Darren Gallagher

Hello - I’m a registered psychotherapeutic counsellor (MBACP) and also working towards accreditation with the UKCP with a specialism of children and young people. I am available to see both adult and child clients and I have many years experience as a qualified professional working creatively with children and families within schools; statutory teams; charities and clinical settings – Like Violet Oaklander says ‘Play can be a serious business’.

I am a humanistic, ‘integrative’ practitioner, so I use different methods and relational approaches to develop a warm, friendly relationship based on individual needs, respect and acceptance: In other words - ‘I’m Ok – You’re Ok’. I use Transactional Analysis (Berne) which helps us to understand how the personality is constructed and how people communicate and relate to one another.

I believe every child is a unique individual and my counselling philosophy involves a person-centred, collaborative approach. I feel the ‘therapeutic relationship’ lies at the heart of effective counselling. The core conditions of empathy, congruence, and positive regard, along with Virginia Axlines’ principles of play therapy, help clients to feel safe and contained, whilst expressing  inner feelings and communicating their lived experience.

As a psychotherapeutic counsellor, I have experience of working with loss, separation pre-bereavement and bereavement; stress; anxiety; attachment; low mood; self-esteem; grief; anger; domestic abuse; care experienced children and young people; adoption; neurodiversity; gender; sexuality and relationships. I have an interest in EMDR; Mindfulness; Imagery and Metaphor; and Object Relations Theory.

Whatever the issue you are facing, my hope is that you will allow me to walk alongside with compassion, empathy, and care as we make sense of a difficult situation or life event. Through counselling and creative approaches, we'll build a safe, therapeutic alliance, so you feel heard and valued and reach new understandings and meaning.

I also have clinical safeguarding training and I use the update service with the Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) for enhanced checks. 

As a new client, I would be happy to offer a free fifteen minute telephone or online consultation.

For parents, I would then offer a face to face initial session to complete a brief assessment prior to meeting your child, so we can explore your hoped for outcomes/ therapy goals further.