Rachael Guest

I currently have availability for online and telephone counselling. I offer sessions Tuesday to Friday between the hours of 9:00am and 7:30pm with some limited Monday morning availability.

I offer open-ended counselling, which means we can continue for as long as counselling is helpful. We'll regularly review how things are going and adapt our work to reflect your needs. When the time feels right, we'll work towards an ending together.

I'm Rachael, an online and telephone counsellor. I support adults who have been forced to stop, slow down or reconsider life due to overwhelm, stress, ill health or grief.

At the heart of how I work is my belief that you know you best, even if this currently feels out of reach and has been for some time. You may arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about, or you might have no idea where to begin… both are ok.

Together we will gently untangle thoughts, feelings and experiences to make sense of what's happening for you. Through greater understanding and self-compassion, we can ease inner conflict, bring clarity and open up new possibilities for moving forward.

As we build trust, we can begin to explore your past, make sense of your present experiences and consider your hopes and fears for the future. We’ll take things at a pace that feels right for you.

As an integrative counsellor, I draw on different therapeutic approaches to support your individual needs. Please visit my website or contact me for more information about how I work.

My speciality is grief and loss but not just in the traditional sense. Life is punctuated by loss - deaths and departures, disconnections and diagnoses, dreams abandoned and directions changed. With each loss comes conflicting emotions and a requirement to make room to become someone new, whether you feel ready, or not. 

Whilst everyone’s journey is unique, I bring my own lived experience of bereavement and of living with chronic health conditions. I understand the emotional and physical challenges of navigating chronic pain, chronic fatigue and disability, and how ill health can impact every aspect of life, including identity, relationships, independence and our sense of who we are.

I’m here to welcome all of you, with warmth, kindness and acceptance. 

Finding a counsellor can be a daunting prospect so I offer a free, no obligation 20-minute telephone consultation for you to get a feel for me and my approach, and to decide whether you feel comfortable working with me.

During the consultation, I'll ask you a few questions about what you've been experiencing and what you're hoping to get from counselling. There will also be plenty of opportunity for you to ask me any questions you might have.

As part of my ethical responsibility as a counsellor, I work within the limits of my training, experience and competence. If I feel that your needs would be better met by a more specialist service, I'll discuss this with you and help signpost you to appropriate alternatives.

If you decide you'd like to go ahead, I'll send you a copy of our counselling contract before your first session. We'll spend approximately 20 minutes of that first session going through it together. The contract outlines important information about how we work together, including confidentiality, data protection, fees and cancellation arrangements.

As we build trust, we can begin to explore your past, make sense of your present experiences and consider your hopes and fears for the future. Each step of the way we’ll take things at a pace that feels right for you.