Stephanie Archer-Fern

We learn, grow, change and heal in relationships. That is why the foundation of my work with clients is building a trusting relationship where you feel accepted, respected and safe enough to share your experience and start to explore the things that feel challenging for you right now.

You might be feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, worried, self-critical, numb or stuck. You might have experienced a difficult life event or be struggling with feelings of anxiety or depression. Maybe something just feels ‘off’ and you’re not quite sure why. Therapy provides the space to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your current difficulties and what it would take for you to feel better.

I aim to understand your experience from your perspective, without judgement. I am here to support you as you navigate the challenges in your life and find ways of moving forward that feel right for you.

If you are not sure how therapy could help you or want to find out more about how we might work together, feel free to get in touch to arrange a free initial consultation. This is an opportunity for us to get to know each other, for you to ask any questions you have and to decide if we might be a good fit (with no commitment to continue working with me). Starting therapy can feel daunting and it is important to find a therapist you feel comfortable with.

I am a BACP-registered counsellor and hold an MSc in Psychology.

I have experience working as a counsellor for community mental health charities and in secondary schools. I have supported people through a range of challenging life experiences, including anxiety, bereavement and loss, childhood abuse and trauma, challenges related to neurodivergence, low self-esteem, low mood/depression, relationship difficulties, self-harm, stress and burnout.

I work with clients from all walks of life and have a particular interest in supporting neurodivergent clients, including those diagnosed (and self-diagnosed) later in life.

My approach is relational. I work compassionately and collaboratively, keeping your needs at the heart of what I do. This means that therapy looks slightly different with each client as we find a way of working together that will be most helpful and healing for you.

I offer both short-term and long-term therapy, depending on your needs. Sessions are available both online and in person in Beeston or Nottingham.

In our first session we will talk about what brings you to therapy. I might ask some questions to help me get an idea of what feels most important for you right now. You can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable sharing. We can talk about your hopes and goals for therapy - do you want to feel calmer? more confident? better able to cope? You don’t need to have everything figured out right away, we can explore this together. We will also use the first session to talk about practicalities and look over our counselling agreement.