Lucy Meaden

I currently only offer telephone and online therapy.

I have availability on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays during the day and in the evening.

I have limited availability on the weekends but I am able to accommodate based on flexibility allowances. 

I work from a person-centred foundation. I believe you are the expert on your own life and that, given the right conditions, people have a natural capacity to grow and heal. My role is to offer a warm, genuine and non-judgemental space where you can explore what is troubling you at your own pace, without feeling hurried or judged.

Our work together is collaborative. In the first session we will talk about what has brought you to counselling and what you hope to gain, and we will agree how we would like to work. I listen closely, reflect back what I hear, and gently help you make sense of your thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Where it feels helpful, I draw on CBT-informed tools or psychodynamic ideas to offer practical strategies or to understand longstanding patterns. I will always check with you first, and I tailor the work to you rather than expecting you to fit a particular model.

My practice is trauma-informed. I understand that difficult experiences can leave a lasting mark, so I pay close attention to safety, trust and pacing, and I will never push you to talk about anything before you are ready.

I have a particular interest in grief and loss, including anticipatory grief, and in supporting people recovering from trauma and domestic abuse.

I work within the BACP Ethical Framework, attend regular clinical supervision and keep my training up to date.

I am a counsellor and psychotherapist with an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Distinction) from Keele University. I have completed client hours, gained through placements and paid work in a hospice bereavement service and a domestic abuse service.

To arrange an initial conversation, please contact me through this profile. currently work as a sessional bereavement counsellor at Katharine House Hospice, supporting people facing loss and anticipatory grief. Alongside this, I work with young people in residential care, which has given me a calm, steady presence when supporting people in distress. My additional training includes CBT (Level 3), psychodynamic psychotherapy, Theraplay and Therapeutic Life Story Work.

What to expect

Reaching out can feel daunting, so I aim to make it as easy as possible. We can start with an initial conversation to see whether we feel like a good fit. Sessions are 50 minutes and usually weekly, and we will review how things are going together as we go. There is no pressure and no need to know exactly what you want to say. You can simply come as you are.

Everything you share is confidential, within the limits of safeguarding and the law, which I will explain at the start.

To arrange an initial conversation, please contact me through this profile.

Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and for you to explore what you would like to get out of therapy. There is no pressure to have it all figured out. You are welcome to talk about whatever feels important, or simply to tell me a little about what has brought you here.

It is also an opportunity to see whether we are a good fit. The relationship between client and counsellor is one of the biggest factors in how helpful therapy can be, so I encourage you to notice how it feels to talk with me and to ask any questions about how I work.

In this session we will:

Talk about what has brought you to counselling and what you hope might change

Think together about how we might work and how often we might meet

Go through the practicalities, including confidentiality and its limits, fees and cancellations

I do not ask you to complete any forms beforehand, though I will ask for some basic contact details and a few questions about your health and wellbeing. / I will email you a short form to complete before we meet.

Afterwards there is no obligation to continue. If you feel I am not the right counsellor for you, that is completely fine, and I am happy to suggest other options.