Emma Biggin

I currently have availability in my practice.

I am a BACP registered psychotherapeutic counsellor practicing in Henley and Wallingford. I have a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy from The Minster Centre (Middlesex University). I have also completed one year's training there at Masters level. This means that I have a depth of understanding and reflection to bring to my work. I provide a safe, supportive and confidential environment for you to explore whatever you bring, at your own pace. I believe that, given the right environment, we all have an inbuilt ability to grow and flourish. Seeing my clients change as they gain new energy and purpose (and they do) is a huge privilege.

Some of my clients come with difficult or painful life experiences, some sensing that they have patterns that are habitual and difficult to get out of that are making them unhappy, some clients feel low and just don’t know why. Others want to embark on a journey of exploration that will allow them to find a richer, more fulfilling way of being in the world. If any of this feels like you do get in touch and see how I can help.

I have had success supporting people with issues such as: anxiety, depression, addiction, disordered eating, autism and ADHD, bullying, bereavement, parenting, life transitions, menopause, gender, sexuality, relationship issues and trauma recovery.

Alongside my private practice I work for a low-cost counselling service. I am part of the allocation team which means I assess new clients' needs and allocate them to a counsellor who is the right 'fit' for them. This aligns with my belief that finding a counsellor who is empathic to your values and needs is an important part of the therapy process.

I am constantly up-grading my knowledge by attending workshops, online trainings and clinical discussion groups. I have regular supervision by supervisors aligned to my values.

I provide counselling and psychotherapy. I see counselling as a shorter term relationship that has a specific focus - often a difficult life event. Psychotherapy is a longer term relationship that enables you to explore deeper patterns of behaviour and relating that may have developed early in life but which are limiting you or causing you distress in the here and now. 

My training is Integrative which means that I blend core ideas from different modalities - there are many overlaps between them but due to an historical lack of communication and/or geographical distance between theorists these have often been seen as conflicting rather than complementing each other. An integrative approach seeks to create an holistic approach that supports work with the whole person: thoughts, belief systems, emotions and how these may be experienced in the body (or not). Much scientific research is now showing how interconnected these aspects are and this knowledge is incorporated into my practice.

I adjust my style to the needs of each client, however it may be useful for you to know a few things about the way I work. I have a relational approach. This means that I believe that making satisfying connections with other people and the wider world is central to our well-being – it can sometimes be helpful to look at where our patterns of relating may be getting in the way of our true potential for fulfilment. We are all making choices constantly to cope with life in the best way we feel able. Sometimes these choices support us, and sometimes we are using strategies that worked once, perhaps when we were young or vulnerable, or to cope with a particularly difficult event in adulthood, but which are now out of date and stop us getting what we really want from the world. If we can identify these fixed patterns we can make new choices that give us new possibilities. I use a gentle, relational approach - I believe that our relationships with others shape who we are and who we become.

From initial contact I aim to offer you a space where you feel able to choose what feels right for you.

After receiving your email, I will offer you a free phone call of about twenty minutes if you would like this. This is a chance for us to make contact and for you to share a little of what brings you to therapy, If you would like to have an initial session, we will then arrange this.

This session is slightly longer than ongoing sessions and lasts for around one hour. It is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and see how it would be to work together. Talking about yourself and about the reasons you are seeking therapy at this point can understandably create feelings of anxiety, especially if you have never done anything like this before. My aim is to make you feel comfortable - it is fine for you to go at your own pace and to decide how much you want to tell me. You can expect me to listen carefully to what you say and to ask for confirmation that I have understood you correctly. You can expect a safe, accepting environment in which I will support you with whatever brings you to therapy and what you hope to gain from it.

If you decide to continue working together, we will arrange a day and time that is set aside just for you and we will meet weekly for 50 minutes.