Nicola Vallance

I work with people from all manner of backgrounds and ages that are facing a wide range of life's challenges including relationship difficulties, longterm health conditions/disabilities, and abuse. Healing from the emotional impact that has caused stress, anxiety, and depression. Yet I also work with people to explore their personal aspirations/life and career goals too. Building self-esteem, confidence, and internal motivation to reach health, and lifestyle goals.

I have a relaxed approach yet effective too. Supporting people to overcome a variety of problems in my private and voluntary work. Working together to separate past experiences and unhealthy personal beliefs (inner critic) from the present. Bringing a calmer way of being so that you feel more confident, happier and in control of your life.

I focus on my client's own story to undercover personal meaning and deepen understanding. I sometimes use metaphors, visualisations to help clients express their experiences, their meaning - uncovering hope and personal aspirations. However, how we work depends on your individual needs and focus. Feel free to call or email to chat about what support you need

I am a Person-Centred / Humanistic Counsellor, and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy ( BACP ).

I believe that everyone can have a more fulfilling and authentic life. Sessions will help you to develop your self-awareness, self-confidence, an understanding of how you relate to others, and the ability to make decisions that are right for you.  

I offer both short- and long-term counselling to give you the time and space to explore your thoughts and feelings in a safe,  non-judgmental environment at a pace that works for you. 

My practice is based in Poole and Milborne St Andrew. I am also able to meet in Blandford, Dorchester, or Wimborne (subject to room availability). 

I offer a free half hour telephone session so that you can get to know how I work and ask any questions and there is a short assessment form that I ask you to fill out to make sure I am able to offer you the support your need (or if you prefer we can fill it out together). 

Office hours

Mon-Fri: 08:00 am – 6:00 pm

Evening and weekend sessions on request.

It can be incredibly hard to try to figure it all out on your own.

Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, stress, depression, or are exhausted from navigating this world, these feelings are often the result of a constant clash between your inner world and the world around you.

My practice is inspired by the concept of a ‘Pensieve‘ – the kind of space where you can put the world on hold for a while and work through what is troubling you from a fresh perspective. Having a space to offload makes it easier to gain new insights and find ways forward that work for you.

This is your journey, and there is no judgment or expectation to do things a certain way. You don’t need to have the ‘right’ words or a clear plan; we simply begin where you are. Together, we will untangle your thoughts and feelings so that you feel more grounded, comfortable in your own skin and more confident making choices that work for you.

I am an Anxiety UK–approved therapist. I offer a blend of person-centred counselling and health and life coaching within a trauma-informed framework. I work with adults and teenagers, including neurodivergent clients.

If you’re looking for a place to simply ‘be’, work through what’s troubling you, and become more ‘you’ again, I would love to hear from you.  

My Practice Location & Environment

I work from home in a cottage in Milborne St Andrew;  it is a quiet, cosy, safe, low-pressure space where you can truly put the world on hold.

My Way of Working

My approach is trauma-informed and person-centred, but is a blend of counselling, coaching, and body-based therapies to help you find long-term alignment.

I may draw upon: Nervous System Regulation & Somatic Awareness: Pensieve is a talking therapy that explores the interaction between mind and body when emotional challenges leave them feeling at odds or disconnected. The physical force of our nervous system reactions, whether you are experiencing the weight of depression, grief, trauma, stress, or anxiety, is often underestimated. By noticing your body’s cues in our sessions, we can help your nervous system begin to regulate itself.

We often experience a constant clash between different aspects of ourselves (for example, the part that wants to move forward versus the part that feels stuck or angry). If you have ever watched the Disney Inside Out films, series like Good Omens, you will already have a great sense of how these different internal 'parts' or emotions operate inside us and know that all parts/emotions are not only welcome but are needed to be true to ourselves. 

We work to help you understand these protective parts without judgment.  Getting these parts working together, helping them redefine their roles so they are still there when needed, but can safely take a back seat and rest when they are not needed. As you begin to understand your inner world more, you begin to see these parts like an internal navigation system and trust that they will safely lead the way.

Tailored Creative Expression: Sessions are entirely adapted to your unique learning style. If traditional talking therapy feels limiting, I encourage the use of metaphors, imagery, visualisation, and drawing to help you express what words fall short of expressing.

I can offer evening and weekend sessions but only available to take enquries in normal office hours.

We can talk through what has brought you to therapy and what you are  hoping to get out of counselling and coaching. 

As your supervisor, I focus on all aspects of your client work, as well as, your personal and professional development. As an experienced Person-centred counsellor and life coach I can support students as well as qualified practitioners working with short-term, and long-term clients (including neurodivergent clients) both in agency settings and/or private practice.

Fostering a safe working alliance is an integral part of our work together. Our working relationship sits at the heart of supervision so I want to make sure you feel safe to talk about any aspect of your work that is playing on your mind. Creating a warm, trusting relationship where we can look at what works, just as much as what you may be struggling with or what to understand more about so that you feel safe and supported no matter what you want to talk to me about.

I’m here to help you with case management including progress, clients you may feel stuck with, and those that may suddenly stop therapy as well as ethical dilemmas – embracing the uniqueness of all your clients and the profound events that have shaped them.

We will work with but also build on your knowledge, in order, to widen the areas of work that you feel confident in. Although I am person-centered, I may draw on various theories and approaches to support and help develop your work with clients. I may also draw on some psycho-education when appropriate. But, I, also, invite you to bring your creativity to sessions to understand yourself better, and your clients. I may use my creative style (metaphors, visualisations, characters, or scenes from books and films …) to help explain theories and my experience in sessions, but also to identify possible areas to explore with your clients safely.

We may also take a fly-on-the-wall approach and observe what is happening between you and your clients. Taking a non-judgemental look can be very insightful process which can reveal attachment tendencies, boundaries, transference, and countertransference… we can then explore ways to address them and deepen the therapeutic relationship.

Supervision is also your space to tap into your experience when working with specific clients and how that may affect you and shape the therapeutic relationship. Looking at what is going on for you within your working environment, in general, within the therapeutic relationship, and our supervisory relationship so that you remain safe and confident in yourself. I also encourage self-compassion and self-care in whatever form that takes for you.

I can supervise life coaches and counsellors who work with adults, and teenagers including neuro-diverse clients in short and long-term therapy.

My fee is £60 per hour or £75 for 1 1/2 hours.

Concessionary rates are available for students and newly qualified (up to 1 year post qualification).

I offer a free half hour telephone or online session to chat through what you need from supervision,  the modalities you use and to see if we are a good match. 

As your supervisor, I focus on all aspects of your client work, as well as, your personal and professional development. As an experienced Person-centred counsellor and life coach I can support students as well as qualified practitioners working with short-term, and long-term clients (including neurodivergent clients) both in agency settings and/or private practice.

Fostering a safe working alliance is an integral part of our work together. Our working relationship sits at the heart of supervision so I want to make sure you feel safe to talk about any aspect of your work that is playing on your mind. Creating a warm, trusting relationship where we can look at what works, just as much as what you may be struggling with or what to understand more about so that you feel safe and supported no matter what you want to talk to me about.

I’m here to help you with case management including progress, clients you may feel stuck with, and those that may suddenly stop therapy as well as ethical dilemmas – embracing the uniqueness of all your clients and the profound events that have shaped them.

We will work with but also build on your knowledge, in order, to widen the areas of work that you feel confident in. Although I am person-centered, I may draw on various theories and approaches to support and help develop your work with clients. I may also draw on some psycho-education when appropriate. But, I, also, invite you to bring your creativity to sessions to understand yourself better, and your clients. I may use my creative style (metaphors, visualisations, characters, or scenes from books and films …) to help explain theories and my experience in sessions, but also to identify possible areas to explore with your clients safely.

We may also take a fly-on-the-wall approach and observe what is happening between you and your clients. Taking a non-judgemental look can be very insightful process which can reveal attachment tendencies, boundaries, transference, and countertransference… we can then explore ways to address them and deepen the therapeutic relationship.

Supervision is also your space to tap into your experience when working with specific clients and how that may affect you and shape the therapeutic relationship. Looking at what is going on for you within your working environment, in general, within the therapeutic relationship, and our supervisory relationship so that you remain safe and confident in yourself. I also encourage self-compassion and self-care in whatever form that takes for you.

I can supervise life coaches and counsellors who work with adults, and teenagers including neuro-diverse clients in short and long-term therapy.

My fee is £60 per hour or £75 for 1 1/2 hours.

Concessionary rates are available for students and newly qualified (up to 1 year post qualification).