About Me
My name is Emma and I offer therapeutic counselling. I am an Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor in Private Practice.
I am a fully qualified counsellor with a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Integrative), which was awarded by the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB).
I am a registered individual member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their Ethical Framework for Best Practice.
I believe that client and counsellor are equals as persons, working together to improve the client’s quality of life. I see it as my role as a counsellor to support clients in their quest for a better quality of life and walk beside them.
I am a firm believer in continuous professional development and therefore frequently attend short courses and workshops to learn new skills in counselling and improve my knowledge.
My Experience
Before training as a counsellor, I spent 14 years working within the NHS in Children and Families Services, later moving into Adult Mental Health where I worked alongside the Service Manager.
This experience gave me a deep understanding of how mental health services operate and, more importantly, the real-life challenges people face when seeking support.
Through this work, I recognised my desire to work more directly and therapeutically with individuals and families. I went on to complete four years of professional counselling training, alongside specialist training with the Dorset Rape and Childhood Sexual Abuse Centre, developing particular experience in supporting those affected by sexual violence and childhood trauma.
I also worked within the Poole NHS Maternity Department, providing compassionate support to parents and families navigating baby loss, grief and trauma — work that continues to inform my sensitive and thoughtful approach today.
Alongside these roles, I established my private practice, which has now been running successfully for over nine years.
I currently work exclusively from my practice in Ashley Cross, offering a confidential, supportive and non-judgemental space where clients can feel heard, understood and respected.
I am an Associate Counsellor with DorPip, supporting families to strengthen relationships and wellbeing, and I also work as an Associate Therapist delivering Solution Focused Therapy within an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
How I Can Help
I have experience supporting clients with a wide range of difficulties, including:
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression and low mood
Abortion, miscarriage and stillbirth
Sexual abuse and rape
Emotional abuse and domestic violence
Suicidal thoughts
Loneliness and isolation
Bereavement and grief
Low confidence and self-esteem
Phobias
Bullying (past and present)
Self-harm
Childhood trauma and complex trauma
Work-related stress
Health anxiety
Life transitions and feeling “stuck”
I also offer couples counselling, family counselling and support with infant–parent attachment.
My Approach
I am a qualified counsellor with an Integrative Counselling Diploma which means I studied the following different theories: Person Centred Counselling, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt.
Integrative Counselling means that I don’t work following one certain method. It’s more like having a tool box with lots of different tools in it and using the one that seems appropriate for a particular client in a particular session.
During your counselling sessions I use a person-centred approach, meaning the sessions are what you want to discuss, and together we will explore your concerns and difficulties. I also draw on the other theories mentioned above and below as appropriate. This helps to offer the right individual support to suit the different needs of
each client.
Person-centred therapy (also known as "client-centred" counselling)
Person-centred therapy focuses on an individual's self worth and values. Being valued as a person, without being judged, can help an individual to accept who they are, and reconnect with themselves.
Transactional analysis is based on the theory that we each have three ego states: Parent, adult and child. By recognising ego-states, transactional analysis attempts to identify how individuals communicate, and how this can be changed.
Gestalt therapy can be roughly translated to 'whole' and focuses on the whole of an individual's experience, including their thoughts, feelings and actions. Gaining self-awareness in the 'here and now' is a key aspect of gestalt therapy.
I believe that everyone is unique and individual and should be treated that way, we may all need counselling at some stage through our lives to cope with sometimes difficult and troubled circumstances. This can vary from life changing circumstances in the present or past which you may be finding difficult to deal with at this time. Counselling is not about changing the past but finding a way to deal with the present and making a decision if moving on is the right thing for you. Sometimes exploring issues can help you to understand how you feel and I am able to offer you support through these difficult times with the knowledge that the service you receive is completely confidential and professional and that you can be assured that you will not be judged.