Therapy for anxiety, overwhelm, loss
and life transitions
Online and in-person therapy in Stockport
Perhaps you’re here because…
You can’t seem to switch your mind off. You’re constantly worrying about what might happen, replaying conversations or finding yourself caught up in thoughts that are difficult to let go of.
Or perhaps something has happened that has changed things for you. You’re experiencing a loss, navigating a major life change or trying to adjust to a version of life that isn’t quite what you expected.
Maybe you’re a parent and you’re exhausted from constantly advocating, worrying, adapting and trying to hold everything together. You love your child deeply, but you’re finding that there is very little space left for you.
You might not even be sure exactly what’s wrong. You may simply know that you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stuck or unlike yourself.
Therapy can offer you a space to pause, be heard and make sense of what you’re experiencing.
You don’t need to have a clear reason for coming to therapy. We can start with wherever you are.
Working together
I work with adults supporting them with a wide range of issues. The following are some of the issues I can help with but this is a non-exhaustive list. You might not have a specific reason for coming to therapy, but more of a sense that something isn't quite right. You're welcome to email me to arrange an initial call to see if therapy might be right for you.
Anxiety, worry & overwhelm
Perhaps you’ve spent years worrying, overthinking or trying to keep everything under control.
Sometimes anxiety becomes so familiar that we don’t even recognise it as anxiety.
Therapy can give you space to understand what’s happening, explore the patterns that may be keeping you stuck and develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and feelings.
Loss, grief & bereavement
Loss can affect every part of our lives. It can leave us feeling sad, angry, numb, lost or simply different from the person we were before.
There isn’t a right way to grieve and nor is there a timeline for loss. Sometimes we need somewhere safe to bring our loss and someone willing to sit alongside us in it.
I offer a person-centred space where you can talk about your experience at your own pace, without judgement or expectations about how you “should” be feeling.
Life changes & feeling stuck
Sometimes we reach a point where the way we’ve been living no longer feels right, but we don’t know what needs to change.
This might follow a career change, relationship breakdown, becoming a parent, bereavement or another significant transition. Or there may be no obvious reason at all.
Therapy can help you slow things down, understand yourself more clearly and consider what you want your life to look like from here.
My approach
I believe that you are the expert in your own life. My role is not to tell you what you should do, but to offer a supportive space where we can explore what is happening for you and make sense of your experiences.
I work together with you, at a pace that feels manageable for you. Sometimes it can be helpful to explore patterns in your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. At other times, you might need space simply to talk, be heard and make sense of something that has happened.
As an integrative therapist, I draw on different therapeutic approaches depending on what feels most helpful for you. My training includes Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Transactional Analysis (TA) and mindfulness.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Together, we’ll find ways of working that feel helpful for you and what you’re experiencing.
You can find out more about the practical side of working together including fees, what to expect, and confidentiality here - FAQs
A little about me...
I’m Rachel, a qualified integrative counsellor and psychotherapist, offering in-person therapy in Stockport and online therapy. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and am committed to ongoing professional development and working in accordance with its ethical framework.
My own journey into therapy wasn’t entirely straightforward. Before becoming a therapist, I worked as a solicitor and, after leaving my legal career, experienced a period of heightened anxiety. Looking back, I realise that I’d been experiencing anxiety for much longer than I’d understood at the time.
That experience gave me a personal appreciation of how easy it can be to become accustomed to worry, pressure and simply getting on with things, without recognising how much we’re carrying or how much anxiety can keep us stuck and restrict what we do in life.
Alongside my interest in anxiety, I’m particularly interested in supporting people experiencing loss and grief, as well as parents of neurodivergent children. I have personal insight into some of the challenges that can come with navigating life as a neurodivergent family.
Together these experiences, alongside my professional training, have shaped the way I work, with curiosity, compassion and without judgement. I will listen carefully, I won't make assumptions and I will offer you space to explore what’s happening for you.
Most importantly, I want therapy to be a space where you can be yourself.
Reflections by Rachel
A collection of thoughts, reflections, musings and observations about life
Alongside my therapeutic work, I have a passion for writing. From time to time I share reflections about things I notice in everyday life, questions I find myself asking and thoughts that make me stop and wonder. They’re an opportunity to pause, reflect and notice led by a curiosity around life and what it means to be human
Thinking about therapy?
You don’t have to be certain that therapy is right for you before getting in touch. I offer a free initial phone consultation where we can talk about what’s going on for you right now, you can ask me any questions you have about therapy and we can see if working together feels right. There is no obligation to continue after this initial call.
Email is the best way to contact me, and I aim to respond within a few working days.