Dave Ginn

I currently have availability 

On the outside, you seem to be coping. You keep working, showing up for others and managing everyday responsibilities. But privately you can't switch off. Perhaps you've become more irritable, feel distant from your partner, or find yourself exhausted and unsure why things feel so difficult.

You might replay conversations afterwards, agree to things you don't want to do or keep difficult feelings to yourself. Or perhaps something has happened — a bereavement, a change in your relationship or a loss of direction — and the way you've always managed no longer seems to work.

I work with adults experiencing anxiety, stress, burnout, relationship difficulties, bereavement, low self-worth, anger and major life changes. You don't need to understand exactly what's wrong before getting in touch.

Before becoming a counsellor, I spent 35 years in business and finance, including senior leadership roles. I understand the pressures of responsibility and the expectation to remain capable even when you're struggling. Many of the people I work with are used to coping alone, but I welcome men and women from all backgrounds.

Counselling offers somewhere to explore what is happening rather than having to manage it on your own. We can look at the situations that leave you overwhelmed or stuck, how you respond and what you would like to be different — whether that's expressing what you need, feeling closer to others or finding a way forward.

I offer face-to-face counselling in Shenfield, near Brentwood, and online across the UK. Contact me for a free, no-obligation 20-minute telephone consultation to see whether working together feels right.

In our sessions, we pay attention to both what is happening in your life and how you experience it. There may be times when criticism, disagreement or feeling under pressure becomes particularly difficult. Your mind may go blank. You may lose the words, feel tension in your body, want to leave the conversation or suddenly become angry. These reactions can happen quickly, before you've had time to make sense of them.

Rather than rushing to explain or change them, we can slow things down and notice what happens in those moments. Understanding a familiar pattern is one thing; finding a different way to respond when it happens is another.

I'll listen closely, ask questions and sometimes share what I notice or how I'm experiencing our conversation. We can also be curious about what happens between us, here in the room, as well as in your relationships outside it. I won't assume I know what your reactions mean, and there is no pressure to discuss something before you're ready.

My approach draws on person-centred counselling and Gestalt psychotherapy. Gestalt pays attention to present experience — including feelings, physical sensations and what happens in relationships — rather than only talking about events afterwards. I originally trained in person-centred counselling and am currently completing advanced postgraduate training in Gestalt psychotherapy.

I have completed more than 800 supervised client hours across private practice, community counselling and hospice bereavement work. Our work will be shaped by what matters to you, not a fixed programme or expectation about what you should discover.

You can contact me for a free 20-minute telephone consultation before deciding whether to book a session. It's an opportunity to tell me a little about what has brought you to counselling, ask questions and get a sense of whether talking with me feels comfortable. There's no obligation to continue.

In our first full session, we'll explore what's happening in your life, what you'd like help with and what you hope might change. I'll help you find a starting point if you're unsure where to begin. You don't have to tell me everything at once, and we'll work at a pace that feels manageable.

I'll explain confidentiality, fees, cancellations and how we might work together. Sessions last 50 minutes and usually take place weekly. My fee is £70 per session, with a limited number of concessionary places subject to availability.

I see clients on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, including Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Face-to-face sessions take place in a private counselling room in Shenfield, with on-site parking. I also offer online counselling.

The first session gives us both a chance to decide whether working together feels right. If we continue, we'll review how things are going and whether anything needs to change.