Counselling & Psychotherapy in Bristol
Face-to-Face and Online with ...
Louise Forrest, MBACP (Accred)
Counselling with Louise
Working in a person-centred, empathic and relational way, I offer a space where you can begin to explore who you really are – not who you ‘want’ to be or think you ‘should’ be. Over time, as the trust between us builds, you may see how past experiences have shaped you. This is the start of owning your 'true self' and embracing parts that have been cast out into the shadows. I will offer compassion to your wounded and rejected parts, until you develop the capacity to do this for yourself.
My Approach
I perceive human beings to be complex creatures. So I aim to meet you as an individual. Sometimes what is troubling or holding someone back is 'carrying' the emotional residue of past events or life phases. It might mean, for example, you are still living through the 'shoulds' imposed on you during your early years (which you needed to follow in order to survive or be accepted). Or perhaps, your 'fight-flight' survival mechanism has become stuck or blocked as it can do after a trauma.
I believe we have a right to have our feelings and that emotions deserve our attention. I trust they can move us in a positive direction through life if they are truly heard and accepted. By being with you in a non-judgemental and empathic way, I hope my genuine presence might help you to hear yourself. I have been helped by being listened to and I continue to believe listening to someone can help bring about the change they want. I aim to be flexible in my approach but the most important thing for me, is that you feel comfortable with the style and pace of the work we do together.
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma
- Health-Related Issues
- Stroke Recovery / Adjustment
- Carers Stress
- Loss & Bereavement
- Confidence & Self-Esteem
- Mindfulness
My Specialisms Include:
To read about my professional supervision work, click on the image below:
Online Working
As well as working in person, I am able to offer telephone work or video on Zoom. I am open to hearing your preference and what might work best for you.
Professional Membership
I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and work to their ethical framework. They have a formal process for hearing complaints if they cannot be resolved by talking to me. I am continually growing and developing as a professional and have supervision for all my therapeutic work.