Welcome to Talking Time Counselling
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't.”
― John Green, Turtles All the Way Down
My name is Beth and I provide online and in-person counselling for individuals and couples seeking to make sense of the challenges that they are facing.
I am a BACP registered counsellor, offering a safe, comfortable and non-judgemental space where you can be listened to and heard, so that you can navigate your way through your problems, make sense of them and find a positive way to move forward in your life.
When you are struggling with certain challenges in your life, it can be difficult to reach out for support and counselling is often the last thing we think of. You may feel a bit daunted at the prospects of sharing your personal thoughts and experiences. This is completely normal. But don’t worry. When we work together, you will not be asked to share anything you aren’t comfortable with, and we will move at a pace that is right for you. Together, we will form a relationship built on trust, empathy and compassion and, over time, you will feel more comfortable sharing your experiences.
As your counsellor, I am there to help you understand yourself better, so that you can find your own path through your challenges. I am not there to tell what to do, or what to think; I am there merely to listen with empathy, and to help you understand your thoughts, feelings and behaviours so you can gain a fresh perspective and a new understanding of yourself, moving towards reconciling your issues, or learning how to cope with them.
I help people with a broad range of issues they may be dealing with, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, relationships, stress, bereavement and loss.
For more information about how person centred counselling can help, see my ‘Issues I Work With’ section.
Couples Counselling
All close relationships have their ups and downs. There are so many pressures on our lives and on our time – from family to finances, from children to work – many couples can struggle and go through difficult times.
What is couples counselling?
Couples counselling is not about finger pointing or apportioning blame. It is about developing new ways to listen and communicate with the aim, if appropriate, to create a happier and healthier relationship. Couples counselling is a safe, non-judgemental space to look at the roots of difficulties and learn to reconnect. It is an opportunity to reflect on the relationship and patterns of interaction.
Who is couples counselling for?
Couples counselling is for those looking to make a difference in their relationship. It is for all ages and stages of a relationship. Counselling does not have to solely be for those in crisis but can be seen as a way to check-in before problems develop or increase.
What problems can couples counselling help with?
Couples bring a wide range of difficulties to counselling, from difficulties with communication, breakdown in trust or adjusting to life changes, such as becoming parents. The impact on the relationship of external factors, such as financial pressures or grief, can also be explored in couples counselling.
How does couples counselling work?
Counselling can provide a safe and supportive space to explore your difficulties and help you find a way through. The way we behave in adult relationships can have roots in our own histories. An important aspect of couples therapy is highlighting the impact of the past on both individuals and working to disentangle it from the present. At the same time couples counselling is about looking at the present and finding solutions for what is not working. The sessions can look at what both parties need from the relationship and how that can be achieved for both parties. It is also an opportunity to focus on how you interact with each other and what that represents. It is often about the arguments you don’t have rather than the arguments you do.
What couples counselling can't do
But counselling isn’t a magic bullet that will solve a couple’s relationship problems. Couples counselling can be challenging and hard work. It is not about making your partner change. It requires both parties to put in the effort and being ready to make changes. For some couples, the safest and healthiest option may be for them to separate and couples counselling can be an important part of the process. It might be that the counselling works with the grief of the relationship ending and how to move forward, this is especially important if children are involved.
Working With Me
Before we can begin working together, we will have a free initial consultation. This gives you the opportunity to share the issues that are troubling you and for me to find out as much as I can so that we can decide if and how we are going to work together. This will take place online, via Zoom, or a phone call and will take approximately 20 mins.
This is also the ideal opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about counselling and what it entails so you have clear expectations of how it can help you so you feel comfortable enough to move forward.
Sessions take place online (through Zoom) or in-person and last 50 minutes. I am available for short-term or long-term counselling. This depends on your individual needs and what you want to achieve through counselling.
I usually meet with clients weekly or fortnightly, but please contact me if you have any other requirements.
What is counselling?
Counselling is a talking therapy, where you will have the opportunity to discuss the issues that are concerning you. Together, we will explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours so you gain a greater understanding of yourself and the challenges you are facing.
When we work together, you will not be pressured into sharing anything you don’t feel you want to share – we will take the sessions at the pace that you feel comfortable with. Everything you share in our sessions is completely confidential, which enables you to explore your issues in greater depth and work towards reconciliation, acceptance or resolution.
As your counsellor, I will use my experience to draw on a range of approaches to help you gain clarity. I tailor my approaches to your specific needs and goals. My goal is to listen with empathy, to hear, and to support you on your path, empowering you to take control and make positive choices and changes moving forward.
Person Centred Counselling
Person Centred Counselling is a humanistic or client focused approach to therapy. Developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s, it puts you in charge of your journey of self-discovery; you move at your own pace and share only what you feel comfortable discussing. The purpose of the counselling is not to fix, but to help you reconnect with your sense of self, to help you reconnect with your inner values and principles.
A Person-Centred Counsellor is there to accept how you are feeling, empathise with your struggles and offer you a non-judgemental external valuation so you can benefit from a fresh perspective. This will help you make sense of your feelings and behaviours, and either achieve reconciliation or find ways to cope with them in a more positive way.
As an exploratory approach to counselling, it is not a quick fix. It takes time to work through your struggles and over time, you will feel more comfortable about exploring your feelings more deeply. Only then can you work towards reconnecting with your sense of self and achieving your full potential.
What issues can I help with?
I have experience in supporting clients with a range of issues, taking care to build a strong relationship with clients where you feel comfortable and confident enough to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, abuse, stress, bereavement/loss, relationship problems, online person centred counselling provides the space for you to explore your issues fully so that you can achieve your goals.
Anxiety
Do you constantly feel uneasy, worried or afraid? Anxiety can be mild or severe, and it can also be the symptom of other issues. Either way, if you are suffering with anxiety it can have a huge impact on your daily life and your wellbeing. Through counselling, we can explore the root cause of your anxiety and find ways to control the feelings of worry and find better ways to express your unconscious feelings.
Depression
When you are suffering from depression, it can often feel that there is no way out, that your feelings will never improve. Depression can be an ongoing feeling or it can be triggered by a life-changing event or experiences from your past. Through counselling, we can explore the causes of your depression and together we can help you find ways to unpick those feelings and replace your negative thoughts with feelings of compassion and positivity.
Abuse
There are many different forms of abuse, such as emotional abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse or bullying. Abuse has a huge impact on your self worth, your health and wellbeing, and can make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships and achieve your potential in life. Through counselling, you can begin to understand your emotions better, accept and come to terms with them, and escape the cycle of powerlessness you may be feeling.
Trauma
Any kind of trauma, whether that’s trauma from a recent event or from childhood experiences can have a profound impact on your health and wellbeing. It can leave you with feelings of anger, shame, guilt and powerlessness to a point where you feel you have no control over your thoughts and emotions. Through counselling, we can explore your feelings in depth, helping you to come to terms with the abuse, and providing you with ways of replacing those negative feelings with more positive, compassionate thoughts.
Bereavement/Loss
Bereavement and loss are a part of life. We all suffer with these feelings when we lose someone or something. But when those feelings don’t fade after a few weeks, and you struggle to continue with normal life, then counselling can offer you a way to understand your loss better. Through counselling, we will help you find ways to understand, accept and move past your feelings, integrating your loss into your life in a more positive way. These are just a few of the issues that I can help with.
If you would like more information about how online person-centred counselling can help you, please get in touch.
About Me
Through a teaching career that spanned 20 years, working in Special Needs, and my own personal experiences of counselling, I realised that helping people understand themselves and their problems to achieve their full potential was something I was really interested in. Counselling offered me a career through which I could help people explore their issues and find positive ways to move forward in their lives.
So, I left teaching and began my studies at Wiltshire College where I was awarded a level 4 diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. I also began volunteering as a counsellor at a wellbeing charity and I volunteer with a sexual abuse charity, working with adult survivors of sexual abuse.
Since qualifying, I have been focused on developing my practice further through ongoing training so I can offer the best possible service for all my clients.
Fees & availability
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is free. It lasts about 20 minutes and takes place online, via Zoom, or on a phone call.
Counselling Sessions
Online (individual counselling)
Sessions take place via the Zoom video platform. This way you have more flexibility of time: booking the session around your busy schedule. It also means that you can access the session from the comfort of your own home, without needing to arrange any travel.
In-person (individual and couples counselling)
Sessions take place at:
Pew Hill House
Pew Hill
Chippenham
SN15 1DN
Sessions are 50 minutes and cost £45 (online) and £50 (in-person and per couple).
Cancellation Policy
Please ensure you give at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel a session to avoid being charged for the session.
Availability
I am available for us to work together during normal office hours (Mon-Fri, 9am – 6pm). Please contact me if you would like to arrange any sessions outside of these hours.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07538240025 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Some frequently asked questions
This depends completely on you, your unique experiences and the issues that you are struggling with. If you are facing a current issue that you need help with, counselling may only be needed in the short term. However, if the issues that you are currently facing have deep roots in past experiences, it will take more time to explore those in more depth before you can understand them better.
Yes. All counsellors and therapists follow a code of practice which states that everything you share in a session is confidential.
Most therapists and counsellors like to see clients on a weekly basis as this enables them to make the most progress when working together. It is not recommended to see a counsellor more frequently, as it takes time to make sense of the ideas explored in a session. However, you can see your counsellor once a fortnight or every three weeks if necessary. Please talk to your counsellor about what they recommend.
Many people feel that they will clam up if they arrange to see a counsellor. This is a normal reaction. However, this is rarely the case as your counsellor is trained to help you feel comfortable enough to share your struggles and skilled at asking the questions that will help you open up.
After your initial consultation, your sessions will offer you a safe, non-judgemental and compassionate space to share your struggles. The session will be led by you, so you will have control over what you talk about and how much you want to share. At the beginning of a counsellor – client relationship, the counsellor will take the time to build a strong relationship with you so you feel comfortable talking about your difficulties.
©2022 Beth Stubbs
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