Christy Fowlston
PSYCHOTHERAPY & COUNSELLING IN THE VALE OF BELVOIR & ONLINE
Welcome...
to a safe and confidential space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings, and find help with the challenges in your life.
My name is Christy Fowlston and I am a psychotherapist providing both long-term psychotherapy and short-term counselling for adults. I know that looking for help can feel daunting. For many of us the thought of talking to someone we don't know about our difficulties can be scary, especially if we're finding life hard and feeling vulnerable. Whatever has brought you here, and whoever you are, I am committed to meeting you with warmth, compassion, respect and understanding. I have helped people from all walks of life address their difficulties. Whatever is troubling you, together we can start looking for ways forward that work for you.
If you work with me I will encourage you to express yourself, to tell me what's on your mind, what you're feeling, and what you're going through. I will listen to you carefully, without judgment or criticism. Together we can begin to make sense of any difficulties you may be experiencing, and identify and build on your strengths and internal resources. Ultimately, my goal will be to help you find the best ways forward so that you feel happier and more capable in the future. I believe that therapy isn’t about giving out advice, it's about empowering you to make your own choices and changes.
I work with adult individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds who come to me with a diverse range of problems. I am a fully-qualified psychotherapist holding a master's degree in integrative psychotherapy. I am a full clinical member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and a graduate member of The Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute.
Speak in confidence
Just expressing ourselves, and really being seen and heard, can provide much-needed relief. Therapy is a time when you can speak with someone from outside of your day-to-day life; someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy. In the therapy space I will invite you to express yourself freely and in confidence. Therapy can be an opportunity to explore feelings and thoughts you may have had for a long time but have not found a way of expressing or facing.
Better understanding
Trouble with relationships, anxiety or panic attacks, mood swings or depression, or feeling like we're sleepwalking through life without meaning or purpose - we can all face these difficulties in our everyday lives, and they can be hard to get on top of. Working together, we can seek to gain greater insight into your difficulties. Therapy can help you to gain a better understanding of what’s causing and sustaining these problems, and to address and resolve them.
Different choices
Making sense of our difficulties can help us to move towards managing or resolving our problems at their root. Therapy can help us to deepen our understanding of our relationships with ourselves and others. This can help us to better understand why we act or react to people in our lives in the ways we do. In therapy we will look at your strengths, preferences, and successes, and think about what really works for you. In this way you can start to make new choices that are different and better for you.
What can therapy help with?
People come to me for help with a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be addressed in therapy:
Stress
Trauma
Depression
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavment
Anger
Panic attacks
Problems with addiction
Burnout
Low mood
Low confidence or self-esteem
Work or retirement
Anxiety
Family life
My qualifications
After over four years of clinical practice, in-depth study and academic research undertaken at the Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute (SPTI) in Nottingham, I was awarded a master's degree (MSc) with distinction in integrative psychotherapy. I remain a graduate member of SPTI.
I am a full clinical member of The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and can be found on their national register, which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. I abide by the ethical guidelines of both the UKCP and SPTI.
My experience
I have over 5 years of clinical experience delivering psychotherapy, including for a number of years on an NHS placement. I worked as a senior clinician in a busy mental-health setting in Nottingham city centre for 6 years. In the decade prior to this I specialised working in support roles with vulnerable and socially-excluded adults.
I have helped people from all walks of life with many different difficulties including low mood or depression, relationship problems, low confidence or self-esteem, addictions, anxiety, burnout, bereavement, traumatic experiences, and difficulties with anger.
My approach
I am a relationally based, developmentally focused integrative psychotherapist. What this means, first and foremost, is that I believe that it will be our relationship that will be the key to successful therapy. I want you to feel able to bring all the different aspects of yourself to our relationship. Because of this, I will do everything I can to make you feel safe, secure, seen, heard, respected and cared for. I work by exploring with you your experiences, the history of your relationships, and the story of who you are. We will look for patterns, and consider how these might connect with your childhood years and adolescence. I will support you through this process and help you to imagine, prepare and take action for the future.
My location
Due to COVID-19, I am currently only working online from a quiet and private office (pictured opposite) at my home in Leicestershire. I plan to resume also seeing clients face to face later in 2022. Please contact me if you would like to find out more about how online therapy works, or whether it could be the right choice for you.
Fees & availability
At present all appointments are offered online only. Therapy sessions last 50 minutes, will usually take place on a weekly basis, and will cost £50 per session. Initial assessment appointments are a little different to regular sessions. They are a chance for us to meet each other and to see if we are a good fit to carry on working together. If for any reason we do not meet again after the initial assessment, then this appointment will be free of charge. If we agree to meet for a second time, then the first appointment will be charged at the normal rate of £50. You can have a look at my therapy agreement by clicking here.
Please note that if you want to cancel an appointment I require at least 24 hours’ notice; otherwise you will normally still need to pay for any sessions missed. I accept payment by cash (in person) or by bank transfer or Paypal.
Get in touch
Please contact me if you have any questions about how therapy works, or if you would like to arrange an initial assessment appointment. Some people choose to tell me a little about why they want therapy when they do get in touch - but you don't have to if you'd feel more comfortable waiting until we speak.
You can also call or text me on 07419203173 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
I try to respond to all enquiries on the same working day where possible. All contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
©2021 Christy Fowlston
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