Natasha Westerman

At the moment I am offering sessions online over zoom aswell as face to face to ensure therapy is still accessible for all.

I am qualified children and young peoples therapist, and my experience includes working with children and young people who have had a range of life-changing events that have led to them needing extra support. Many children and young people also suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, grief and loss, amongst many other issues, where early intervention can prove useful in offering them the best chance of mental and emotional well-being for now and the future. This can all lead to family's seeking support in order to restore and enhance family life and be beneficial for the future. For the child's mental and emotional well-being, I recommend that you commit to at least 6 sessions of therapy with me, as it can be detrimental if sessions are suddenly stopped with no prior planning and ending.

 Children and young people cannot always recognise or process their own feelings and emotions, this can make it difficult for you and them to identify what is going on for them and the best way forward. I offer a space where children can, often through play, explore and make sense of their world and what is going on for them. This can lead to them being more able to regulate their emotions and feel more at ease with their lives and their world. This can promote change in them and offer them tools for the future and strengthen their own resilience. Through play, I can observe their behaviour and gain an insight into their problems, what is going on for them, and children can often learn new coping strategies and how to redirect inappropriate behaviours. I have worked with children and young people in schools and other settings, and have specific qualifications, training and experience in working with children and young people.

The first session will consist of an initial meeting with me where I will endeavour to make you and your child feel comfortable and at ease in my presence. You will be invited to spend as much time as you feel is needed to facilitate a sense of safety for you and your child, as I appreciate how worrying it is leaving your child for the first time, and we will have a short discussion where you can tell me a little bit about your child and explain what maybe going on at home, I am also happy to have regular update meetings with you where necessary to discuss progress. My premises does have the facility's for you to wait around near the room whilst we are in session, alternatively there is a coffee shop very nearby where you can spend the time whilst waiting. I have a fully enhanced DBS which I am happy to share with you.

At the moment I am offering telephone sessions and online through zoom aswell as face to face so Therapy is still accessible to all.

Hi, my name is Natasha and I am a qualified integrated counsellor working with children and adults in Leeds and the surrounding areas.

I understand how daunting it is looking for the right therapist, and my intention is to help you feel at ease and be able to form a trusted relationship where you feel safe and supported right from initial contact.

I believe that you are the expert in your life, and sometimes you need a little support and guidance to help you through your journey.

I offer a therapeutic experience where I will work alongside you in order for you to be able to consider and explore your issues and facilitate change in yourself to enable you to lead a more mentally and emotionally enriched healthy life.

I will offer you a non-judgmental, empathetic, confidential time and space to off-load and work through any issues you are facing.

I am passionate about offering people the tools for change and to allow them to make changes which will truly enrich their lives and their future.

I offer an integrative approach, meaning that I can use a range of skills and interventions based on your needs.

I have worked with many survivors of abuse, such as, sexual, domestic, physical, emotional, and their families who have also been affected by this.

I have worked within a bereavement charity and can offer bereavement support to those who have lost loved ones, and/or are grieving for their past/future, such as people who have lost loved ones to illness or addictions, and life is no longer the same.

I also have extensive experience working with men and women who have or are suffering from pre and post-natal depression, I can work with you to enable you to enjoy your family and have the future you dreamed and hoped of.

As well as working with lots of people who are suffering from things such as Anxiety/ Depression/ Addictions, and the effect this is having on them or their loved ones lives.

I have experience working in an open-ended way, which means that you are in charge of how many sessions you would like, there is no limit to the sessions I can offer, as well as time-limited, which can be set by you, usually, from 6  to 12 sessions, this way I can work with you considering how many sessions you have set and structure sessions accordingly.

From our first session, I will endeavour to make you feel comfortable, understood, validated and safe.

At our first session, we will have a discussion about what has brought you to therapy, I will explain to you how I work and how I may be able to help you, this may involve me asking you a few questions about things such as what are your goals, what would you like to get out of therapy, the first session may also involve completing a short questionnaire about your mood etc, this will give me an insight into your world and where I may be able to help you more.

If we both agree that we would like to work together then I will explain to you what you can expect from me and would like you to consider, such as appointments/ cancellations etc. We will then both sign an agreement, agree on session times and begin your journey.

Couples counselling offered online via zoom, face to face or in your own home.

Couples therapy is an opportunity for you to explore together what unhelpful patterns maybe contributing to the difficulties you are experiencing now. Many couples find themselves needing support with their relationship and can often feel stuck, alone, unable to move past events, the sessions offer an opportunity to identify these patterns and find resolutions together to enable you to lead a long lasting, healthy relationship.

It is common for relationships to struggle from time to time, affective communication can be lacking, couples can have different needs and desires, couples can get stuck and unable to resolve conflicts healthily.

Sessions can help equip you with tools to draw on in the future when difficulties arise and help you both begin to communicate more effectively, meaning that not only the here and now ruptures can be repaired, but you will also be equipped with tools to use in the future to help prevent/ repair difficult situations in the future.

Couples also access therapy to help navigate an amicable separation, consider next steps and help ensure a smoother transition to separation, this may include discussing how things maybe shared, childcare arrangements etc.

Sessions are not about blame or taking sides, I will remain non-judgmental, neutral and empathetic. Your relationship is the focus of the therapy sessions and ensuring you both have the opportunity in a safe space to explore your concerns and come up with solutions together.

 I believe you have solutions within you, and the fact that you are considering attending couples therapy speaks volumes in your commitment for change.

Fees are charged at £70 per 50 minute session or £100 per 80 minute session and can be negotiated on a regular basis. 

I offer sessions either online using the Zoom platform, in person from Oulton, Leeds or Wakefield city centre, home visits can also be arranged depending on distance and availability.

I like you both to commit to the sessions and they will often be the need for a minimum of 9-12 sessions.

Before we begin our work together I will have an individual session with you both where we will have the opportunity to explore what concerns are bringing you to couples therapy and consider what you would like to happen going forwards, this will give you a chance to express your thoughts and feelings and consider what your hopes are with regards to your relationship. They are also an opportunity for me to explain further what the sessions will involve and explain the privacy and confidentiality boundaries and limitations. Following these individual sessions we will arrange your first session together where our work will begin. Extra, individual sessions whilst the joint sessions are on-going will be discussed and agreed on if there is an indication they maybe useful to help with achieving your set goals as a couple.