Susan Stubbings
Therapeutic Counsellor & Counselling Supervision

Counselling is a talking therapy, taking place in a confidential and non-judgmental space for you to explore confusion, disorientation, fear, pain and life's difficult conundrums. ​

 

 You will be met by a professional counsellor and supervisor with over 22 years experience,  a Registered and Accredited member of BACP,  British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, Reg.MBACP (Accred), the largest  professional association for members of counselling professions here in the UK.   This means by assessment my practice has been recognised and met BACP  higher standards as a competent, ethical and independent practitioner, to support others with  mental and emotional health issues.

 

Therapy with me

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Won't pathologize, diagnose, offer advice or tell you what to do. I value personal autonomy and come from a human perspective which is practical, realistic, compassionate and very passionately human, meeting you where you are on your journey to healing.  From a relational perspective, I offer you authentic relational presence, grounded  in transparency, in a confidential  environment,  I will listen and hear you.  Offering time and attention within an empathetic relationship which is aware, skilled, knowledgeable and promotes understanding, self-awareness, choice and voice, all  positive effects of  emotional intelligence

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Emotional intelligence doesn't come easy to those who suffer especially from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's).   Those who have been traumatised, abused or neglected and if your focus has been on surviving rather than living a fulfilling and happy life, your nervous systems never had time to self-regulate.  Dysregulated nervous systems go forward into adult living, creating stress, anxiety, depression, unfulfillment, restlessness in relationships and much much more.   Much mental discourse is pathologized through the medical model and drugs are considered the norm to 'fix' mental illness.  Don't get me wrong drugs do have a place in helping to support your symptom, this is the medical model.​​​​​

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I offer a different perspective, the human condition and how the body is set up to protect us from threats and dangers, known as the threat and protect systems.  I use a 'Biopsychosocial-Relational Modal'  (BPS-R) from this perspective there is nothing to fix only to understand, traumatic, anxious and depressed mental states are all symptoms of what happened to you, are normal responses to abnormal happening, as such you are not disordered but responding in the most natural and  appropriate way for you..

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 Working collaboratively through a holistic approach known as the 'Biopsychosocial Modal' which means we will work collaboratively to address your mental and physical health through a multi systems lens.  Your therapy will be unique to you and your needs, as you grow and develop, your therapy will change, as we address your biology, psychology, and social environments which give rise to your concerns and difficulties. 

 

 

These creative adaptations come with us into adulthood and create on-going affects of trauma, mental discourse, anxieties, depression, passive/aggressive, people pleasing, self-sabotage, imposter syndrome  and a whole host of disruptive behaviours, they become implicit patterns that we don't always know when we are using them.  We got hurt through relationships and the paradox is we can heal through relationship; the therapeutic relationship offers the best conditions to empathic healing and is unconditional, non-judgmental, consistent, honest and collaborative.  

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​​​Like a lighthouse supporting you through the stormy waters of life, finding the light within the darkness.  Offering you creative expertise for you to express your thoughts, feelings, somatic  and spiritual experiences, to clarify, heal and/or find solutions for that which restricts or causes you pain.  You choose what to bring into your session to reflect upon, we will take a holistic viewpoint and explore our biological, sociological, psychological and emotional worlds as they affect you as an individual and collaboratively we will foster your healing and if you choose your personal grow and development.

 

 

Food for thought  quote by Wayne Dyer

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As I look back at the entire tapestry of my life, I can see from the perspective of the present moment that every aspect of my life was necessary and perfect. Each step eventually led to a higher place, even though these steps often felt like obstacles or painful experiences.

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