Kathryn Coulston

I currently have availability midweek in the day time and evening. I welcome you to contact me to see if we can find a time that works for us both.

Considering counselling can seem daunting and I appreciate your courage taken to reach my page. I believe if we feel able to express our true selves and feel seen, heard and accepted, we are well placed to enjoy good mental health, but this does not always come easily. You may find you’re struggling to cope, feeling stuck in some way and unsure about finding the best way forward for you. Perhaps you would like support navigating difficulties you’re experiencing, or with behavioural patterns that you notice are repeating. You might also be curious about your past and how this might inform what’s going on for you now. I have experience supporting people with various difficulties including self-esteem and self-worth, relationship issues, family separation, trauma, anxiety, panic, procrastination, low mood, chronic illness, disability, pain and confusion.

Sometimes difficulties may be brought on by stressful life events that impact our ability to cope such as loss and bereavement, redundancy, retirement, financial worries, moving house and exams or when we find ourselves struggling with relationships (personal, work or school). By working together we can explore your needs, deepen your self-awareness and ultimately progress towards healing and recovery.

In our sessions we will focus on what is troubling you, explore how you would like things to be different, and the changes you might like to make. My clients often report therapy helps them grow in resilience, autonomy, trust and knowing oneself, leading to a greater sense of feeling in control and confidence in feeling able to cope.

I offer face to face appointments in Tring working with adults, couples and young people aged 16+. I also offer sessions via video call. Sessions are weekly and can be short-term or open-ended depending upon your needs.

My approach to therapy is that I regard you as knowing yourself best and by working together we can explore whatever is important to you, helping you to achieve a deeper understanding of your experiences and feelings. As an Integrative therapist, I draw upon psychological methods best suited to your needs, for example: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for exploring the relationship between your thoughts, emotions and behaviours and developing skills for coping more effectively; Mindfulness techniques to help bring your awareness away from anxious thoughts or low mood; a Psychodynamic approach to help you explore how past events may impact you currently; and relational models to help you find out more about you in relationship to others and with yourself.

If words are difficult, we can work creatively together, for example: building your timeline can help identify your unique qualities and reveal connections between past events and current difficulties; creating your family tree can help you identify the nature of your relationships, support networks, and can shed light on generational patterns and how these might impact you.

The most important thing about therapy for me is the relationship and building trust between us. I offer a safe, confidential space where you can be your true self, without judgement. It is important that you find a therapist who is right for you. I warmly welcome you to contact me for an initial chat, to discuss your needs.

I have over 6 years experience as a support worker in the community for people impacted by Stroke, 5 years counselling experience supporting students and staff in secondary schools, and patients and carers coping with life-limiting illness in a Hospice setting, as well as my private practice.

On receiving your enquiry we will arrange an initial phone call or video call if preferred, lasting up to 30 minutes, to discuss your needs and any goals you may have. For couples seeking counselling, it is important that both parties are present for the initial phone call / video call. If working together is possible we will then arrange your first session.

Counselling sessions are 50 minutes for individuals and 60 minutes for couples. For your first session I normally offer 1.5 hours at the same rate as one counselling hour (£57 for individuals and £70 for couples), this is because it can be helpful to allow plenty of time to complete an initial assessment of your needs together. During the assessment we will explore what is important to you and agree the therapeutic approach most appropriate in helping you towards positive change.