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Depression and Anxiety

"Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time. It’s the fear of failure but no urge to be productive. It’s wanting friends but hating to socialize. It’s wanting to be alone but not wanting to be lonely. It’s caring about everything, then caring about nothing. It’s feeling everything at once, then feeling paralysingly numb."
– Unknown


Counselling can be a valuable tool for individuals living with depression and anxiety, encouraging you to explore your feelings and gain a clearer understanding of your thoughts and behaviours.


Through counselling, you have the opportunity to reflect and share your emotions in a warm, compassionate, and non-judgemental space. This exploration helps you understand how your feelings may influence your thoughts and actions. It also allows you to connect your emotions to underlying issues, such as low self-esteem and self-criticism, which can intensify depressive symptoms and fuel anxiety.


Gaining insight into yourself through counselling supports positive changes in your thinking and actions, helping to alleviate the feeling of being “stuck” that often accompanies depression and ruminating thoughts commonly associated with anxiety.


Some of the benefits of counselling for depression and anxiety include empowering you to handle daily challenges more effectively; enhancing your awareness of your emotions; and providing clarity on your struggles. Counselling can help by building confidence in your future and encourages helpful changes in thought patterns and behaviours.

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My Approach

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I am an accredited NHS Talking Therapies counsellor, and I work with people experiencing anxiety and depression. I practise as an integrative counsellor, drawing on Person-Centred and Emotion-Focused approaches. My work is informed by my training in Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE-CfD), a specialised approach developed for use within NHS services.

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Research shows that PCE-CfD is just as effective as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for treating depression. However, the two approaches offer different paths to healing. CBT tends to be more structured and focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, often using practical tools and exercises. PCE-CfD, on the other hand, is more focused on your emotions and your experience in the moment. It helps you explore and understand deeper feelings that may be contributing to your distress, within a safe and accepting therapeutic relationship.

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This approach can feel more personal and reflective, particularly for those who want to understand the emotional roots of their struggles—not just manage the symptoms. Together, we work to gently uncover what’s at the heart of your experience, so you can begin to feel more connected, empowered, and at ease within yourself.

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If you’re struggling with depression and/or anxiety, know that there is hope. There are ways to cope and get through it. You don’t need to suffer in silence and if you’re thinking about getting help, do get in touch.​

Hertfordshire Counsellor

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