Julia Gibson

I am available to see new clients and can offer sessions either remotely (via a video call or by telephone) or face to face.  

Remote working has become more popular since the start of the COVID pandemic and enables me to provide sessions outside of normal working hours such as some evening and weekend availability.

I use a local venue for face to face work.  This venue is fully accessible with free parking and accessible toilets.

Hello. As I think about what to write here, I find myself curious about how you, the reader, might be feeling, about what might have led you to here looking for someone to help, someone to listen and hear your story.

Perhaps something has happened that has turned your world upside down.  Maybe life feels overwhelming. Perhaps you feel lost, alone, misunderstood.  Whatever the reason, thank you for reading so far.

I am a person centred counsellor.  I knew from the first time I learnt about the person centred approach on the first counselling course I undertook that I had found the way I wanted to work as a counsellor. 

These words of Carl Rogers, the founder of the person centred approach, resonate with me both personally and professionally, "When the other person is hurting, confused, troubled, anxious, alienated, terrified, or when he or she is doubtful of self-worth, uncertain as to identity, then understanding is called for.  The gentle and sensitive companionship of an empathic stance provides illumination and healing.  In such situations, deep understanding is, I believe, the most precious gift one can give another."

I have worked in a variety of settings with a range of issues, both face to face and remotely by telephone and video call.  I moved to remote working as a direct response to the COVID pandemic and have completed further training to support me in this way of working.

I am also an adoption support counsellor having completed further training and so am able to support adults wanting to explore the impact of adoption whether as an adoptee, an adopter or a birth family member.

I work within a person centred framework with the focus on ‘being with’ you with sessions led by you as you explore what is troubling you. You choose where you wish to go and in which direction. Sometimes this might mean exploring experiences from the past or lost dreams or hopes for the future. I believe we all know what hurts us, what pains us, and counselling can offer a space where we can start to touch on those tender bruises inside which often leads to a greater understanding of ourselves and our situations.    My aim is to meet you where you are and to offer a therapeutic space where you feel heard, understood and cared for.

I am passionate about supporting people experiencing grief and loss, whether from bereavement or from less recognised experiences such as traumatic events,  living with a chronic or life-limiting health condition or being childless not by choice. The experiences or events that change the life you thought you were going to live.

“In grief we need to take time to mourn for the life we were supposed to have” (David Kessler)

I feel it is such a privilege to be a witness to clients as they start to find their way through and find a way of being in the world that is meaningful to them. 

Before arranging the first session, I offer a free 15-minute introductory telephone call to explore how counselling can help where you are at the moment and to answer any questions you may have. It also provides a space for you to start to get a feel of who I am.

We will then arrange the first session which is slightly longer than subsequent sessions to provide space to start to explore your situation and how we might work together as well as to complete some of the administrative tasks.  This includes taking time to review the agreement or contract which provides a framework for our work together. This first session will be for between 60 and 75 minutes. Subsequent sessions are for 50 minutes.

We will also agree on an estimated number of sessions to act as a rough guide for our time together. This could be from a few sessions to longer-term work. There will be regular reviews of our work and space given for you to decide whether to end, pause or continue with the counselling.