Welcome to Natalie Anne Counselling
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Natalie Anne Counselling. My name is Natalie and I am a counsellor providing both short- and long-term therapy to adult individuals in Hertfordshire.
Supporting Exploration
I am a person centred counsellor and after changing direction leaving the corporate world I enjoy supporting others and holding a space for exploration and self development.
I have had an interest for a long time in well being and space to share confidentially and at a pace that feels right for to you.
My Approach
As a counsellor my role is to provide a space to support your journey and to explore anything that you want to share in sessions and work together whilst a better understanding of yourself.
I am a person centred counsellor which means I have an empathic, non judgmental approach and offer a chance to reflect on any difficulties or challenges you’re experiencing in a safe and confidential environment.
Together we can explore your situation at a pace that is right for you and a new perspective as well.
What issues can I help with?
People come to me for help with a wide range of problems. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavement
Problems with addiction
Abuse
Depression
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger management
Issues relating to sexuality
Difficulties at work or in retirement
My location
I work from private offices located in Bishop's Stortford Herts, and see clients from central Hertfordshire and Essex, as well as the surrounding areas. I will provide location details when we arrange our counselling sessions.
In addition to providing face-to-face therapy, I also offer telephone counselling and online sessions for clients in the South east, Cambridgeshire and beyond via Zoom. Contact me to find out more about how online therapy works.
Sessions & Fees
Sessions last for 50 minutes and usually on a weekly basis. Sessions cost £60 per hour and I have a limited availability for low cost sessions which can be discussed at the initial assessment.
I require 48 hours notice for cancellations otherwise full payment is required. I offer sessions face to face as well as online or telephone.
Some frequently asked questions
Many therapists tend to view Counselling as ‘short-term’ work; when someone has a problem that can be looked at and discussed in a clearly-resolvable way. This work often requires undertaking sessions for a certain number of weeks, to explore, discover and clarify a way forward. Therapy is a word used more to describe ‘long-term’ work; discussion that tends towards substantial issues and things that might be life-changing on a deeper level.
Whether counselling or therapy work best as a short- or long-term option depends on the client though, and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling can prove helpful as a continuing, longer-term option, or therapy can help resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
There’s no fixed or ideal length of time for the counselling process; it varies from person to person and will often depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. While I can work on an open-ended basis with clients, I find it is helpful for us to both agree before we start on undertaking a certian nunebr of sessions and reviewing where we are at once we reach that point. You are able to decide how long your therapy willl last, and in return my aim is to make sure therapy continues for only as long as it is of benefit to you.
This depends on what your needs are. Some people find that after only a very few sessions they have some clarity and focus and are ready to end the therapy. Other people value the ongoing support and relationship with me and will continue to come for weeks, months, or even years. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to therapy.
My aim is to offer you a first appointment, known as an assessment session within 1-2 weeks, this is once we receive your completed client pack back. However, waiting times will vary according to pressure on our resources, your own availability and the service you seek.
An appointment to our short term counselling, which is not subsidised, can be offered within about one week.
Confidentiality is one of the main ways in which therapy differs from many other forms of helping - for example, talking to friends or family can rarely offer the same degree of confidentiality as talking to a counsellor. Because of this confidentiality, you will find that - as you get used to coming for therapy - you are freer to talk about whatever you wish to.
No therapist can offer 100% confidentiality: there are some situations where the law requires disclosure of risk (e.g. certain child protection issues) and in common with most other therapists, there are some situations where I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. In particular, if someone tells me that they are thinking of harming themselves in a way that I believe puts them at serious risk, or if someone tells me that they are doing something that could put others at risk, I may not be able to keep such information confidential. However, breaking confidentiality is rare, and only happens after talking to the person concerned.
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 call on 07471210784 or send me a message via the form.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.