Who am I?'
"A big question and a journey of discovery I mostly enjoy! People who know me best say I am an open, authentic, warm and a compassionate person. I am adventurous, courageous, and determined with an inquisitive element to my personality. Being like this I thrive on the challenge of gaining insight into patterns of behaviour which can affect life and living. My focus in my client work is to offer acceptance, honesty and to develop understanding for each unique individual."
"Preferring to work in the Psychodynamic Approach, I understand that past life experiences can influence how we live in the present. Working to meet my client’s needs in this approach may involve inner child work including exploring unmet childhood needs. From experience this process may be difficult yet highly rewarding, leading to a more fulfilled life.Appreciating the uniqueness of each client, I endeavour to provide a safe and appropriate experience in the therapeutic work while giving my client full owner ship and autonomy in our work together."
'I would describe myself as someone who places importance on the centrality of my relationship with a client. I believe in people, and it is my experience that when a client is held in a safe, trusting, and empathic relationship their capacity to explore past experiences is enhanced, the unfinished business and unresolved issues from their past and the influence they have on the present helps them to move forward.’
‘I have graduated with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (a CPCAB and BACP qualification). I am a Registered Member of BACP and currently working towards Accreditation.’
‘I regularly undertake Supervision for my work and enjoy and value the challenge and support that this provides, promoting my capacity for reflective practice and helping me to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of my practice.’
‘I am enthusiastic and committed to the adventures of ongoing personal and professional development, including keeping up to date with research studies and attending specialist workshops regularly.’
Some Recent Feedback
"Thank you Nicola for providing the space with warmness, kindness, and compassion. Through holding this space, I was gently guided towards my inner emotional world and made contact with the unexpressed and unconscious parts of me. Nicola has a great way of listening attentivelyand reflecting back what is present. Through this way I gained insights about my own reactions, fears, and actions towards my life situation. Nicola helped me by growing my awareness to these parts of me. Through talking and drawing I was able to visualise my fears and anxieties. Nicola helped me to empowermyself, by bringing awareness to these parts and how to take care of them. I would recommend Nicola and MAC counselling without hesitation, bringing clarity, peace and awareness to one’s life situation and self".
“I feel that Nicola quickly understood the nature of what I was trying to say and was able to steer discussion in directions which were helpful to me. Exploration of inner child concepts were particularly helpful in enabling me to understand the reasons for my thoughts and feelings. (I have since carried out some personal reading on this area which has proven to be enlightening.) The experience of having someone listen to my exploration of troubling thoughts and habits was a first for me and helped me enormously. I now feel that I have a better grasp of why I think and act the way I do. Discussions around personal needs and whether they are met – in childhood and subsequent relationships – were eye-opening for me. I believe that I now better understand why things go wrong – and that my own behaviour may have been a consequence on my unmet needs and not simply my own personal failings.”
“I found the sessions to be very beneficial, Nicola was very understanding, patient and attentive. She could also steer the conversation at appropriate points in order to lead me to analyse things in a new way, or be aware of factors or feelings that I had not considered. Although I was predictably nervous at the start, Nicola created an environment that allowed me to approach sessions with a positive mind-set and little apprehension.”
