Nicola Cartmill

My approach to therapy is humanistic which is all about free will, self discovery and achieving your desired potential as a human being. I use an integrative approach, tailoring counselling sessions to the needs of my clients.

I believe in a holistic approach that can include client-led talking therapy, finding links between past experience, and current emotions or behaviours, to solution-focused coaching, practical help, and techniques for change.

The most important thing to me is the relationship between me and my clients. Building trust through empathy, honesty, and judgment-free listening is where it's at.

My practice is located by the sea, and I offer talking therapy in a safe, calm, confidential space located at my home. I also offer walk and talk therapy to make the most of nature and the outdoors.

I work with adults over 18, specialising in relationships and communication, trauma and grief therapy, and am also an experienced couples counsellor.

The first thing I offer is a "get to know you" call which lasts 20-30 minutes. This is to assess your therapy needs, hopes and goals, and to simply see how we get on! A good relational match is important.

From there, we schedule a first session and take it from there. Each session lasts 50 minutes and I am flexible as to how many or how sessions each client attends, and how often you feel you need to talk. The choice is always yours, after all you are the person who knows you best.

My role at Self Horizons is resident couples therapist. Fully trained at the Counselling Academy, I work using an integrative couples counselling toolkit, using Relate techniques, the Gottman sound relationship house method, and Imago therapy.

My approach is designed to help relationship partners work out misunderstandings, reduce conflict and rediscover ways to bond and communication. I believe it is vital that partners are able to move from criticism, blame and negative reactions to each other, to becoming more understanding and empathetic. This creates a sound platform for tackling difficult and painful issues such as infidelity or the stresses of becoming a blended family.

Sometimes things are too critical to be worked out and part of my job is to offer mediation if separation is felt to be the only option.

However, once we have identified where things are not going well in the relationship, we can move on to finding solutions, and hopefully a happier life together.

Self Horizons is a low cost counselling service located in Sandgate, Kent. Large, airy counselling rooms offer space to experience emotions and learn to grow together.

All therapists work to the BACP code of ethics and confidentiality is assured.

Your first session with me is an assessment of your therapy needs, your history as a couple, and your current living and family arrangements. You will have the opportunity to voice any concerns or questions you may have, and we can then decide if we would like to work together. The relationship between therapist and couple is very important, and it's good to know we get on!

From there, we can schedule following sessions; weekly to begin with, and flexible after that. There may be times when I see you separately if an individual issue seems to be affecting how you are as a couple.

Our first assessment session takes an hour or so and the fee is £50.