Find a Therapist in Old Harlow

Experienced Counsellor & Therapist — 35+ Years’ Experience £65 for 50 minute session, £38 for low wage/students. Are you struggling with something at the moment, but not quite sure how to move forward? Perhaps you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed or low, struggling with relationships, confidence or self-worth, or finding yourself caught in patterns that you don’t fully understand. You don’t have to have all the answers before starting therapy. I offer a safe, supportive and confidential space where you can talk openly, without judgement, and begin to make sense of what you’re experiencing. I have more than 35 years’ professional experience, including over 25 years working within the NHS. During that time I have worked with people experiencing a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts, depression, self-harm, eating difficulties, childhood trauma, abuse, relationship difficulties and attachment issues. I have been self-employed and successfully working online since 2021. How I work I am an integrative counsellor, drawing on the different therapeutic approaches I have learned and used throughout my career. I believe that every person is different, and therapy needs to be adapted to the individual rather than trying to fit everyone into the same approach. Sometimes therapy is simply about what is happening in your life right now. You may need somewhere to talk openly about a problem or difficulty, to slow things down, think things through and understand a situation more clearly. We can look at the options available to you and explore what might feel like the right way forward. As our work develops, however, we may begin to notice connections between what you are experiencing now and things you experienced or felt earlier in your life. Our early relationships and experiences can sometimes have a profound influence on how we see ourselves and other people. They can affect our relationships, confidence, self-worth, ability to trust, our need to please others, our tendency to over-achieve, or sometimes our difficulty finding motivation. As we grow up, we learn to adapt to the circumstances around us. We develop ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, as well as conscious and unconscious strategies and defences, to help us cope with what we are facing. These ways of coping can be extremely important. They may have helped us manage difficult circumstances and get through things that were very challenging at the time. But sometimes what helped us cope in the past is no longer helping us in the present and old helpful defences may now be the cause of current problems. Therapy can give us an opportunity to understand these patterns and consider whether they are still serving us. Sometimes simply recognising and understanding an aspect of our younger selves can bring about a profound change in how we experience ourselves today. Becoming more present One of the things I have learned throughout my own life and career is the importance of becoming more present in our lives. Therapy can help you slow down and become more aware of your thoughts, feelings and experiences. It can give you the opportunity to explore difficult emotions with compassion, recognise patterns of thinking and behaviour, understand where they may have come from and begin to let go of some of the judgement we can place on ourselves. The aim isn’t to change who you are into somebody else. It is about developing a greater understanding of yourself, becoming more comfortable with who you are and having greater freedom to decide how you want to live your life. My experience Over more than 35 years of working with people, some of the most valuable things I have learned have come directly from the people who trusted me enough to share their experiences and allowed me to accompany them on their therapeutic journey. I don’t see myself as someone who has all the answers. You are the expert on your own life. My role is to provide a safe and supportive relationship in which we can explore things together, helping you to understand yourself and your experiences more clearly and, where possible, find ways of moving forward. Taking the first step Starting therapy can feel like a big step, particularly if you have never spoken to a counsellor before. You don’t need to know exactly what is wrong. You don’t need to know what you want to achieve. And you don’t need to have everything worked out before you begin. You can simply start with where you are. If you think I might be someone you could feel comfortable talking to, please send me a message through Bark or book a callback. We can have a conversation about what you are looking for and whether I might be the right therapist for you. £65 — 50-minute online session £38 — students and people on a low income I am a registered member of the BACP and hold professional liability insurance. I hope to hear from you soon. Kind regards, Michael Michael Watts-Jimenez