Anxiety can feel paralysing, but life doesn't always have to be this way.
I specialise in working with people who are feeling so lost and overwhelmed they're not sure what the next best step is.
If you're looking to untangle the chaos in your mind and find a way forward, then you're in the right place.
But every day feels like a struggle. Everything feels like a stressful decision and you're running yourself into the ground trying to please everyone.
Work is stressful and it never feels like there is enough time in the day. You consistently question your skills, never take a proper break and get overwhelmed by your never ending to-do list.
Everyone around you sees you as a capable person they can rely on but inside you feel like you're barely holding it together.
At home, life feels chaotic and the never ending to-do list extends there too. Checking in with friends becomes a chore on top of the actual chores let alone having to decide what's for dinner...again.
You've forgotten how to have fun and now you're not even sure if you have the time or motivation when everything else feels like struggle.
Resulting in you feeling lost, anxious and unsure how to find your way back to yourself.
Ready to take the first step?
Hi, I'm Natalie, and I love helping people find their way out of the exhausting people-pleasing anxiety cycle that's holding them back.
For most of my life I felt like my place in the world came from what I achieved or did for others, but I never felt like I was doing enough. The next thing I did or achieved would finally be the thing that would get me there. It took working with a really great counsellor to help me figure out how to just be myself, and that I am enough as I am.
Now, I work with people helping them to figure out their 'shoulds' and how they show up in their life, because so often they're trying to live up to someone else's expectations instead of their own.
A lot of people come to me at breaking point: anxious, overwhelmed, and feeling like they're not good enough, even when they're giving it all they have.
It doesn't have to stay that way.
You've tried getting up earlier to give yourself more time to ease into the day, read the self-help books on anxiety and self-worth, and journalled at night to get the thoughts out (I stand by that all of these can be helpful).
But, it hasn't changed your life in the ways you hoped. You're questioning how this could be any different, you've tried all the advice already.
Good therapy isn't about giving advice, it's about giving you space to get underneath some of those thoughts and behaviours that aren't serving you right now. A space where you can turn up as you, no pressure to perform or impress.
People who have worked with me learn to live alongside anxiety, learn new things about themselves, the ways they show up in the world and make changes they couldn't have imagined.
Anxiety is a normal emotion, we just don't want it driving the car.
I want to hear all your thoughts on the 'coulds' and 'shoulds' of why you don't feel like you've got your life together. I'm not going to think you're boring, dramatic or too much.
Much of this work is untangling your desires from what others think you should be focused on, so I want to hear all the things that are important to you. I want to be in your corner for the big moments, and the little moments, as you start just being you.
If this sounds like what you need, then book a free introductory call with me to get started.
I am a strong believer that counselling is for everyone.
You may feel really stressed out and at a difficult point in your life so you’d like some support, or explore past difficulties that influence your anxiety and get to what is at the root of it. I’m here to meet you where you’re at to achieve your therapy goals
The exact way a session might go depends on the person’s preferences and what they would like to bring to therapy. For some people they like to work in a solution focused way so we might write some things down, come up with some practical ways to tackle them and what the feelings are around those tasks and what any barriers are.
For other people we work in a more go with the flow kind of way and we might start the session on one topic and see where it goes.
For most people there’s some level of balance between the two, the focus may drift or change within a session but we often loop round to where we started.
I also offer ways to work more creatively, for example buttons, cards and drawing. It may help to visualise things differently, or be appropriate to try and tap into the unconscious to see what else might be going on.
Whether working online or in person, sessions are 50 minutes long and then I usually spend 5 minutes taking payment and booking the next appointment.
Approximately every 6 weeks I like to do a check in to see how you are finding the process, if you feel like we’re on the right track with the topics we’re talking about or if there are other things we need to bring in to help you achieve your therapy goals.
Confidentiality in counselling is similar to confidentiality at the doctors. Without good reason, what gets said in therapy, stays in therapy.
I volunteered at Northamptonshire Mind for the placement part of my course, getting to
work with a wide variety of people on different topics ranging from anxiety to grief,
depression to self-confidence.
I worked as an associate counsellor in a sixth form, some of the topics I supported
students with were social anxiety, exam stress and worries about what was next after
sixth form.
I am now solely focused on my private practice work specialising in anxiety, stress and
self-esteem, open to anyone 18+ who would like to work online or in person.
I completed an Introduction to Counselling in 2016 and then in 2018 I started my Masters
in Counselling at the University of Northampton, graduating in 2021.
Due to work having to move online during the pandemic I completed the Counselling Tutor
‘Online and Telephone Counselling’ training course to ensure I learnt how to work
ethically and safely which I continue to follow today.
Since graduating I have continued with reading and online courses particularly around
anxiety, autism and ADHD.
I work flexibly with my clients so you can choose how often you would like to attend, but I would recommend weekly or fortnightly sessions, depending on your circumstances. Some clients start by working with me weekly, and once they feel settled and want more time to put some of the things they have learnt into action, they move to fortnightly.
I charge £85 per session.
Each session lasts 50 minutes. We will then wrap up the session, where I will take payment and confirm our next appointment.
If you wish to work in person, I work from Southam Speaking Space and CW Therapy rooms in Kenilworth.
If you prefer to work remotely, I also work online using Zoom.
I am also flexible and happy to switch between the two if work or personal commitments would make it easier for you to attend.
There is no minimum or maximum number of sessions you need to attend. Some people choose to attend 6-8 sessions because they have a specific experience they wish to talk through, such as anxiety about a work situation. Other people attend longer, anywhere from 3 months to a year plus, because their situation requires more time and in-depth work. Sometimes clients choose to attend for one reason but then stay to work on something else.
I have a BSc in Sociology from Liverpool John Moores University.
I have a Masters in Counselling from the University of Northampton.
I volunteered at Northamptonshire Mind for the placement part of my course, working with a wide range of people on different topics such as anxiety, grief, depression and self-confidence.
Once qualified, I worked as an associate counsellor in a sixth form. Some of the topics I supported students with were social anxiety, exam stress and worries about what was next after sixth form.
My current counselling work is solely my private practice, specialising in anxiety, stress and self-esteem. I am open to working with anyone 18+ who feels like I could be a good match for them.
Yes, I am an Associate Member of the BACP, register number: 393860
I am also an Accredited Registrant of NCPS, register number: NCS24-01926
I will phone you or meet with you on Zoom to ask a bit about what's bringing you to therapy and what you're hoping for. I will tell you a bit about myself and what our work together could look like. I'll ask if you have any particular questions or any worries about attending that we could talk through. I'll also ask about the practicalities, such as your availability, whether you would like to attend in person or online, and how often you would like sessions.
In the first session, we will review the counselling agreement that I will have emailed you, and I'll ask you to fill in a contact form. I'll check if you have any questions about the agreement or counselling in general and ask you to sign the agreement.
How the rest of the session progresses is up to you. You may have a particular place you would like to begin, or I can guide the session by asking questions about your work, home, support network, or if there is anything you think is important for me to know to understand your situation.
Please use the contact form below or email me with some dates and times you're available, and I will do my best to fit you in.