ask an expert

Sometimes help books don’t go far enough and friends and family just don’t seem to understand. That’s when private counselling is invaluable. It’s personal and attuned to your particular situation and it’s also confidential.

Some people are a little shy of sitting face-to-face with a counsellor and that’s when the internet is invaluable. Online counselling offers all the support of traditional counselling but with the benefit of anonymity, giving you the opportunity to open up completely. When you then feel brave enough, this can then be followed up with telephone or personal contact.

our counsellor
Elaine Bolton Adv. Dip. Couns. Cert Supervision has been counseling for 12 years. After qualifying at Manchester University with a bagful of counseling qualifications including the Certificate and Advanced Diploma in Counselling and the Certificate in Supervision, Elaine has also undertaken training in Transactional Analysis and Psychosynthesis. She has wide experience of working with a wide range of differing and very sensitive issues - from helping women and girls who have experienced rape and sexual abuse, couples counseling through to setting up a charitable counselling organization offering support to residents in the local area who would normally be marginalized because of their circumstances. As well as her voluntary work, Elaine also runs a private practice where she deals with whatever the client brings, from alcohol addiction to zoo phobia!

In relationships Elaine has experienced divorce, bereavement and as a former single parent herself understands the challenges we face. This means that she can empathise  fully with feeling lost, hurt and angry and feeling like you are the only one in the world that this is happening to. The truth is that it is only happening to you in your world and that is where Elaine can help by providing you with support and the strength to overcome this.

what is counselling?
Elaine will enable you to explore your challenges as you see them and focus on your specific concerns. She will help you to define your goals and assist you so you can clarify where you want to be and how this might be achieved. She will also help you explore these challenges and support you to take control of your life.

You will be helped to recognise and draw on your own strengths and resources. You may even discover new qualities you did not know you had. It is a place to explore difficult issues. It is also a space in which to grow and develop.

Elaine uses an integrative therapeutic approach, identifying the appropriate method to enable you to move forward. This approach is finding out what works for you, the individual. As you begin to understand and acknowledge your feelings you may be able to start changing patterns of behaviour which keep recurring and causing difficulties. Gradually, you may become aware of how your past is influencing the present and how this affects your feelings about yourself and your relationships.