Welcome to

Caring Counselling Worthing

Professional counselling and supervision in West Sussex

Welcome

Have you ever felt really heard?

Do you remember what it felt like when someone just got you?

We all go through tough times. Facing personal challenges can feel overwhelming, and it’s often a relief just to get things off your chest and talk about what’s going on.

Holding your feelings in can be a bit like shaking a can of fizzy drink — all that pressure builds up inside. If there’s no gentle release, things can come bursting out.

It really helps to have someone you feel comfortable opening up to, someone you can be honest with about how you’re feeling. But sometimes, the things we’re dealing with feel too hard to share with family or friends. I’ve had many clients say, “I don’t want to be that person” — the one who brings the mood down, seems boring or needy, or feels like a burden.

Starting counselling might feel like a big step. The idea of opening up and being vulnerable can be a bit scary. But in my experience, the thought of it is often harder than the reality. And the fact that you’re here already means you’ve taken the first step.

If life feels particularly challenging right now and you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, unhappy or dissatisfied with how things are going, you don’t have to face your problems alone - I can help.

My experience

With over 20 years’ experience, I’ve worked with many people — especially those in unpaid caring roles.

While I support people from all walks of life, I understand how caring for someone you love can bring its own set of challenges. It can have a deep impact on your emotional wellbeing, often leading to stress, exhaustion, and feelings of helplessness or hopelessness. You might feel constantly tired and run down, with disrupted sleep — or find it hard to sleep at all. You might be grieving the life you had before, the future you imagined, or the relationship you once had. It’s also common to experience guilt, frustration or resentment, even towards the person you're caring for. These are very human responses, but they can be hard to admit to or talk about.

As a counsellor, I provide you with an opportunity to talk openly and explore whatever you're facing at your own pace. I won’t tell you what to do - or offer quick fixes - but I’ll work alongside you to understand what's going on in your life and to help you find ways forward that feel right for you.

I offer an initial online or face-to-face consultation to help you feel at ease and see if we’re the right fit. If you’d like to know more about how counselling works and how I can help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

You don’t have to face everything at once — and you don’t have to face it alone.

How I can help you

I’m committed to providing a non-judgmental, impartial and understanding environment where you can explore your thoughts and express and process your feelings safely and with support.

I will help you:

explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to develop a better understanding of yourself and others
find your own solutions – whether that’s making effective changes or finding ways of coping.

You’ll get the best results if you’re open and honest about how you’re really thinking, feeling and behaving.

"It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens, how confusions that seem irremediable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard."

Carl Rogers, 1980. A Way of Being.

What I can help you with

I’ve spent the last 20 plus years counselling carers – people who give unpaid care to family members, partners or friends who need help because of illness, disability, frailty, addiction or mental health issues.

Many carers worry constantly about the person they care for. Some experience money troubles, or frustration at how caring affects their friendships and careers. These feelings can become overwhelming and affect their ability to live life fully.

Caring responsibilities can affect people in many different ways and bring to the surface issues that all sorts of people may experience as a result of work, personal or relationship issues, and I’ve worked with people experiencing poor mental health, stress, anxiety, low mood or depression, feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, anticipatory grief and loss.

"Counsellors may have different goals with different clients. They may assist clients, for instance, to heal past emotional deprivations, manage current problems, handle transitions, make decisions, manage crises, and develop specific lifeskills"

Nelson-Jones, R. (2005). Practical counselling and helping skills

Working together

For me, the client-counsellor relationship is crucial. Much of the effectiveness of talking therapy depends on the connection you feel with your counsellor. So it is essential that you feel comfortable working with the person sitting in front of you.

A therapeutic relationship should feel 'safe, but not too safe’. A counsellor isn’t there to be your friend. They’re not there to approve of or uphold the way you live your life. Instead, they help you understand yourself and how you relate to others.

If we’re to work together effectively, you need to feel able to take risks by sharing and discussing sensitive issues.

I will work with you to build a relationship where I can understand your needs and you can trust me. We’ll also make sure we understand each other's expectations, so that our work stays on track.

If you feel I’m not the right counsellor for you, you may wish to find someone different - and that is fine.

Please contact me if you:

are going through a sad or upsetting time
feel emotionally exhausted, low or depressed
feel like you can’t cope
are experiencing stress, worry or anxiety
have issues with frustration and anger
feel confused, stuck or unfulfilled
lack energy or motivation
are experiencing sadness, grief or emptiness
feel that you’ve lost an important part of yourself, or aren’t making time for yourself
have given up work and are finding it hard to adapt
are suffering from isolation and loneliness
feel that you’re not good enough, or have lost confidence
feel guilty or sense that you've let yourself or others down
have issues with sleep
please contact me if you are seeking counselling supervision

Support for change

Our sessions will be led by you, but I will be by your side helping you to gain deeper insight into the issues you face and identify the areas you would like to change. And I'll work with you to help you make the changes you want.

I may provide information, but I won’t tell you what you should think or do.

What won't I do?

I won’t:

give advice
diagnose a ‘condition’
set goals for you - or decide if you’ve met your goals
share my opinion or compare my experiences to yours