Azbel Szczepaniak

Monday: 12-5pm

Hey I am Azbel (they/them), I am a BACP registered integrative counsellor. I work with tenderness and curiosity around subjects of gender and sexuality, life transitions and change, emotional dysregulation and burnout.

If you feel lost in all that the world expects of you, who you are, what you need and what is meaningful to you, I am here to offer you the space to rest, reflect and find the way forward.

Perhaps you reflect on your life and you don’t know how you got here. You feel like you fell into a life that was decided for you, one that you felt obliged to follow. Your day to day is dictated by ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’ with little to no autonomy or time for yourself. And you feel exhausted.

Perhaps you are exploring your gender identity and sexuality (maybe not for the first time) and struggling to find what these mean to you. On top of your own struggles you feel like you are constantly dealing with how people react to you. Or you feel unprepared and stressed about sex because no one took the time to explore this with you.

Perhaps you feel disconnected from your body. You get surprised by sudden emotional breakdowns that seemingly come from nowhere. Or you feel numb and distant, unable to let the emotions out. You are stuck in the state of alertness, not knowing how to soothe your racing mind, overwhelmed emotions and overstimulated body.

As an integrative counsellor, I base my work on the Person Centred approach, CBT and Existentialism.

I put emphasis on creating a safe space and fostering a genuine relationship. I believe in providing a confidential, non-judgmental, sex-positive atmosphere. These conditions give you an opportunity to express your emotions openly and talk about difficult topics that have been weighing you down. I look at you and your problems with compassion and curiosity. I see you as a person, one that is struggling but also as someone who is resilient, with a fascinating story and so much possibility for growth.

In our sessions you will have the opportunity to share your story and feel understood and validated. We will work together to expand you awareness of your body, emotions, thoughts and behaviours, so that we can better understand what has protected you so far and what is holding you back. You will have the space to intentionally decide what is valuable to you, outside of the predetermined social scripts. Together we will find creative ways to shift your beliefs, solve problems, fulfil your needs and help you move in a direction that is meaningful to you. 

I offer a free 20 minute call where you briefly tell me your name, why you reached out and on what time and day you can attend the sessions. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have.

The initial three sessions are an opportunity for both of us to get to know one another more deeply and to see if I am the right therapist for you. I will encourage you to describe your difficulties and what you hope to gain from counselling. I will explain how I work and we will find the right approach that matches your needs. Following these three sessions you can decide if you would like to continue working together.