“Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.”
Theodore Roethke
Annabel Nicholson
MSc Psychotherapy
Diploma in Psychotherapy (Level 7)
Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling
UKCP Accredited
I am interested in building a strong, supportive relationship. My style is warm, genuine, non-judgemental and hopeful. I strongly believe in hope, you may come to therapy feeling ‘hopeless’, if you do, I believe my role is to carry hope, until you are ready to do so yourself. I am interested in people’s stories and finding meaning and making sense of patterns and repetitive unhelpful behaviour. I will encourage self-kindness and quietening internal harsh voices. I may challenge false beliefs about yourself. Our work together will help you develop a better understanding of yourself and your relationships, help you make connections between the past and present and develop greater insight and awareness. I work creatively and intuitively. Humour is something I also value and to some clients’ surprise is something that will probably feature in sessions.
Having a strong connection is an essential element in therapy, I encourage openness and honesty, but I also understand that each client needs to go at their own pace and disclose aspects of their past only when they are ready.
I work for example with people experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and post-traumatic stress. You may recognise that you are struggling or need support and space to explore unresolved feelings
I have a special interest and knowledge of grief and loss. Grief is surprisingly not always recognised by the person experiencing it. Loss can encompass many areas; the loss of a relationship, friendship, divorce, work, health, the feeling of a loss of self and the death of a loved one or even a pet. We have been living through an unprecedented amount of loss and change. Past experiences that may have been buried may have resurfaced. I believe that grief is an individual process. Therapy can help explore the complexities of grief. I do not believe that grief is something to ‘work through’ or ‘get over’, I believe that it is a process of learning to adapt. Everybody experiences grief in their own unique way and at their own speed. My role is to hear your stories and to understand your own personal experiences in a warm, caring, compassionate and non-judgmental environment.
“Where you stand determines what you see and what you do not see; it determines also the angle you see it from; a change in where you stand changes everything.”
Steve de Shazer
A little bit about myself
I am in my 50s, the road to becoming a psychotherapist has not been a direct or smooth one! In my twenties and early thirties, I worked abroad. In my thirties I had a family. At different turns during my life I have experienced sadness, loss and grief which led me to seek out therapy. It was during my own therapy that I realised that I wanted to train as a psychotherapist.
I feel a strong connection with nature and have a love of animals.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves”
Victor Frankl
Sessions
I offer long-term, short-term and intensive single session psychotherapy in Newcastle upon Tyne. I work face-to-face, online or by telephone.
I am an integrative psychotherapist. I use a range of therapy approaches which are adapted to suit your own individual needs. My main theoretical model is Transactional Analysis, but I also use other theories and models, I am particularly interested in guided imagery and using metaphors. I have been in practice since 2016. I trained at Northern Guild Psychotherapy and Counselling. I am a member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy.
Sessions last for 50 minutes and cost £60 (excluding intensive single session therapy). Short term therapy is usually 6-8 weekly sessions.
My therapy room is in the Ouseburn Valley.
The address is i4 Quayside NE6 1LL.
Intensive Single Session Therapy
Intensive Single Session Therapy is a unique form of therapy. We will work together for three highly focused hours on a specific issue or goal.
At different times in our lives, we are faced with loss and change, you may recognise that you are finding it hard to adapt to a situation or feel stuck and unable to find a solution. This focused method can lead to effective problem-solving insights. These sessions are especially tailored to your immediate issue and finding a sustainable solution or direction. I will also help you recognise your strengths and inner resources.
Before the session I will send you a form to help you focus on the issue and what you hope to gain from the session. This will also help with my pre-session preparation.
You may decide you would like intensive single session therapy if you don’t have the time or desire to commit to longer term therapy. Or you may have been to therapy in the past, and recognise that you just need support at this present moment, to explore a specific issue in a focused and intensive fashion.
Examples where intensive single sessions may help:
making a difficult decision
relationship issues
changes in your health
changes in family circumstances
struggling to adapt to a loss
issues at work
Intensive Single Session Therapy Package includes:
An initial 20 minute conversation.
A form will be sent prior to the session, to help you prepare and focus on what you realistically hope to gain from the session.
A three hour highly focused therapeutic session.
A post session email to summarise the session with any agreed plans included.
A follow up phone call a month after the session.
Intensive single session therapy is face to face.
The price of the full package is £475 (week) £525 (weekend)
Intensive single session therapy is not suitable for complex histories and trauma which would require a slower, deeper exploration. It may also be unsuitable if you find it hard to develop a trusting therapeutic relationship quickly, or if you have a vague nonspecific issue.
Contacting me
Once you have decided you would like therapy, the next step of choosing a therapist can feel difficult, the connection between the therapist and the client is the most important aspect of therapy.
My advice is, if you’ve looked through my website and feel you may like us to work together, get in touch by which ever method you feel most comfortable. We can then arrange to meet or talk online or by phone.
It may take a few sessions before we decide whether we are suited to working together.
Email: annabelnicholson.therapy@gmail.com
Phone: 07397 944818 (messages only)