Nicola Hambley

My current availability is always shown on my Website, but I always suggest contacting me as availability can vary.

I work in my private practice:
Tuesdays late morning/early afternoon & evening
Wednesdays late morning/early afternoon & evening
Fridays afternoon and early evening
Saturdays late morning/early afternoon

I am a fully trained Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor BA (Hons), which means I am trained in a variety of approaches to be adapted depending on the client's needs.

I believe that experiences past and present can impact on your well-being and current relationships. My aim is to provide a confidential, empathetic, warm, respectful and non-judgmental space in which we can build a therapeutic relationship of trust, respect and equality to explore these experiences and how they have impacted on you.

Professional Experience

I am currently working at Relate and running my own private practice in Surbiton seeing adult individuals and couples.

I have previous experience working for an affordable counselling service and also for a community carers support service offering counselling to those caring or grieving loved ones.

In these positions, I saw clients with a range of needs such as: anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, bereavement,  low self-esteem, feeling stuck and relationship struggles.  I also have experience and training in gender identity and exploration.

Education

• CPCAB Level 2 and Level 3 in Counselling Studies - RHACC
• First Class BA (Hons) in Integrative-Relational Counselling - Middlesex University
• Level 5 Diploma in Relationship Counselling with Relate
  
  CPD (continued Professional Development)
• Bereavement & Loss
• Gender Identity
• Racism and Mental Health
• Sex and Relationships
• Adult Safeguarding
• Child Protection and Safeguarding
• Suicide Awareness
• Mental Health Awareness
• Domestic Abuse Awareness

I offer short-term (12 weeks) or long-term counselling to adult individuals from a premises close to Surbiton Station. Please note, there is a flight of 16 stairs to access the property.
I can also offer online sessions once a relationship is established, but I mainly work face-to-face.

How Counselling can help?
Life's struggles can often catch up with us, leaving us with uncomfortable feelings such as low moods, depression, anxiety or being overwhelmed. You have already taken the first step by being here, for that I commend you and welcome you warmly.

Your experiences are unique to you, so it is important that you are listened to, that you feel valued and secure enough to explore your thoughts and feelings. This can help to make sense of your life experiences or patterns of behaviour without fear of criticism or judgement. My aim is to support you in these discoveries.

For couples, we will talk about your historical relationships, your family growing up, how you relate with each other and how you resolve disagreements. 

Individual clients:
Your first session will be a face-to-face consultation where we can meet and discuss what you are expecting to gain from your sessions, I can also gather some basic information about you.

This meeting will give us the opportunity to decide whether we would like to continue our relationship. If we decide to continue, then we will agree a suitable date and time to meet each week.

Couples:
I insist on a three-stage assessment process. The first session will be all together to find out what brings you to counselling and what you hope to gain from your sessions, I will also gather some basic information about you. The second and third session will be individual sessions with each of the couple before we come back together in the fourth session to decide what the next steps might be, whether I'm the right counsellor for you and what we hope to achieve in our work together.