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Welcome to Gemma Antcliffe Counselling

I help adults who are struggling with their mental wellbeing to feel better about themselves, take control, and let go of pain and hurt.

 

 

 

I take away the feeling of being overwhelmed by offering an objective perspective which is free from judgement or agenda.

picture of Gemma Antcliffe

Life is complex. It is normal to experience periods of feeling unhappy, and sometimes we all need to reach out for help.  This is why I am here and you are very welcome. 

It’s ok not to be ok

Whilst there has real and significant progress in breaking down the stigma around mental health, yet many of us may feel we should  be ok, that we should  just get on with it, and that others have it worse than us.  Or we can believe no one wants to hear about our difficulties.

To me, counselling is one of the best forms of self-care.  It is a unique chance for the focus to be on you and it really can transform your life.

Working with Gemma Antcliffe

I work with adults who want to improve their mental wellbeing.  Our work aims to help people develop make sense of a situation causing them pain and unhappiness, whether that be a current situation or something that happening in the past.  

People often walk through my door wanting things to change and feel better.  Yet they feel isolated and alone, feeling responsible for everything that has gone wrong, unable to make decisions, and fearing for the future.

Initially our work begins with giving you a chance to offload and tell me your story.  We can feel like no one will understand us, that we cannot be who we truly are, or that it’s going to take a long time to feel better.  However, it can come as the greatest relief to know you have been heard and understood.

What do we mean when we say mental wellbeing?

“Mental wellbeing doesn’t have one set meaning. We might use is to talk about how we feel, how well we’re coping with daily life or what feels possible at the moment.

Good mental wellbeing doesn’t mean you’re always happy or unaffected by your experiences. But poor mental wellbeing can make it difficult to cope with daily life.”

Mind, mental health charity.

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Signs of low mental wellbeing

When we are struggling we may say or think the following:

“I say sorry all the time”

“I don’t like the way I look”

“I feel like a failure”

“I don’t deserve nice things”

“No one would like me if they saw the real me”

“I cry all the time”

“Everyone else seems to be doing so much better than me”

Getting to the root cause

In my experience, there is often a root cause to why we are struggling with life.  Part of my job is helping you uncover the underlying issue.  The work therefore involves looking at and dealing with a wide range of issues such as addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse and bullying, issues from childhood, a distressing event or life change e.g. bereavement, physical issues, having a baby.

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    How I can help improve your life

    The first step is gaining awareness and insight.  Once we understand the source of your unhappiness we can explore it.  It is through this exploration that together we work out what you are/are not responsible for, validate your feelings and how you can more on.

    If you suffer from low self-esteem, you may question whether you are worth the attention, time, or money.   I would say YES!  We all deserve to lead happy and fulfilled lives.  Counselling is one of the best forms of self-care.  It is a chance for the focus to be solely on you and transform your life.

     

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    And, what you can expect from me

    It is my role to create a safe and confidential space where the focus is on you.  I am here to listen to and understand you as a person without judgement or agenda, and together we will explore what feels painful and difficult.  We can feel like no one will understand us but when you let someone into your world, they see things with a fresh pair of eyes and often the answers are more straightforward than you think.

    I provide counselling in my home which is a tranquil, comfortable and private space.  It is my hope that this secure space puts you at ease from the outset.  

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    picture of Gemma Antcliffe

    Why you should choose Gemma Antcliffe Counselling

    It can take a huge leap of faith to reach out for help and I understand how daunting and vulnerable it can feel to start counselling.  The notion of coming to see someone you don’t know and being expected to bare your soul is not something we would normally do.  It therefore matters to me that I do everything I can to make you feel welcome and comfortable.  My home-based practice is a warm and inviting environment.

    It is important to me that you feel you are in a safe pair of hands.  As a person I am honest, dependable, conscientious, and organised, and it is my hope that all these attributes enable you to experience me as trustworthy.

    My clients experience me as good listener, someone who shows them warmth, empathy, and compassion. They value my service which empowers them to make positive changes to their life.  These are the types of things they have said:

    “Gemma’s work with me really helped me through a difficult time in my work life”

    “I know that Gemma enabled to me to move forward and for that I will always be truly grateful.”

    “I feel like our sessions helped me move on from my past and start enjoying my life more.”

    “I found the sessions uplifting and they gave me the opportunity to reflect on what was causing me stress and the prompted me to understand how I was going to feel healthy and happy moving forward”

    “Gemma is a very empathic, calming, and understanding lady.  She provides a very calm and safe environment and is very patient and professional”

    “I experienced Gemma to be totally unbiased and non-judgemental.”

    Take the next step to improve your wellbeing

    If you would like to book in for a counselling session, please do get in contact. 

    You can also:

    • Checking out my blogs in the blog section of my website. Each blog explores a different topic and includes top tips on how to improve your wellbeing.
    • Like me on Facebook 
    • Follow me on Instagram 
    • Connect with me on Linkedin
    • Sign up to my newsletter by submitting your details in the “contact me” section of my website.

    I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  The BACP is governing body which supports safe, ethical, and competent practice in counselling and psychotherapy. 

    My qualifications, experience, and professional membership

    I have been working as a counsellor since 2012. 

    As a Psychology Graduate, I have an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Therapy and Practice.  I predominantly provide person centred therapy for low self-esteem.  As an Integrative therapist however, I personalise my approach to you, drawing upon different theories and principles e.g., CBT to help you make sense of your situation and empower you to make positive changes. 

    I have been a counsellor for the last 8 eight years and for a significant part of my professional life, I worked for the mental health charity Mind.  This has given me a good understanding of working with a broad range of mental health issues that can affect us all any point in our lives. 

    Ultimately however I am a fellow human who brings a broad range of life experience to my professional role.  I am a proud businesswoman, Mother, and military spouse.  I care greatly about others and have always flourished in roles where I am able to help people.

    I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  The BACP is governing body which supports safe, ethical, and competent practice in counselling and psychotherapy. 

    Client Testimonials

    “Gemma is a sensitive, empathic counsellor who has excellent listening skills. I would recommend her to friends and family. Thank you Gemma”

    Gemma’s work with me really helped me through a difficult time in my work life. I found the sessions uplifting and they gave me the opportunity to reflect on what was causing me stress and they prompted me to understand how I was going to feel healthy and happy moving forward. Thank you so much for your support.

    “I am so very grateful. Gemma has been amazing working with me.  I know that Gemma enabled me to move forward, and for that I will always be truly grateful.

    Gemma is a very empathic, calming and understanding lady.  She provides a very calm and safe environment and is very patient and professional.  I would recommend her totally to anyone

    I reached out to Gemma as I just felt that “any form” of counselling was not for me. I would certainly recommend visiting Gemma. It helped me sort through my feelings.

    “Since seeing Gemma I feel like a weight has lifted from my shoulders, and everything doesn’t feel as overwhelming as it did before counselling….I am able to enjoy the present moment more.”

    Your Next Step…

    Counselling with me costs £50 per session.

    The number of sessions you will need varies and will depend upon the reasons you are seeking support; this is something we can discuss in our first session together.

    If you would like to explore booking in for counselling with me, or you would like to receive my Newsletter, please fill in the form below.  Alternatively, you can call me on 07532 474946.