Lydia Keighley

I am now able to offer face to face appointments following a full risk assessment due to Covid-19 situation. If you are considering face to face sessions, I will provide full information (in advance of booking a session with me) of the measures in place which aim to reduce risk of virus transmission.

If you are viewing my profile, the chances are you are curious as to whether counselling can help you. You may be wondering what counselling is all about. In our counselling sessions, I will listen and give you the time and space to talk through your thoughts and feelings in confidence with someone who is completely impartial. Sometimes when your feelings are confusing or overwhelming, having an outlet for them can help things feel more manageable. When you are given the opportunity to talk freely ,without the judgements, comments and advice that others in your life may offer, it will help you to gain clarity and get in touch with what you want. In counselling, you are the most important person in the room and it is entirely your time to pause and reflect on your life. Counselling can’t solve your problems for you but aims to help you find your own solutions, whether that is making changes in your life or finding your own resources to cope with things as they are.Counselling can help people through times of crisis but isn't only for those in crisis. We all need a helping hand to work through our difficulties sometimes. It can help with all kinds of issues that a majority of us will face at some point in our lives. Issues such as anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship issues, low self esteem and ill health.Reaching out to make contact with a counsellor for the first time can feel like a big step but if you make contact with me, I aim to put you at ease and make the process as easy as possible for you. To help you decide if counselling is for you, I offer an initial session at a reduced rate of £20. This is chance to meet with me, see where I work and experience what a counselling session with me is like. Based close to Chorley town centre,I offer daytime and evening appointments, in a ground floor counselling space.I can work on a short term,time limited or long term basis and offer weekly or fortnightly appointments. 

I am a fully trained, qualified and experienced Person Centred Counsellor. Person or client-centred therapy is based on the view that everyone has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change, given the right conditions. Rather than being seen as the expert and directing the therapy, I aim to help you to find your own inner resources and the opportunity to change and develop in the way that is right for you.  I do however have experience, knowledge and training in other areas of therapy and may integrate these into my work as appropriate. I may offer you information during our sessions but will not advise or direct you as to what you should do. 

Its natural to wonder how your first counselling session will be and its not unusual to feel quite nervous. Your first session also acts as a suitability assessment, I may ask you some questions about yourself and your situation. During the first part of our session, I will tell you more about me and how I work, I will give you some important information about confidentiality, data protection and practical arrangements for our sessions. I will then talk to you about what has brought you to counselling and what you may hope to achieve from our sessions. You can ask any questions you might have. The first session is really a chance to start to 'break the ice'. I aim to put you at ease and to provide a welcoming environment whether our sessions are face to face, online or over the telephone.