Find a Counsellor in Bristol

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Health & Wellness / Health and Wellness / Counselling / Bristol

What type of counselling are you looking for?

Let us know what kind of counselling services you need. We’ll find the right counsellors for you in your area. Our network of qualified counsellors are experienced at helping people through mental health problems, life challenges, and emotional trauma.

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When we know your requirements, we’ll reach out to the best matched professionals to obtain quotes for you. We’ll send the bespoke quotes direct to your inbox or via notifications. Simply choose which method of receiving quotes you prefer.

Choose the right counselling service for you

With your shortlisted quotes, you can read the counsellor’s profiles and compare reviews to help you decide on the best option. These resources are designed to help you choose the most appropriate counselling services for your needs.

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Someone to listen

What does counselling involve?

Counselling is a type of talking therapy and involves talking about and working through personal problems with a qualified therapist. You can work with a counsellor through face-to-face sessions, individual or group sessions, over the phone with telephone counselling, or online. A counsellor isn’t there to tell you what to do. But they’ll encourage you to talk about anything that’s bothering you, in order to identify your specific ways of thinking. They’ll uncover any root triggers to negative feelings.

Is counselling the same as psychotherapy?

There are many similarities between these approaches to therapy, but there are also key differences. Focussing on the present and seeking to achieve management of issues, counselling can be more beneficial for people looking for short-term help. Psychotherapy on the other hand, explores the past as well as the present and seeks to find resolutions to – as opposed to management of – their issues.

Psychotherapy is more helpful for people experiencing long-term difficulties. Both counselling and psychotherapy aim to improve the lives of clients by exploring methods of managing and resolving internal issues, but they’re regulated by different authorities. The British Psychologist Society (BPS) is the governing body for counsellors, and the UK Council for Psychotherapists (UKCP) is for psychotherapists.

Counselling qualifications

Counsellors can obtain their training from a diploma course, or study counselling at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Whichever route is taken, professional counsellor training takes three to five years. To ensure that professionals are as experienced and reliable as possible, qualifying also requires a minimum number of client hours acquired through a work placement.

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Hear from
a professional

How can seeing a counsellor help?

As a professional counsellor, I encourage my clients to address their problems in a positive way. I do this by helping them to clarify the issues, develop self-help strategies, and increase self-awareness. As someone who is not connected to my client’s life in any way, I can provide a neutral and completely non-judgmental viewpoint. This enables clients to work through personal problems in a way that they are often not able to with friends or family. The process of discussing and talking through worries, concerns, or anxieties can help you come to terms with them, and to understand yourself more. As well as lending an empathetic ear, I can identify any negative thought cycles and associated behaviours.

What issues can be treated with counselling services?

People see counsellors for a variety of reasons, which are personal to the individual. These include mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety and mood disorders, or after experiencing a life change or traumatic event. I can help with all of these, but I specialise in trauma and abuse counselling. A lot of my clients are students – student counselling is particularly common in Bristol, as an increased number of young and adolescent people are seeking help from counsellors.

What should I expect from counselling?

I usually encourage new clients to write down their reasons for seeking help through counselling. You can then bring this to your first session and we can use it as a starting point. Your first counselling or psychotherapy session marks the start of a journey, but the progress and any changes may take time to happen. I’m not here to judge you, and I won’t mind if you get upset during your sessions. As an experienced and qualified counsellor, I have worked with a variety of people on a range of personal issues.