parents. This training also gives me particular experience in working with "looked after children " foster parents and all attachment difficulties 

I offer the choice of using many additional creative techniques such as a specialist Jungian-Kalffian sandplay work for all ages, and  play therapy  this is a soothing, absorbing and highly effective way of working in all difficulties, especially on anxiety and attachment, as it works at an unconscious level. I am a member of the Association of Sand Therapists and the Creative Counsellors Association.

I can offer practical and detailed advice on changing behaviour and emotional difficulties to help parents, as I am trained in the Webster Stratton Trouble-shooting for Parents programme.

I work with adults, parents, children from 4 years, and teenagers, on zoom, face to face or on the phone.

I am an Integrative counsellor which means that I am trained in a number of therapies, which can be integrated or chosen to best suit you.

I offer the choice of several creative techniques and specialist play techniques for all ages, Jungian Kalffian Sandplay  and the Emotional freedom technique or tapping.

I like to offer the first session free, so that you have an opportunity to see how we might work together. In your first session, my main aim is to offer you  a warm welcome and a gentle opportunity to get to know each other. My aim is that you can feel as comfortable as possible and hopefully to feel reassured that we would work well together. The first session can be seen as a stand alone session, so if you don’t feel happy to continue for any reason, you can leave it there. 

    We could discuss what is concerning you at the moment, any other details or background that might be related, and how we might be able to work on these. We could then arrange a regular time for us to work together if you are happy to.