Welcome to
AM Counselling
"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending" - CS Lewis
Counselling in York and Online
Welcome, and thank you for visiting AM Counselling.
Hello, I’m Annabel, I am a qualified counsellor, and have over 12 years counselling experience. I can help you to feel better about yourself and make sense of your difficulties. I offer gentle, accepting listening so that you feel heard and understood. I will work with you in a collaborative, down to earth and compassionate way. I was born and bred in Yorkshire and moved to France for over 35 years before relocating back to the UK. My own struggles and difficulties led me to counselling which in turn sparked a desire to help others to understand themselves and make changes for the better. I believe we all have an innate capacity to grow and reach our potential given the right supportive environment.
I conduct therapy in both English and French.
I hold a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). Alongside my private practice I am a counsellor with a specialist counselling charity for survivors of sexual trauma. I also hold an Enhanced DBS.
How can counselling help?
Do you struggle with low self-esteem and feel you’re not good enough ? Do you suffer from anxiety or depression ? Perhaps you are finding a particular situation or life event overwhelming. You might not be able to pinpoint what exactly is bothering you, but you want to make positive changes in your life.
Having a place to talk openly about our worries, without feeling any judgment or expectations helps us to gain the awareness and understanding for changes to happen. I can help you to explore your thoughts and feelings however difficult or confusing they may be. We will discover together any underlying causes, how you can relate better to others and especially, be kinder to yourself. I work in an intuitive way, tailoring the sessions to your needs, often with humour and always with kindness.
These are some of the areas I have experience working with :
- Anxiety, low-mood, depression
- Low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence
- Relational issues, with a partner, family member or colleague
- Coercive control and undue influence, narcissistic or emotional abuse
- Feeling rootless, not belonging / intercultural issues
- Work-related stress and work issues
Speak in Confidence
Counselling takes place in a safe space, where you can meet with someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy - and without judgement. In the therapy space thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely and in confidence.
A problem shared...
Trouble with a relationship; anxiety or panic attacks; mood swings or depression - many people face difficulties in their everyday lives that can be hard to get on top of. Counselling gives us a set of tools we can use to help gain a better understanding of what’s causing these problems - and how you can move towards managing or resolving them.
Make better, healthier new choices
Working together I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and see how you can start to make better, heathier choices moving forward.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right counsellor to help.
You can also call me on 07365 394082 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.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Frequently asked questions
The terms counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably to describe talking therapies. Counselling often describes something that can be explored and overcome in a limited timeframe, a specific current difficulty for example. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and a way forward becomes clear. Psychotherapy often describes longer-term work that goes a bit deeper, addressing significant problems and their root causes that have a profound impact on a person’s life.
A counsellor (also commonly referred to as a therapist) will utilise psychotherapy to help clients going through mental health difficulties. In some cases, professionals may choose to call themselves a psychotherapist, others may refer to themselves as a counsellor or therapist.
The length of time needed for counselling varies from person to person and depends on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions can help to clarify their issues, and they feel ready to move forward; other people may decide that they need more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work, we will agree on the frequency of sessions, usually weekly or fortnightly, and when we will review our progress, we can also decide on a fixed number of sessions. As long as we both agree further sessions will be of benefit to you, they can continue.
My aim is to offer an initial introductory appointment within a week. Then we will arrange a date for counselling sessions to start, they will usually be on the same day, at the same time each week, or fortnightly. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availability of a free ‘slot’.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is confidential. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great benefit.
However that there are some situations where I am legally required to notify an authority, if for instance you are at risk of harm to yourself or others. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and I would endeavour to discuss this with you if at all possible.
I am usually asked this question by clients who are anxious about entering into counselling, or when they feel they need support in coming to see a counsellor. This is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about anything you feel is important to you. I find that having someone else present makes it difficult to open up, so for this reason, I do not see clients accompanied by a friend or relative.
My location
I provide sessions face to face in central York and Wheldrake, sessions can also be online or by telephone.
Fees & availability
Each session lasts 50 minutes and costs £55.
Payment is required in advance of a session by BACS transfer.
Cancellation : please give 48 hours' notice ahead of a session or payment will be required.
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