Stephan Solon

My current availability is limited to Tuesday and Friday mornings.

I only offer in-person sessions.

I'm an Accredited counsellor, skilled and experienced in helping my clients with difficult, sometimes painful, feelings. I provide counselling to adult individuals. I have good experience providing counselling privately and for the NHS. I feel proud to have helped people from a range of backgrounds with very different problems. The qualities of compassion and respect underpin the way I work.

I'm aware that in the face of distress our response may be to 'look after ourselves' in ways that are familiar to us. We might experience ourselves withdrawing from life, fighting it or submitting to some one or thing more powerful than us. We may distract ourselves, numb our feelings or consider extreme 'solutions'. Our responses are usually well intentioned and might even work for a while, but unfortunately they can also lead to deeper distress. Despite that, we may repeat the same patterns over and over. Whatever you're facing, I work to create a healing relationship that can help you care for painful and/or conflicted feelings from a place of clarity and compassion.

I recognise seeking counselling can sometimes be difficult. There may be a question of trust for you. Perhaps concern about the counselling process, or maybe you feel bad about needing help at all. I can help you explore your concerns and needs in an introductory counselling session, following which you can decide whether you would like to continue working with me.

The way I work integrates person-centred and psychodynamic ways of working together with Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.  I am a  registered IFS therapist, trained by the Internal Family Systems Institute (IFS Training UK).

The person-centred approach, which is client led, invites reflection on feelings and provides the foundation to my work. I use IFS to help develop an open, conscious, relationship with our feelings that can be drawn upon between sessions and after therapy ends. I find IFS complements the emotion focused exploratory approach of person-centred counselling. One of the many things that I take from IFS is that our feelings need and deserve our care. Does it sound odd to consider painful or conflicted emotions as needing our care rather than being managed, 'dealt with' or, worse, banished?

I also draw on psychodynamic theory to invite exploration of past relationships and how they impact on those in the present, including the relationship we have with our own feelings. I've found my use of IFS and psychodynamic approaches brings greater direction to the process of therapy than the person-centred approach while still giving my clients space to continue to lead the content.

The first session of therapy is not a typical session. It's usually more focused on gathering information about what brings you to therapy now, some background information about you and what you hope to gain from therapy. I've found people can sometimes feel unsure about what they hope for from therapy so I usually direct the first and early sessions towards developing as much clarity about your hopes for therapy as we can.  In my experience that's necessary for the success of your therapy.

During your early sessions we'll develop a therapeutic relationship as we unfold the experiences that bring you to therapy and start working towards realising your hopes. Throughout therapy we will notice and address any conflicts and fears you might experience. We will often do so over a number of sessions and return to themes previously covered. That's normal but may feel frustrating. In my view there's a value to going over old material again because we usually do so from slightly different perspectives.

After your first session I'll ask you to enter into a formal business contract for therapy. That sets out our responsibilities towards each other, specifies the session fee and cancellation policy amongst other practical matters.

I'll also ask you to complete a form providing me with your address and contact details, details of an emergency contact and those of your GP. I keep this information securely and separate from notes I make of your sessions. My session notes don't include your name or any other identifying information.

I may contact your GP if I have concerns about your safety or the safety of anyone else closely connected to you, especially any children or vulnerable adults you might care for. I would usually discuss that with you first.

My work is overseen by a professional supervisor with whom I discuss how I'm working with you. I don't share any information that could identify you with my supervisor. The main purpose of my supervision is to support your therapy.