Chesney Jefferson

I'm currently welcoming enquiries ahead of my return to counselling in November 2026, following parental leave.

If you're considering working with me, you're very welcome to get in touch with any questions or to arrange a free introductory call.

I think being able to be yourself around at least one other person in the world is pretty damn important.

Not the version of yourself you're supposed to be to keep everyone else happy, but the YOU that's bubbling away inside, perhaps too scared or vulnerable to be seen. Where do you get to talk about the things you find hard to say, or worry someone might judge you for?

If you're going to trust me with those parts of your life, I think it's only fair you know a little about me, too.

I'm a dad, a husband, a son and a friend. I make music, write children's books and love being outdoors. I've also experienced grief, struggled with my sense of masculinity, and had a complicated relationship with alcohol and other substances. There have been times when I haven't much liked, or even recognised, the person I'd become.

I don't share that because I think I know what your life is like. But those experiences have shaped how I see the world. We can all get things wrong, carry shame, lose our way, change our minds – and we're still worthy of care and understanding.

That belief is at the heart of how I work. I'm a person-centred counsellor, but I don't put on a 'counsellor persona' when we meet. I want to understand how the world looks from where you're sitting, including the bits that feel messy, contradictory or difficult to admit. You don't have to make your story neat or palatable for me.

I'm incredibly proud of the care, warmth and lack of judgement I bring to my work. That doesn't mean we need to avoid difficult conversations or pretend everything is fine when it isn't. We can face uncomfortable things with honesty and care, without turning them into a judgement about who you are.

For me, some of the most powerful moments in therapy happen when someone feels genuinely understood and accepted. Things that might have existed only inside your own head suddenly exist between two people. You're not carrying them entirely on your own anymore.

I offer one-to-one counselling for adults in several ways:

• In person: At my counselling room in Norwich (NR2).
• Online: From anywhere in the UK.
• Walk and talk: Outdoors in Norwich.
• Home visits: Available by arrangement in Norwich and the surrounding area, particularly for people who might find it difficult to attend counselling elsewhere.

All sessions last a full hour (60 minutes) and cost £80, regardless of how we meet.

There's no set number of sessions. Some people come with something specific they'd like to explore over a few weeks; others prefer to work together for longer. We can work in whichever way feels right for you, and review things as we go.

People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons. It might be anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties or questions about who they are and how they want to live. Sometimes there's a particular thing they want help with. Sometimes they just know something doesn't feel right and aren't sure why.

I'm particularly interested in grief and loss, sex and sexuality, parenting, masculinity and femininity, drugs and alcohol, and questions of spirituality, religion and meaning.

Some of these are things I've wrestled with in my own life, and I know how much shame, confusion or pressure to be a certain way can surround them – and how difficult that can make it to speak freely.

You can talk to me about things you aren't proud of, thoughts that unsettle you, or feelings that don't fit the picture other people have of you. I won't assume I understand your experiences just because I've lived through difficult things myself. I want to understand what they mean to you.

I'm not here to tell you what to do or give you my answers. I'd rather get to know you, explore what's going on alongside you, and support you in finding your own way forward.

I have a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and am a registered member of the BACP.

Free 15-minute introductory call

Before we start, I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. We can briefly talk about what's brought you to counselling, you can ask any initial questions, and I can explain a little about how I work. We can also check whether we have a suitable time available.

There's zero commitment to go ahead if either of us feels it's not the right fit.

What happens in the first session?

The first session is an opportunity to start getting to know one another, and for you to begin talking about whatever feels important to you. There's no expectation that you'll have everything figured out or know exactly where to start.

I'll also make sure you're clear about the practical and ethical side of working together, including confidentiality and its limits. We'll talk about boundaries too – things like what happens if we cross paths outside of counselling – so we're both clear about how we'll work together.