Charlotte Ascough

In case you are feeling daunted, it might be helpful for you to know that for over 15 years I have worked with a wide range of people with many challenges and experiences.

I firmly believe that fear of judgement, can be a real barrier for many when it comes to opening up. My first priority is helping you to feel safe to share with me, so that we can work together to help you with what has led you to consider counselling.

Feel free to drop me an email to see if we can find a date and time that works for us both. We can then arrange an initial session for you to see if you would like us to work together.

Ultimately, the intention is to build an understanding of our difficult feelings so we can begin to process them, allowing us to move forward feeling less fearful and more hopeful allowing us to consider new coping strategies.

A huge proportion of my client base have felt that they have had to manage their difficult feelings alone, having to mask to fit in or pretend to be ok.

When we feel down we often retreat, avoid contact with others, and I have found that for some when this happens the counselling room has been a safe place to share with another. With time and through this unique therapeutic relationship so many clients have built a stronger and more robust sense of who they are and improve their relationship with themselves and others.

We must all remember how natural it is to need help at times, we're not actually designed to manage alone. Sometimes we might seek help from someone in our lives and sometimes we find it in a professional capacity.

Our first session will involve you sharing what has led you to seek a counsellor now, and what you are hoping to gain from your sessions. Equally you may want to ask me how I work.

This session is a chance for us to see if we would be a good fit and if you would like to work with me.

Choosing the right counsellor is an important step, sometimes how you feel sitting with your potential counsellor is more important than anything they say, which is why having that first session is so important.

In my work as a Supervisor I'm a firm believer that despite my training and theoretical understanding my initial focus is to sit as a fellow human being, not as someone who is' 'the expert''.

I place considerable emphasis on building a relationship that allows my supervisee’s to feel comfortable enough to bring their challenges and self doubts no matter how uncomfortable the topic. I use the framework of the Seven eyed model, to ensure that all aspects of the work are considered, thoroughly supporting both supervisee and their client.

I really do enjoy my work as a counsellor and supervisor and hope that this shows in the energy care, attention and humility I bring to my work. I consider it a privilege to help fellow practitioners build a deeper understanding of their client work and particularly like to think creatively when considering the complex dynamics that can arise, allowing the possibility of uncovering possible meaning and communication beyond what is obvious.