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I am due to soon be able to offer face to face counselling sessions from my own home in the LS16 area of Leeds (Horsforth/Tinshill/Cookridge area), in a specially renovated room. The space will be safe, warm and confidential - allowing a therapeutic sanctuary, allowing clients to focus on their needs. This space will be available to use from the start of December '24 (1/12/24). Personally I feel it is important to offer both a facility for face to face as well as remote counselling sessions (online video or phone) to clients.

My usual working hours for face to face and remote counselling sessions are as follows:

Monday 10am to 4pm

Thursday 10 am to 4pm

Friday 12pm to 4pm.

I can also offer some space for remote only sessions on Wed' to Fri' evenings between 7 to 8pm.

Thank you for considering me as your Therapist. My name is Matt. I am an experienced Person-Centred Counsellor based in Leeds, having significant experience working with those who have experienced trauma - being a Crisis Worker in Leeds for over the past decade. I truly feel you would find me approachable and genuine if you were considering having Counselling me. My approach to therapy is informed by the Person-Centred Approach (PCA), a very well respected model supported by a good evidence base for a range of concerns and problems.

I truly believe that ALL human beings have potential for change and healing. This can involve some challenging and intense emotional exploration through therapy. The PCA allows for deep collaborative work with clients, while also allowing individuals to feel like they are in control of their own therapeutic experience.

The aim of the counselling I offer is to build therapeutic relationships with clients, creating the safety needed to explore negative past experiences, feelings and worries. I genuinely hope in counselling with me, I would look to carefully develop and check my understanding of what matters to you, your values, culture, relationships and thoughts about yourself. In response I would look to openly reflect back what I sense from you as you talk through your experience, and giving time/space for this to process could hopefully lead to greater self-awareness, healing and mental well being.

My previous experience in the therapeutic realm is significant. For over 10 years, I was a Counsellor at Market Place Leeds - working with children/young people from 11 to 25, though sadly the service recently lost its funding. I still work as a Crisis Specialist Worker for Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service, specialising in working with adults who have experienced trauma/abuse. I also have recent experience working as part of the the Private Practice Team at Leeds Mind in Horsforth, now choosing to pursue my own Private Practice.

I offer counselling to individuals (from the age of 11 upwards). This can be either short or long term depending on clients' needs and decisions. I would hope my counselling can be of benefit for most psychological and emotional concerns, including Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Addiction, Bereavement, Relationships, Identity, Trauma and abuse. To genuinely emphasise the Person Centred Counselling I offer is designed to work with the whole person, your unique life experiences, culture and diversity brought by each client.

The sessions I offer (both face to face and remote sessions via video) are charged at £45 per session, which are 50 mins in length. I can also offer concessionary rates to those on low incomes or on state benefits.

Even though I work from a Person Centred Approach, I also have 5 years training in Psychology and significant experience of the medical model of mental health, working closely with many clients who either have a mental health diagnosis/condition or have had time spent within the mental health system itself. I have also worked with many individuals with Autism or who would identify with being Neurodiverse, working previously as a Support Worker and later a manager in the Care Industry for over 5 years in my previous career path.

My interest in creativity means that I am able to offer creative ways of work, including using art, drawing or music to find ways to express emotions when it is hard to get to certain trapped feelings or things can be hard to verbalise. In the safe space I will be offering for face to face counselling from the start of December 24, I will have a whole range or creative and artistic materials that clients would be able to use and be tactile with. As humans, we dont just feel emotionally, so exploring or physical and somatic selves through creative work and awareness can be powerful.

Thank you for considering me as your Therapist.

(Prior to any first session, I offer a free 20 minute telephone discussion/video so you as client can ask any questions you may have as well as being able to see if you feel you can connect to me and what I offer as a Therapist).

An initial first session of 50 mins (whether remote or in person) would involve a sense of assessing and information gathering to gauge what you as client would like to gain from therapy, as well as allowing an open space to start to connect with each other in a safe boundaried way. The most important part of any therapeutic relationship is quite the simply, the relationship itself - allowing for trust and safety to be gently built up.

If any of this feels appealing, I can be contacted via phone at 07542408258 or via email at mattcounsellor22@gmail.com.