Lauren is a qualified counsellor with a Post Graduate Diploma and Masters Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy, which she completed at The University of Manchester. Lauren is a registered member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and she practices in accordance with their Ethics, Standards and Guidelines. She has over 5 years experience working as a counsellor in a number of different health care settings; GP surgery, disability centre and counselling organisations. She has worked with a diverse range of individuals aged between 16 and 80, all with different requirements and needs. Lauren has experience working in both brief/short term therapy and also long term private practice, dealing with issues such as depression, anxiety, bereavement, trauma, relationship issues and low self-worth. In her last role she worked on various counselling projects; supporting young people leaving the care system and employees of the local council suffering from personal issues or work stress.
She offers one to one counselling, in a non-judgemental and non-directive way, allowing clients to work at their own pace, to talk freely and be fully heard. She aims to provide a therapeutic relationship of warmth and understanding, creating a safe space for you to explore your emotional, mental and physical experiences. She seeks to help clients to identify how their issues are impacting upon their well being and the choices that are open to them. Through this, clients often find that they are more aware of their options, their feelings of powerlessness are reduced and positive changes are made.
She is an integrative therapist which means that she is able to use a range of different counselling approaches to support the needs of each individual; person centred, creative, cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic and more. Her work is mainly informed by the person centred approach to counselling which means that she uses her own experience and expertise to tailor the therapy to the client, not the client to the therapy. Her aim is to help you to achieve a greater self-awareness, make sense of your thoughts and emotions and find more effective ways to overcome difficulties.
Lauren is a qualified Reiki Practitioner who completed a First and Second Degree Reiki course in the Usui system of natural healing. Reiki sessions with Lauren can help to balance the energy systems in our body and promote overall health and wellbeing. Lauren has used Reiki channeling to help individuals experience emotional, physical, mental and spiritual healing through the power of touch. Lauren has found that through Reiki, individuals have reduced stress, enhanced relaxation and are able to release stagnant emotional energy lying in the body. Reiki sessions can be beneficial with or without counselling sessions, however Lauren would recommend a combination of both to promote overall health and wellbeing.
In Lauren’s spare time she enjoys walking through trails in the woods and being submerged in nature. She would describe herself as a creative and artistic person who loves to paint and create scrapbooks of memorable times in her life. She has recently been travelling in Canada, India and Thailand which involved volunteering with natural building projects and learning how to grow organic food. She is also a qualified Reiki practitioner who practices reiki, yoga and mindfulness as a way of promoting her overall wellbeing.
Lauren says “Seeking counselling takes a lot of courage as it acknowledges a desire for change. I assure you that you are not alone in this process, it is my calling is to support you every step of the way.“