Ian Bellinger

I work primarily with teenagers and young people, including children aged 11 and upwards. I also work with adults of all ages.

If you are looking for counselling for your child, you may have noticed that they are not quite themselves. Perhaps they seem worried, withdrawn or easily frustrated, or are struggling with school, friendships or family life. They may find it difficult to talk about what is wrong, or may not know themselves.

With young people, I know that talking does not always come easily, particularly at first. They do not need to arrive ready to talk openly about their feelings. Trust can take time.

I will listen with an open mind and try to understand how things are from their point of view. I aim to be calm, straightforward and conversational. I will listen carefully, ask questions when they seem useful and try not to jump to conclusions.

I do not believe it is helpful to rush towards solutions before we have had time to understand what is going on. Sometimes there is more to a difficulty than first appears. We can explore what is happening, what it means to them and what begins to make sense.

What matters to me is building a relationship in which a young person feels listened to and taken seriously, without being judged or told what they ought to think or do.

I take the same approach with adults. You do not need to know exactly where to begin. We can start with how things are now.

I have experience counselling carers and young carers at Kingston Carers Network, and working with autistic people and people with ADHD. I currently also work with young people at Off The Record, Twickenham.

Young people come to counselling for many different reasons. They might be worrying constantly, putting a lot of pressure on themselves at school, comparing themselves with other people, feeling rubbish about themselves, or struggling with friendships or family life. Some feel different, misunderstood or as though they do not fit in. They may be trying to work out who they are, how they fit in, and how to make sense of the different messages they encounter about relationships and what is expected of them. They may seem withdrawn, angry or less confident. Sometimes they do not know what is wrong; they just know that things do not feel right.

If you are a parent or guardian considering counselling for your child, you do not have to know exactly what is troubling them before getting in touch. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Before counselling begins, I will explain clearly how confidentiality, boundaries and communication with parents or guardians will work.

I also work with adults. You may know exactly what is troubling you or just have a sense that something is not right. You might be worrying all the time, overthinking things or finding it difficult to switch off. Perhaps you feel low, exhausted, overwhelmed or constantly on edge. You may be struggling with relationships, work pressures or caring for someone else. Sometimes things look reasonably OK from the outside while not feeling OK to you.

I work with a very wide range of difficulties, so whatever is troubling you or your child, please feel free to contact me to enquire about how I might help.

Before becoming a counsellor, I worked for many years as a lawyer in London and abroad. That gives me some understanding of pressure, responsibility and the expectations that can come with professional life. It also left me with a strong sense of professional responsibility.

I offer a free introductory meeting (up to about 15 minutes) on the telephone or online for you to decide whether you would like to work with me.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

I have flexible availability: please contact me to enquire

I work primarily with teenagers and young people, including children aged 11 and upwards. I also work with adults of all ages.

If you are looking for counselling for your child, you may have noticed that they are not quite themselves. Perhaps they seem worried, withdrawn or easily frustrated, or are struggling with school, friendships or family life. They may find it difficult to talk about what is wrong, or may not know themselves.

With young people, I know that talking does not always come easily, particularly at first. They do not need to arrive ready to talk openly about their feelings. Trust can take time.

I will listen with an open mind and try to understand how things are from their point of view. I aim to be calm, straightforward and conversational. I will listen carefully, ask questions when they seem useful and try not to jump to conclusions.

I do not believe it is helpful to rush towards solutions before we have had time to understand what is going on. Sometimes there is more to a difficulty than first appears. We can explore what is happening, what it means to them and what begins to make sense.

What matters to me is building a relationship in which a young person feels listened to and taken seriously, without being judged or told what they ought to think or do.

I take the same approach with adults. You do not need to know exactly where to begin. We can start with how things are now.

I have experience counselling carers and young carers at Kingston Carers Network, and working with autistic people and people with ADHD. I currently also work with young people at Off The Record, Twickenham.

Young people come to counselling for many different reasons. They might be worrying constantly, putting a lot of pressure on themselves at school, comparing themselves with other people, feeling rubbish about themselves, or struggling with friendships or family life. Some feel different, misunderstood or as though they do not fit in. They may be trying to work out who they are, how they fit in, and how to make sense of the different messages they encounter about relationships and what is expected of them. They may seem withdrawn, angry or less confident. Sometimes they do not know what is wrong; they just know that things do not feel right.

If you are a parent or guardian considering counselling for your child, you do not have to know exactly what is troubling them before getting in touch. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Before counselling begins, I will explain clearly how confidentiality, boundaries and communication with parents or guardians will work.

I also work with adults. You may know exactly what is troubling you or just have a sense that something is not right. You might be worrying all the time, overthinking things or finding it difficult to switch off. Perhaps you feel low, exhausted, overwhelmed or constantly on edge. You may be struggling with relationships, work pressures or caring for someone else. Sometimes things look reasonably OK from the outside while not feeling OK to you.

I work with a very wide range of difficulties, so whatever is troubling you or your child, please feel free to contact me to enquire about how I might help.

Before becoming a counsellor, I worked for many years as a lawyer in London and abroad. That gives me some understanding of pressure, responsibility and the expectations that can come with professional life. It also left me with a strong sense of professional responsibility.

I offer a free 15 introductory meeting online for you to decide whether you would like to work with me