Susan Davies

Hello, my name is Sue Davies and I am a Person Centred counsellor with 18 years of experience and am proud and passionate about my choice of career which occurred at a later stage of my life.
At the present time I have availability for new clients and I like to see my clients on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and I like to be as flexible as possible.

As a Person Centred counsellor I will listen to your story with empathy and understanding and follow you wherever you may lead me. Metaphorically walking by your side, with no judgement, no recrimination, keeping one foot in your world and one foot in mine, keeping us both safe.

I listen to my clients with my whole being, with my ears, my eyes and my heart so that you will be truly heard. In this fast-paced world we live in, there is often too little time for us to be truly listened to and more importantly truly heard. I believe this is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other. Sometimes in life, we just need someone to listen to our story and to be just with you in that moment.

Life can become complicated, with all sorts of feelings tangled together or there maybe something specific on your mind, which may lead to feelings which are hard to manage alone. I am here for every scenario and between us we will be able to navigate your way through them.

The counsellor/client relationship is, I believe, the key to the therapy working. We need to be able to create a good trusting relationship and to work as a team. My practice involves not only providing a listening ear, but also a safe and comfortable environment for you to talk about whatever is on your mind. The sessions are led by the client and I follow them and support them to wherever and whatever they choose to take me, keeping us both safe.

I am a mature lady who has 4 children and 9 grandchildren, which makes me feel old but in my heart I feel similar to the girl I have always been, but wiser and with a great deal of life experience behind me.
I decided to begin my counselling career about 20 years ago. I needed to seek help from a counsellor whilst bringing up my children. At the time, seeking personal help from a stranger was quite radical and I felt ashamed that I was finding it hard to cope. One of my children was, I felt, 'out of step' with the rest of the world, was difficult and very unhappy. I was losing confidence in my parenting skills and I needed help. I only saw this very lovely lady for a short time but I felt she was a beacon of light in my (at the time) dark world. In time I trained to become a Person Centred counsellor and I honestly feel I have met my calling.
Since then I have spent some years volunteering with both Myton Hospice and The Shakespeare Hospice and Safeline, a charity for survivors of sexual abuse, gaining a lot of experience and enjoying the challenges this brought along with the comprehensive experience with so many clients. I have now been running my own very small private practice now for about 10 years.
I now have a 'a therapy shed' in my garden, overlooking the fields and where the occasional garden bird may come and help themselves at the feeding station while we are talking. I am also able to use LIfeways Therapy Centre in Stratford which is also very peaceful and a welcoming place to meet.  

Our first session will be a 'getting to know each session'. It will be informal. I will introduce myself, explain how I work and how we will work together if you decide that we might make a good team. I really believe that the 'client/counsellor relationship' is the key to the therapy working which is why we need this first session to make sure we are a good match. 

This is why I offer our first session free of charge, just to make sure, before we settle down to explore what is going on for you at the moment.
I very much look forward to meeting new clients and hearing their individual and unique stories. I meet my clients with no preconceptions, no judgements. I look forward to their story unfolding little by little as we begin to feel more comfortable with each other.

Thank you for reading my profile, I hope it has given you some insight into how I work and what I have to offer. I also want to say 'well done' in finding the courage to begin the process of facing your problems and finding the right person to support you and that you feel comfortable with. I truly believe that finding that special person and asking for help, when your world is in such turmoil is one of the hardest things to do.

Life often becomes tangled and complicated which can lead to stress and feelings of all-consuming despair. It may be there is something specific on your mind, which may lead to feelings that are difficult to unravel without help and support. I am here for every scenario. I will help you to untangle those complications, listen to you and help you to navigate your way through.

Thank you for reading my profile, I hope it has given you some insight into how I work and what I have to offer. I also want to say 'well done' in finding the courage to begin the process of facing your problems and finding the right person to support you and that you feel comfortable with.  I truly believe that finding that special person and asking for help, when your world is in such turmoil is one of the hardest thing to do.