Ian Bellinger

You may know exactly what is troubling you. Or you may just have a sense that something is not right and not yet have the words for it.

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 have lost confidence in yourself, be struggling in one or more relationships, finding work difficult, caring for someone else, or simply feel that life has become harder than it used to be.

Sometimes things look reasonably OK from the outside while not feeling OK to you.

I will listen to you with an open mind and try to understand how things are from your 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 you and what begins to make sense.

I hope that you will feel heard, understood and able to talk without judgement or pressure. You do not need to know exactly where to begin. We can start with how things are now.

I work with adults of all ages, as well as teenagers and children aged 11 and upwards.

For adults, counselling might begin with anxiety, low mood, work pressure, burnout, relationship difficulties, caring responsibilities, low confidence or a sense of feeling stuck or dissatisfied with the way life is going. You may be coping outwardly while finding things much harder inside. You do not need to be good at talking about your feelings. We can begin with an ordinary conversation.

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.

A young person might be worrying constantly, putting a lot of pressure on themselves at school, comparing themselves with other people, feeling rubbish about themselves, struggling with friendships or family life, or feeling different, misunderstood or as though they do not fit in. Sometimes they may not know what is wrong; they just know that things do not feel right.

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

If you are looking for a counsellor for your child, you do not have to know exactly what is troubling them before getting in touch. Before counselling begins, I will explain clearly how confidentiality, boundaries and communication with parents will work.

I have experience counselling carers and young carers, and also working with autistic people and people with ADHD.

Before becoming a counsellor, I worked for many years as a lawyer in London and abroad, including in demanding professional environments. 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 and of the importance of ethics, confidentiality and careful judgement.

I have flexible availability: please contact me to enquire

You may know exactly what is troubling you. Or you may just have a sense that something is not right and not yet have the words for it.

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 have lost confidence in yourself, be struggling in one or more relationships, finding work difficult, caring for someone else, or simply feel that life has become harder than it used to be.

Sometimes things look reasonably OK from the outside while not feeling OK to you.

I will listen to you with an open mind and try to understand how things are from your 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 you and what begins to make sense.

I hope that you will feel heard, understood and able to talk without judgement or pressure. You do not need to know exactly where to begin. We can start with how things are now.

I work with adults of all ages, as well as teenagers and children aged 11 and upwards.

For adults, counselling might begin with anxiety, low mood, work pressure, burnout, relationship difficulties, caring responsibilities, low confidence or a sense of feeling stuck or dissatisfied with the way life is going. You may be coping outwardly while finding things much harder inside. You do not need to be good at talking about your feelings. We can begin with an ordinary conversation.

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.

A young person might be worrying constantly, putting a lot of pressure on themselves at school, comparing themselves with other people, feeling rubbish about themselves, struggling with friendships or family life, or feeling different, misunderstood or as though they do not fit in. Sometimes they may not know what is wrong; they just know that things do not feel right.

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

If you are looking for a counsellor for your child, you do not have to know exactly what is troubling them before getting in touch. Before counselling begins, I will explain clearly how confidentiality, boundaries and communication with parents will work.

I have experience counselling carers and young carers, and also working with autistic people and people with ADHD.

Before becoming a counsellor, I worked for many years as a lawyer in London and abroad, including in demanding professional environments. 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 and of the importance of ethics, confidentiality and careful judgement.

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