Christopher Smith

I am currently accepting new clients.

I offer counselling appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays, with face-to-face sessions available in Gateshead, North East England.

Remote counselling is also available by video, voice or telephone for clients located within the UK.

Please get in touch to discuss current appointment availability and which counselling format would work best for you.

To enquire about counselling or discuss current availability, please use the contact form on the Hidden Dragon Holistics website.

My main therapeutic approach is Transactional Analysis, supported by a relational and person-centred way of working.

We may explore patterns in your thoughts, feelings, relationships and behaviour, as well as earlier experiences where these are relevant to what you want from counselling. Sometimes understanding how these patterns developed can help create greater awareness of the choices available to you now.

I aim to offer a calm, respectful and supportive space where you can talk openly and explore what is happening for you without being told what you should do. I may ask questions, reflect back what I am hearing, notice patterns with you, or invite us to slow down and think carefully about something together.

I see counselling as a collaborative process. We will explore what you hope to gain from counselling, regularly consider how the work is going, and adjust our focus where helpful. My aim is to work alongside you towards greater understanding, awareness, choice and meaningful change, at a pace that feels manageable for you.

I offer counselling face-to-face, by online video, online voice-only and by telephone.

Hidden Dragon Holistics is my private counselling practice, through which I offer individual counselling to adults aged 18 and over.

Sessions are 50 minutes and are usually arranged weekly. I offer face-to-face counselling in Gateshead, North East England, as well as remote counselling by online video, online voice-only or telephone for clients located within the UK.

Before counselling begins, we will have an assessment process. This gives us an opportunity to explore what has brought you to counselling, what you would like to be different, any relevant circumstances or support needs, and whether the counselling I offer is suitable for you. For remote counselling, we will also consider which format best suits your needs, privacy and circumstances.

I aim to make the process of entering counselling as clear and accessible as possible. You will receive information about the service before deciding whether to continue, and we will agree important aspects of the work such as confidentiality, appointments and practical arrangements before counselling begins.

I use a secure client portal for counselling administration, including forms, appointments and payments. Accessibility or communication needs can be discussed at any stage, and I will make reasonable adjustments wherever possible.

Before your first counselling session, we will normally have completed an assessment process to consider what has brought you to counselling, what you hope to gain from it, and whether the counselling I offer is suitable for your needs.

If we decide to work together, I will send you the counselling agreement to read before your first appointment.

Your first appointment lasts 50 minutes and costs £60, the same as my ongoing counselling sessions. At the beginning of the appointment, we will go through the counselling agreement together. You will have time to ask questions and we will make sure that important areas such as confidentiality, appointments, boundaries and practical arrangements are understood and agreed.

Counselling will only begin once we have agreed how we will work together and the counselling agreement has been signed or acknowledged. We can then use the remaining appointment time to begin exploring what you would like to work on together.

The first appointment is paid for in advance.