Geraldine Dufour

I became a therapist because I am passionate about helping people find solutions to their difficulties. I believe our capacity to manage life's challenges fluctuates throughout our lives, and accessing support during struggles is important.

Why work with me

I am an experienced therapist with a warm, caring, open and direct approach. My practice focuses on collaborative solutions and strategies to understand and address personal issues. My therapeutic approach integrates psychodynamic and solution-focused perspectives, exploring how past experiences influence present functioning and working collaboratively to develop strategies for change.

I have over 30 years of therapeutic experience across different settings, including serving as Head of the University Counselling Service at Cambridge University for over seven years, with extensive experience in university counselling services, as well as addiction services and work with survivors of sexual violence, alongside my private practice. This varied experience means that I have worked with a wide range of issues and difficulties and I am comfortable with complexity and uncertainty.

I live in Cambridge and offer therapy online for people based in the UK.

Areas of expertise

I work with clients presenting with clearly identified concerns as well as those experiencing general distress or uncertainty. My work includes support for:

• Anxiety and depression 
• Work-related concerns and professional development
• Academic performance and study-related difficulties 
• Transitions (starting university, career changes, retirement preparation) 
• Imposter syndrome and self-belief in professional contexts 
• Assertiveness and work-life balance 
• Career development and goal setting 
• Identity exploration and ADHD-related concerns

Diversity and cross-cultural work

I value working with people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, abilities, beliefs, sexual orientations and identities. Having lived in different countries and worked extensively with international staff and students, I bring personal understanding to cross-cultural work. 

I have particular experience supporting individuals with cultural identity issues, adjustment to life in the United Kingdom, expatriate experiences, and working across cultural contexts. 

I currently serve as Chair of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) Student and Alumni Services Thematic Committee, reflecting my ongoing commitment to international education and student support.

My qualifications and training

I began my training over 30 years ago at Nottingham University and hold an MA in Counselling from a BACP-accredited programme at Birmingham University, as well as a Post-Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drugs Interventions in Practice. 

I have continued professional development through extensive training and am fully qualified to provide therapy online. 

I hold Senior Accredited Member status with BACP, work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework, and engage in regular clinical supervision.

Get in touch

I offer a free brief phone call to see whether working together might be useful.

My first session will be built around the needs of each particular clients and the issues that they bring to therapy and to their first session. 

I am registered as a therapist with:

-  AXA

- Vitality 

- Aviva.

Supervision and reflective practice

I provide clinical supervision for qualified therapists and counsellors, as well as reflective practice spaces for professionals in helping, teaching and social care roles, individually and in groups.

My supervision experience

I started working as a supervisor in 2003 and qualified as a supervisor with the University of Leicester in 2007. Since then, I have worked with many individuals and groups across different settings.

My supervision practice includes working with:

• Trainee therapists on professional courses

• Experienced therapists working in different counselling sectors

• Mental health professionals (mental health nurses, occupational health therapists and social workers)

• Tutors, nurses and others in the helping, teaching and social care professions

As former Head of the University Counselling Service at Cambridge University, I held clinical accountability for the service and oversaw the provision of psychological support for the collegiate university, leading a team of over 40 counsellors, CBT therapists, mindfulness teachers, the university sexual harassment and assault advisor and mental health advisors. This leadership experience means I understand both the clinical and organisational complexities that practitioners face.

What supervisees value

"Having a protected space to reflect, explore, pause, and untangle. Receiving affirmation and validation. Feeling respected and valued in the space."

"Geraldine's collegiate manner, and her way of finding useful analogies to correctly sum up situations that I was describing, or how it was making me react. Geraldine is also extremely generous in sharing knowledge, resources and suggested actions that will directly impact me as individual, or my workplace situation, for the better."

"My Supervisor's previous experience and knowledge of performing a similar management role meant that she fully understood and had experienced some of the issues that I was being presented with."

My supervision approach

Supervision enables us to reflect on our work, improve our professional practice and demonstrate our commitment to ethical practice. 

My supervision emphasises creating a protected reflective space, collaborative exploration of clinical work, and practical application of insights. Drawing on my psychodynamic background and extensive experience across diverse therapeutic settings, I work to help supervisees develop their therapeutic understanding while attending to the systemic and organisational contexts in which they practice.

Specialist support for universities and colleges

I offer specialist university and college support online:

• Clinical supervision for therapists

• Reflective practice for college nurses, tutors and welfare staff

• Therapeutic consultations on managing challenging situations

Languages spoken

French

Training helps us to develop our confidence and abilities throughout our career

I have a genuine passion for training and over 30 years of experience designing and facilitating workshops, seminars and lectures for diverse audiences and settings. I deliver keynote speeches at conferences and create bespoke training programmes tailored to organisational needs.

My training approach is engaging, participatory and responsive. I draw on extensive practical experience alongside theoretical understanding, creating spaces where participants feel valued and able to contribute their own knowledge and perspectives. With a global outlook shaped by working with international audiences and living in different countries, I am skilled at facilitating cross-cultural learning environments.

Training areas I regularly deliver:

• Supporting colleagues or students with mental health issues
• Managing professional boundaries
• Managing conflict
• Preventing bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct
• Coping with pressure and managing priorities
• Improving self-care and resilience
• Providing culturally competent support services
• Working with difference and diversity
• Developing compassionate communications

Audiences I work with:

• Corporate and university clients
• Professional training programmes for therapists
• University staff and welfare teams
• College senior tutors and pastoral care teams

I offer training in psychotherapy, personal and professional development, cross-cultural work, and organisational wellbeing, delivered face-to-face or online. If you have a particular training need, please contact me to discuss creating something bespoke for your organisation.

Training provided for: Cambridge University and Colleges, Westminster Briefing, Understanding ModernGov, Westminster Higher Education Forum, New Gov

Speaking engagements: Advance HE, UKCISA, EAIE, AMOSSHE, AUCCCD (USA), China-UK International Symposium, BACP Research Conference, SPR European Conference, TechnologyOne London Showcase

Universities and Colleges

As former Head of the University Counselling Service at Cambridge University for over seven years, with more than 20 years of experience working in universities, I bring extensive specialist knowledge to higher education settings. I have also served as a visiting professor at Tongji and Fudan Universities in Shanghai, lectured at Leicester and Birmingham Universities, and contributed to national research in student counselling, mental health and wellbeing.

I deliver welfare, wellbeing and student mental health training to students and staff across institutions. This includes listening skills for tutors, managing professional boundaries, responding to sexual assault disclosures, reflective practice groups for welfare staff, and bespoke training for senior tutors and pastoral care teams.

My leadership experience includes serving as past chair of both the BACP Universities and Colleges Division and HUCS (Heads of University Counselling Services), giving me deep understanding of the strategic and operational challenges facing university wellbeing services.

• "Very consultational, put everyone at ease, valued all voices."
• "I really liked Geraldine's approach, it was informative and well-paced, questions are also always welcome which was very helpful."
• "Informative and validating. Good to have someone who has context-specific experience."
• "Engaging, participatory, relevant."