Mark Childs

I work with people throughout the U.K both in-person and online on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Life rarely follows the straightforward path we had hoped it would, and we can find ourselves in places we don’t recognise or discover that the path ahead delivers unexpected changes or challenges. These changes can often result in mixed feelings, some welcome and some hard to accept. I see my role as a counsellor as a 'fellow traveller', meeting and joining you at whatever point on the journey you arrive to me with. 

In order to this I work predominantly from a person-centred perspective, but I also draw from a variety of approaches to work as an integrative counsellor, which I trust helps me to best meet your specific needs.

However, I believe that the therapeutic journey is essentially a collaborative one. Therefore, to honour your uniqueness and autonomy, I would aim to approach any difficulties and obstacles in a mutual, collaborative and interpersonal way. This way we can together develop individual strategies that can benefit your situation.

I believe that using this approach allows me to respond to 'you' more empathically and beneficially rather than applying a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. 

I also have a lived experience of Autism, ADHD and Dyslexia. This is not all that I am, nor all I work with, but this feels a significant thing to mention to you before we meet.  

I understand that deciding to come to see a counsellor can be a hugely delicate decision to make, laden with emotions, expectations and fears. Because of this, the initial sessions will be about holding a space for you to feel safe and express yourself as you need to. This helps to build the therapeutic alliance between us and secure the foundation from which the therapeutic work will follow. I believe that this is an important part of the therapeutic work and an aspect that continually permeates sessions. 

As the relationship deepens further requirements will be highlighted, therefore, we will be able to work more creatively, interpersonally and set destinations for the therapeutic journey. We can work through your existential or spiritual concerns, help you to understand previous events and difficulties from your life, or work towards a specific goal. 

Depending upon what your needs may be, I can offer you various creative techniques, mindfulness-based techniques, meditation and breathing practices and methods to help communicate with a bodily awareness. 

I also have an artistic background and am a practising artist, therefore, I have an acute understanding of how the creative process works, it's obstacles and how it can be frustrating or difficult to express oneself. 

Generally, sessions are on a weekly basis and the therapeutic work can be open-ended or run through a fixed number of sessions, depending on your preference. 

The first session will be about exploring what has brought you to counselling, your current situation, what you hope to gain from counselling and what (if any) is your previous experience with therapy/counselling. 

It's also important for me to gain a deeper sense of who you are, therefore, I will generally enquire about your childhood background, significant life experiences and notable relationships. 

It is also a space for you to ask me questions. 

Other than this it is a space to initially get to know each other.