Mark Smith

My normal availability is 10:00am (GMT) TO 20:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I may respond to emails or initial telephone outside these hours, but other commitments may prevail. I aim to respond to enquiries within two days. 

I will be unavailable from May 8th to May 16th. 

My training is in person-centred and experiential psychotherapy and counselling. In addition to this, I have 28 years experience as a Registered Mental Nurse, where I worked primarily (but not exclusively) with people who had substance use problems. 

I completed an MSc in Person Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy in September 2017 and have worked in an NHS staff support service as a counsellor since then, alongside my private practice. 

My approach is based on offering a compassionate, non judgmental approach within a safe environment in the hope that this will allow clarity, reinforce current coping mechanisms and foster future growth. This attitude acknowledges that each person is  unique, and aims to enhance their sense of autonomy and agency.  

Although the foundation of my practice is Person-Centred, I now describe my approach as Pluralistic. This is based on the aspiration that each passage of therapy can be modified according to the unique needs of the individual, providing it remains within the competence of the therapist.

I charge on a sliding scale from £30 to £50 per session, according to what you can afford. I leave this decision entirely to you. 

Until March 2020, my practice was exclusively via face-to-face work. Because of the public health concerns surrounding Coronavirus and the consequent restrictions on social contact, my practice is now through Zoom  or the phone. While this falls short of the ideal way of working, and presents challenges for all of us, it's also the best we can offer in the current conditions.

I may return to some face-to-face work in the future, but have no concrete plans to do so at the moment.

I'm happy to discuss your specific requirements and needs around this.  

I offer a free initial consultation by phone or Zoom to clarify whether or not we can work together. I find this useful for both of us in terms of clarifying your needs, and helping you decide whether or not our counselling relationship could meet them. Following this first meeting, most people like to go away and reflect on our discussion. 

I am happy to answer further questions by email if they arise after this contact.