Iris O'Connell

I offer flexible face-to-face or online availability Monday to Friday, subject to current commitments. Please contact me to explore suitable session times.

Working hours:

Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 19:00 pm

(availability subject to current bookings)

Hello, I am Iris, an integrative counsellor and therapist working with adults who feel overwhelmed, emotionally stretched, or worn down from holding things together. Many people I work with appear to cope outwardly while feeling unsettled, anxious, or stuck beneath the surface.

My approach is calm, steady, and down-to-earth. I’m not here to fix you or tell you how to be, but to offer a space where you can slow down and make sense of your experience in a way that feels safe and manageable.

I work integratively, which means I adapt my approach to suit your needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model. For some people, this involves short-term counselling focused on a specific difficulty. For others, it may be longer-term work exploring recurring patterns, relationships, and earlier experiences that continue to shape how they feel and respond to the world.

Alongside my private practice, I support people in high-pressure, frontline roles where responsibility and emotional strain quietly build over time. This has deepened my understanding of how stress accumulates, how people learn to cope by pushing through, and how difficult it can be to pause and ask for support.

I work at your pace and with care, offering a confidential, professional space where you don’t have to cope alone.

Each session is 50 minutes set aside just for you; uninterrupted time, without pressure, judgement, or the need to perform. In a noisy and demanding world, having space where your experience is taken seriously and listened to fully can feel both unfamiliar and relieving.

You can expect me to be attentive, respectful, and steady. I take starting counselling seriously and recognise that reaching out can feel vulnerable. You don’t need to have everything figured out or put neatly into words straight away. We can go at your pace, sit with whatever shows up, and talk only when you’re ready.

I offer a space that is supportive but not directive. I won’t tell you what to think or how to live your life, but I may reflect on patterns, ask thoughtful questions, or offer perspectives that help you understand yourself more clearly. Where appropriate, this includes gentle challenge, offered with care and sensitivity, to support reflection and change.

You don’t need to be in crisis to seek support. Many people come to counselling because something doesn’t feel right, even if they can’t yet explain why. Whether you’re experiencing stress, anxiety, trauma, loss, low mood, relationship difficulties, or a sense of feeling stuck, I offer a confidential space where you can explore what’s going on and begin to make sense of it.

The first session is slightly different from ongoing counselling sessions and is offered as a standalone appointment. It follows on from the initial 15-minute telephone consultation and provides an opportunity to explore, in a little more depth, what led you to get in touch.

This 50-minute session is a space to begin talking about what’s been going on for you, at a pace that feels manageable. It allows time to clarify your reasons for seeking counselling, discuss what you hope to gain from it, and consider whether this feels like the right support for you at this time.

The first session is also an opportunity for both of us to see whether we feel like a good fit. Counselling works best when there is a sense of safety and trust, and this session gives you the chance to experience how I work before deciding whether to continue.

There is no obligation to commit to ongoing counselling. You are free to take time after the session to reflect on whether you would like to proceed.

The cost of the first session is £25.00 for 50 minutes, payable in advance. If you decide to continue with counselling, ongoing sessions are discussed separately and arranged only if and when you feel ready.

I offer flexible face-to-face or online availability Monday to Friday, subject to current commitments. Please contact me to explore suitable session times.

Working hours:

Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 19:00 pm

(availability subject to current bookings)

Hello, I am Iris, an integrative counsellor and therapist working with adults who feel overwhelmed, emotionally stretched, or worn down from holding things together. Many people I work with appear to cope outwardly while feeling unsettled, anxious, or stuck beneath the surface.

My approach is calm, steady, and down-to-earth. I’m not here to fix you or tell you how to be, but to offer a space where you can slow down and make sense of your experience in a way that feels safe and manageable.

I work integratively, which means I adapt my approach to suit your needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model. For some people, this involves short-term counselling focused on a specific difficulty. For others, it may be longer-term work exploring recurring patterns, relationships, and earlier experiences that continue to shape how they feel and respond to the world.

Alongside my private practice, I support people in high-pressure, frontline roles where responsibility and emotional strain quietly build over time. This has deepened my understanding of how stress accumulates, how people learn to cope by pushing through, and how difficult it can be to pause and ask for support.

I work at your pace and with care, offering a confidential, professional space where you don’t have to cope alone.

Each session is 50 minutes set aside just for you; uninterrupted time, without pressure, judgement, or the need to perform. In a noisy and demanding world, having space where your experience is taken seriously and listened to fully can feel both unfamiliar and relieving.

You can expect me to be attentive, respectful, and steady. I take starting counselling seriously and recognise that reaching out can feel vulnerable. You don’t need to have everything figured out or put neatly into words straight away. We can go at your pace, sit with whatever shows up, and talk only when you’re ready.

I offer a space that is supportive but not directive. I won’t tell you what to think or how to live your life, but I may reflect on patterns, ask thoughtful questions, or offer perspectives that help you understand yourself more clearly. Where appropriate, this includes gentle challenge, offered with care and sensitivity, to support reflection and change.

You don’t need to be in crisis to seek support. Many people come to counselling because something doesn’t feel right, even if they can’t yet explain why. Whether you’re experiencing stress, anxiety, trauma, loss, low mood, relationship difficulties, or a sense of feeling stuck, I offer a confidential space where you can explore what’s going on and begin to make sense of it.

The first session is slightly different from ongoing counselling sessions and is offered as a standalone appointment. It follows on from the initial 15-minute telephone consultation and provides an opportunity to explore, in a little more depth, what led you to get in touch.

This 50-minute session is a space to begin talking about what’s been going on for you, at a pace that feels manageable. It allows time to clarify your reasons for seeking counselling, discuss what you hope to gain from it, and consider whether this feels like the right support for you at this time.

The first session is also an opportunity for both of us to see whether we feel like a good fit. Counselling works best when there is a sense of safety and trust, and this session gives you the chance to experience how I work before deciding whether to continue.

There is no obligation to commit to ongoing counselling. You are free to take time after the session to reflect on whether you would like to proceed.

The cost of the first session is £25.00 for 50 minutes, payable in advance. If you decide to continue with counselling, ongoing sessions are discussed separately and arranged only if and when you feel ready.