Kirstie Ellis

I currently have availability on Mondays and Tuesdays, daytime and evening for online sessions. There may be in person sessions coming available in the coming weeks.

The focus of counselling is not always finding solutions, but to gain a deeper understanding of your problem and how you are experiencing it, helping you to make sense of it all. Our pasts cannot be changed, but with the right support and understanding you can learn to make sense of it, how it has impacted you, and feel less stuck moving forward with your life.

I am an integrative relational therapist, believing our well-being is influenced by the quality of connections with others. My approach is to create a trusting relationship with you, which can help you be able to delve a bit deeper into your suffering so that we can explore your experience of the things you are finding difficult and help you to move forward.

Years ago, having my own therapy felt like wearing a new pair of glasses, seeing things I couldn’t see before, opened up to choices I was unaware I had (like X-Ray vision). I felt such a strong sense of empowerment to take control of my life and decided I wanted to do the same for others. If you are ready, please get in touch to book a free 15 minute call to discuss your needs.

I work online and in person from a private space in my home. All sessions are 50 minutes long and cost £60 each session. I have parking on the driveway and am a 5 minute walk from Wallington train station and local buses.  I am easily accessible from  Carshalton and Hackbridge train stations as well. I have a Cockapoo dog in the house. He is very friendly and will not be in the therapy space (unless client requested) however it may not be suitable for people with severe pet allergies.  

I am an integrative relational therapist, believing our well-being is influenced by the quality of connections with others. My approach is to create a trusting relationship with you, which can help you be able to delve a bit deeper into your suffering so that we can explore your experience of the things you are finding difficult and help you to move forward. I work both short and long term and nothing is set in stone. Some clients feel that short term therapy is enough and usually 6-8 sessions meets their needs. Others prefer to come on a longer term basis where there is no time limit. Money and time play a part in this and there is no one size fits all. Everything can be tailored to what you need and in line with your circumstances. 

The first step is to get in touch with me to arrange a free 15 minute call.  This introductory call is to discuss your needs and see if what I offer sounds useful to you. I understand that calling might feel daunting so you could text or email me to reach out in the first instance.  

Your free introductory call is where we can discuss what you think you might need from therapy. You may not know this yet but we can get a feel for what you might need and if I can help you. If you decide to work with me, I will book your first appointment which includes an assessment. 

I use a basic contract which includes how I work, confidentiality and my cancellation policy. I will email that to you in advance of your first session.  I use a personal details form to collect your personal details and contact in case of emergency which will be emailed to you with the contract. I will ask you to return these to me before your first session. 

Your first session is to start to get to know each other and gather information that you would like to share with me about you, and what has brought you to counselling. New information usually gets uncovered as sessions go on but it can be useful to have a think about what you think might be relevant for your first appointment. 

I understand that it can be daunting telling your story to a stranger.  I am kind and compassionate and try to create an environment where you can feel comfortable talking to me.  It is important for me to understand the relevant information until we get to know each other a bit better, so I use an assessment form to take notes in your first session.  Having an idea about what you think you might want to gain from therapy is also useful but you may not know that yet at this stage. 

There is no right or wrong in counselling and I believe that you are your own expert. My role is to move towards understanding how you are experiencing your life and help you gain perspective, offer different perspective and to help you work out what psychological aspects may be getting in the way of you being able to move on with your life. 

There is not always a right time for therapy, but if you feel ready to take that first step, please get in touch.