Maggie Leigh

My clinic hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Last session time is 7pm. Outside of these hours I can be contacted via email and will get back to you in 24 hours.

My name is Maggie Leigh and I am a qualified Counsellor with a depth of experience across the voluntary and paid sector working in schools, GP surgeries, counselling centres and in palliative care.

My private practice is a dedicated room in my home where I offer a range of therapies, that can be tailored to suit requirement. As an integrative practitioner I use Person Centred approach, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Hypnotherapy and Expressive creative therapy.

Using sound theories and practices and following the BACP's stringent ethical values the alliance does not encourage long term dependency upon the counsellor but endeavours to build a therapeutic relationship where personal growth takes place. 

If you chose to work with me our first session will be to determine which intervention suits your individual needs. At your own pace, I encourage free expression and explore causes of present distress. We can set long term goals, build strategies for coping and lead you to a place of satisfaction and contentment.  

Chosing CBT, an evidence based approach, you will be encouraged to examine how interactions between thoughts, feelings and actions can impact negatively with a view to qualitative change. 

Hypnotherapy uses suggestion at a deeper level of consciousness in order to tease out rooted habits in a safe environment. It has been proven effective for smoking cessation, weight loss, exam stress, sleep problems etc. 

Working with children and adults, my work needs to be innovative and varied so can also involve creative techniques with expressive art, narrative writing, clay etc. Using this type of therapy does not rely on academia and therefore encourages flexible thinking and has in my work been proven beneficial with non verbal pupils and people with Aspergers syndrome.

Below I will offer a brief history of my counselling to date in order for you to gain a clearer picture of how my practice is run.

I worked as a School Counsellor for over 13 years with pupils aged between 11 and 19 managing problems relating to family issues, self esteem, loss, anxiety, self-harm and depression. 

On a one-to-one basis I delivered a service in a rapidly changing environment in a time-measured setting. Adding to this service I built small interpersonal anger management groups to year 9 and 10 and Peer Listening Skills groups with 6th form and lower school. Short-term Family Mediation intervention with restorative elements developed throughout this time.

I was privileged to meet and work with some inspiring people (staff and patients) whilst volunteering in a local Hospice in the therapeutic arts department where I aided expression through creative media as a way of exploring their journey and sometimes coming to terms with their life limiting illness. It was here I developed a sense of oneness and true humility by being present and bearing witness.

The importance of social, emotional and mental health support became a high priority when working with staff at 4 Pupil Referral Units where issues around Wellbeing, relationship break-ups, bereavement, phobias, intrapersonal skills and crisis management was highlighted.

The exposure within these different work environments have been integrated and have aided my Private Practice where I offer flexible times at competitive rates in a relaxed space. 

I am taking on clients online, telephone and face to face at present. 

COVID-19

During this uncertain time, I am still taking on new clients and delivering sessions via telephone and the Zoom platform.

If you find me on BACP therapist directory I can be contacted via email or phone or you can explore my website Maggiethinkwell.co.uk and decide whether I am the therapist for you. Either way I will endeavour to reply to your request within 24 hours with details of how I may be able to help, rates, ways to pay and my address.

If you decide you would like to begin therapy you will be offered the opportunity to have a phone call first and given dates and times available.

At this stage you may like to give a little information around your present distresses in order to help me form an accurate work model.

Within your first appointment you will be asked a few questions as a way of assessing your particular needs. You will be asked to sign my contract where safeguarding, any limitations and confidentiality is clarified.  

From here counselling can begin. 

I work in an integrative way using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Person Centred Therapy, Hypnotherapy and Creative Arts so the type of process we take will be dependent upon preference or informed intuition. 

We will begin by hearing your story, what you need, what expectations you have and hopefully begin the process. 

It is my role within therapy to weigh competency, risk factors and benefits and to maintain clarity throughout. In so doing I hope to form a strong therapeutic alliance in order to establish underlying needs and determine any goals you, the client are aiming for.