Nicola Roderick

I currently have availability for clients and trainee counsellors/psychotherapists completing their mandatory personal therapy hours. Weekend and evening appointments available.

I am a qualified Integrative counsellor and psychotherapist (PGDip - Distinction) registered with the BACP, currently undertaking my Master’s degree. My approach is built on a rich foundation, having spent over 30 years teaching psychology, which now informs how I support my clients.

My practice is rooted in the understanding that modern life and relationships create heavy pressures that can leave us feeling overwhelmed or stuck. Being human is hard, and being our true selves is even harder so we develop ways of being and coping strategies, often when very young, to ensure we get our needs met and are accepted by others. As we get older these strategies can themselves create difficulties for us.

I work with adults navigating a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, loss, relationship issues, and major life changes like retirement, bereavement, or shifting family roles. Because each of us is entirely unique, I tailor and blend therapeutic styles to suit you and what you need. The core of my approach is humanistic person-centred, but I also draw heavily on attachment, psychodynamic and existential theories, mindfulness, parts work and dream analysis where appropriate. I also use a range of creative techniques to enable access to feelings and experiences that are difficult to express in words.

Trainees: I offer a £35 rate for student counsellors needing mandatory hours. Supportive, integrative therapy with full course portfolio sign-offs provided. Whether you simply need a safe, compliant space to check off your required hours efficiently, or you want to use this time to dive deeper into your own personal material and development, my integrative approach adapts to you. We can focus on practical training and placement stress, or do deeper personal processing—whichever best serves your growth as a practitioner.

Limited mobility: My practice room is wheelchair accessible, but home visits can be arranged at an additional rate.

I believe that being met with total acceptance, exactly as we are, is where real healing begins. In my sessions, I provide a safe, warm space of stability, compassion, and strength. Together, we can gently explore difficulties and old patterns, bring awareness to what no longer serves you, and foster a deeper sense of self-acceptance and freedom with which you can move forward. Just bring your whole self, exactly as you are, and let’s go from there.

I currently have availability for general clients and trainee counsellors/psychotherapists.

As a qualified Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist (PGDip with Distinction, MBACP) currently completing my Master’s degree, my practice is built on a rich foundation of over 30 years teaching psychology. This background gives me an acute understanding of the theory you are learning and the exact clinical standards required by your course.

My approach mirrors the breadth of your training. While rooted in humanistic person-centred therapy, I draw heavily on attachment, psychodynamic, and existential theories, mindfulness, parts work, and dream analysis. I also utilize creative techniques to access feelings that are difficult to articulate in words.

I offer a flexible framework that adapts to your unique goals, broadly falling into two pathways:

1. Portfolio & Hours-Focus: A safe, grounding space to process placement stress, manage academic workloads, and navigate the "imposter syndrome" or countertransference that naturally arises when you begin seeing clients.

2. Deep Personal Processing: An opportunity to dive into your own personal development. We can safely explore early-developed coping mechanisms or relational patterns, ensuring your own history remains clear of your clients’ material.

Whether you simply need a safe, compliant space to check off your mandatory 20+ hours efficiently, or you want to use this time to grow deeply as a practitioner, my integrative framework adapts to you. I fully understand course criteria and provide all necessary hours tracking, portfolio documentation, and end-of-therapy confirmation letters promptly.

Neurodiversity & Processing Needs: I welcome trainees with diverse cognitive styles, including ADHD, autism, or dyslexia. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, I am always happy to adapt the pace, communication style, or sensory environment of our sessions to best support your individual processing needs and training workload.

I operate from two quiet, professional practices. Both locations are easily accessible by car and public transport or walking and are very comfortable and confidential.

Modern training and life create heavy, exhausting pressures and training to to hold space for others is a profoundly vulnerable process. Whether you want to safely process your placement experiences or complete your required hours in a space that models a flexible approach to client work, my practice is designed to be a secure base for your professional and personal development.

Logistics & Accessibility:

• Special Trainee Rate: My usual rate is £50, but I offer a dedicated student fee of £35 per session for mandatory training hours.

• Scheduling: To accommodate busy lecture and placement schedules, I offer flexible evening and weekend appointments.

• Accessibility: My main practice room is fully wheelchair accessible. For individuals with very limited mobility or specific physical constraints, home visits can be arranged at an adjusted rate.

Our initial meeting is a collaborative, low-pressure space designed to set up your therapy for success. Here is what you can expect from our first session:

• Contracting & Compliance: We will review your specific course criteria, log the required number of mandatory hours, and look at the portfolio documentation or end-of-therapy confirmation letters you will need me to sign off.

• Choosing Your Pathway: We will discuss what you want from this space. We can contract for a present-focused "Portfolio & Hours" space (focusing on placement stress, workloads, and countertransference) or a "Deep Personal Processing" space to explore your own history and early coping mechanisms.

• Experiencing the Modality: You will get a feel for how I blend humanistic warmth with, for example,  psychodynamic or attachment insights, and we can discuss whether things like creative techniques or parts work feel right for you.

• Payment Administration: To ensure that the sessions remain focused entirely on you and your therapeutic processing, payment is handled upfront. I ask for payment via bank transfer 24 hours prior to the session. This keeps our time clean and free from administrative distractions.

Discussing Processing & Sensory Needs: If you navigate the world with a different cognitive or processing style (such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia), our first session is a collaborative space to look at what you need. We can discuss how to adapt our communication or the therapeutic environment so that the space actively supports how your mind works best.