Carola Saunders

I can offer in-person counselling at The Practice Room in Ottery St. Mary, providing a private and relaxing environment:

      Monday afternoon or early evening.

On-line via Teams is also an option if that suits better:

      Thursday afternoon or early evening.

      Friday morning or afternoon.

MBACP, Adv.Dip.Integrative Counselling, PQDip.CYP, BSc, Cert Ed.

I am experienced counsellor with a background of 6 years work as a counsellor for a low-cost counselling service, a short spell with the NHS followed by a further 2 years working in private practice, for Betterhelp, and for an Employee Assistance Program. I have developed an in-depth understanding of work for large institutions including the Blue Light services. Counselling can either be short term and solution focused or longer term depending on the needs of the individual and what they hope to gain from accessing counselling.

I have worked with a wide variety of people, backgrounds and problems. Some ways that I have been able to help them are: develop coping strategies; resolve anger issues; build personal confidence and self-belief; consider their values and work-life balance; develop resilience and feel better about themselves; manage their work and family life better; gain a better understanding of what has influenced them throughout their lives including their childhood; gain a greater awareness of unhelpful patterns or how destructive habits have developed.

Are you finding that the challenges and struggles in life can be difficult to cope with such as changes at home and at work due to circumstances personal to you or affected by others? I can help you talk through all that is bothering you and leaving you feeling overwhelmed, and help you find clarity in what may seem confusion and gain a healthier perspective on situations, developing a personal awareness to guide your decisions and actions.

Investing in counselling can be extremely helpful and therapeutic to your mental and physical health, and ultimately to your feelings of fulfilment with your life.  

Through my training and work as an integrative counsellor, I use a range of therapeutic techniques based on different counselling theories with the aim of helping clients to address and explore specific thoughts, feelings and life experiences. This creates a variety of approaches that helps make the counselling process interesting, helpful and revealing for the client. This combines with developing my communication and listening skills bringing this together with my own level of maturity and life experience.

I am a good listener and am empathic to the challenging struggles in life, having a genuine and caring interest in people. I am an understanding person and like people to feel comfortable and at ease talking to me.

Through talk therapy, I can help you find clarity in the chaos, achieve a healthier perspective, and regain control of your life.

In the first session we will discuss what has brought you to seek counselling and what you would like to achieve from it.

This will allow you the opportunity to decide whether counselling is for you at this time and whether you feel comfortable to talk with me.

It will also provide you with an opportunity to ask questions about what you can expect from receiving counselling with me.

This session is charged at a lower rate of £40 and lasts 50 minutes.

Alternatively, I offer a 15 minute telephone call free of charge as an initial means of contact.