Guy Rands

Hi, I'm Guy 👋

I'm a Neuroaffirming Psychotherapist based in Hartford, Cheshire.

Before training as a therapist, I spent twenty-five years in education – teaching science, leading schools, and sitting with families navigating challenging times.

I hold a BSc in Molecular Neurobiology, and that grounding still shapes how I work: I'm genuinely curious about how each mind makes sense of the world, and I bring that curiosity into the room rather than a fixed idea of how someone "should" think or behave.

Much of my work is with neurodivergent people, and with the parents, partners and family members trying to make sense of a world that doesn't always make sense of them.

That said though, people come to me for all kinds of reasons, not only neurodivergence.

I also support other counsellors and therapists who want to develop an inclusive, neuroscience-informed practice.

My approach starts from strength, not deficit. I don't begin from the idea that there's something to fix. I begin with you – your pace, your communication style, your way of thinking – and we work outward from there.

What people often need most is space to think out loud with someone who will properly listen.

That's usually where change starts: a light switched on in what can feel like a dark place.

I offer three connected ways of working:

1. Neuroaffirming Therapy
2. Pre- and Post-Diagnosis Support
3. Neuroaffirming Coaching

Neuroaffirming Therapy is talking therapy that starts from where you are, not from a fixed idea of where you should end up. We explore your thinking together — building insight, self-awareness, and space for change that comes from within, rather than change that's prescribed from outside. It's open-ended and pay-as-you-go, usually in 60-minute sessions, with no minimum contract – we review and adapt as we go.

Pre- and post-diagnosis support is for anyone thinking about diagnosis, going through the process, or trying to make sense of one already received – understanding what it means for you, your relationships and your sense of self.

Coaching runs differently: a minimum of six contracted sessions, goal-focused from the outset, using the T-GROW model alongside motivational interviewing techniques.

I work with young people (14+) and adults across a wide age range (18–87), and sometimes with families where that's useful to them.

Sessions happen in my therapy room in Hartford, Cheshire – which is private, comfortable, and has off-road parking – or online, by phone, or as walk-and-talk sessions if that suits you better.

I'm flexible about format because the right environment is part of what makes therapy work.

I'm also honest about the limits of what I can offer. If I'm not the right person to help – with something specific, or at all – I'll say so, and try to point you somewhere better.

Fees are available on request; a free initial conversation always comes first, with no obligation attached.

Before any paid work begins, I offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation. It's a confidential conversation about what's brought you to therapy and what you're hoping for – and it works both ways.

It's a chance for you to get a sense of me and how I work, and for me to consider honestly whether I'm well placed to help. If I'm not, I'll try to point you towards someone who is.

If we both feel it's a good fit, I'll send a client agreement to read and sign, along with a request for an emergency contact – a standard part of working safely together. Once that's in place, we'll arrange your first proper session.

There's no separate assessment process and no different rate for the first session – it follows the same pay-as-you-go structure as ongoing work, and there's no obligation to commit to a fixed number of sessions in advance.