Associate Therapists
Gemma
Gemma has a foundation degree in Integrative Counselling. This means she is able to use different models of practice to suit each individual whilst maintaining a person-centred core approach to therapy. Gemma has worked as a childcare professional in many different roles such as nursery nurse, teaching assistant and one to one support for children with additional learning needs and children who struggle with behaviour.
Gemma's love and passion for working with children continues and after working with children who had experienced trauma in the roles described, she developed a strong wish to be able to understand and do more to help them further. This is what led Gemma back to university to study counselling.
Gemma has been a counsellor at Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Violence (HARV) team. She also has experience of working with children and teens with complex needs in school settings. Gemma’s personal experience of domestic abuse, which was an incredibly difficult time in her life, has informed her deeply about this struggle and inspired her to work alongside women and children who have had similar experiences. She has a particular knowledge and expertise in this area.
Contact Gemma on 07990 893841 or gemmajtherapy@outlook.com
Helen Jane
Helen Jane is a BACP registered psychotherapist experienced in working with both adults and children. After enjoying a 20-year career in teaching and education, Helen Jane retrained to gain a postgraduate diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy. Helen Jane’s insight, from working with children and young people, enables a deep understanding of the significant impact of our early experience on our potential to learn and to feel happy and valued as adults in everyday life.
Helen Jane works as a school counsellor supporting children using play therapy. In therapy sessions, children have time to focus on emotions and life events, often difficult to access purely through talking, helping them to explore and better understand themselves and the way they relate to others.
Helen Jane works with adults through her private practice and the voluntary sector. Through therapy and counselling, Helen Jane provides a warm and caring environment where thoughts, feelings and concerns can be shared in an honest and non-judgmental way.
Helen Jane understands the importance of being listened to and she works openly with each client. She designs therapy to include appropriate interventions which provide ways for feelings of anxiety, low mood, anger and stress, and relationship issues to be explored. Her aim is for each person to regain a sense of self or a deepening sense of becoming closer to the “real you”.
Contact Helen Jane uk.helen.jane@gmail.com
If you leave your preferred contact details (Email, Text or Phone Number) and a short message about your reasons for enquiring about counselling, Helen will reply as soon possible to discuss how counselling can support you or your child.
Maxine
Hello I’m Maxine.
I am a HCPC Registered Psychologist (Educational), PTUK Registered Therapeutic Play Practitioner and am currently working towards accreditation as a Sandplay Therapist with the Association of Sandplay Therapy (AST).
I’ve worked with children for the past 30 years and love it. I started as a children’s play-worker for Women’s Aid, and then worked as teacher in mainstream and alternative settings. Working at a centre for children recovering from bullying, I witnessed the power of providing safe spaces and holistic education for children to share experiences and foster self-confidence and healing.
I qualified as a Psychologist (Educational) in 2006 and worked in different Local Authorities using collaborative approaches to support development, growth and change with individuals, groups, and settings. My interest in working therapeutically is long-standing; over the years I have completed trainings in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focussed Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) so that I bring a range of skills and perspectives to each encounter whilst maintaining a person-centred approach.
I qualified as a Therapeutic Play Practitioner in 2021. Play is integral to child development; I feel it is the most natural resource to help children experiencing tough times, muddles or worries to express, explore, and discover themselves and find more satisfying ways of being. My approach is collaborative and child-led; each child has unique capabilities and I seek to provide Therapeutic Play experiences to support each child to discover and be themselves.
I believe that change is enabled by acceptance and self-discovery, and in my work, I seek to be playful and curious, enabling clients to create narratives about their life and who they are becoming.
I offer Therapeutic Play sessions to children in schools and in our playroom in Colne. I also offer Therapeutic Parenting support and Consultation with schools in support of their children.
Please get in touch at: maxine.fletcherFL@outlook.com if you feel this sort of approach may help you or your child.
Chanelle
Chanelle is a BACP registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Chanelle has a Foundation and Bachelors degree in integrative counselling. Chanelle works with an empathic person-centred approach to therapy and can also offer different interventions to find what works best for her client.
Previously, Chanelle has been a volunteer at a charity for the past two years offering counselling and before that owned a beauty salon for ten years. Chanelle is very much a people person and has an approachable manner offering a relaxed, confidential, safe place to explore your emotions, thoughts and feelings to enable growth, change and a positive way of moving forward in life. Chanelle is particularly good at listening and creating a therapeutic relationship and gets great fulfilment in life through offering help and support to others.
Chanelle can be contacted by email: chanellehummer@outlook.com
Or by text or phone call: 07877783783
Claire
Claire is a person centred therapist who works with clients aged 16 and over.
Claire has an optimistic view of human nature, and believes that, given a safe space in which to gently explore, we can all increase our self awareness and work towards the resolution of inner conflicts.
Claire previously provided therapy at a women's charity, helping clients with a variety of different issues, including relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, self harm, domestic violence and long covid.
Claire has a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from The University of Salford and is a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists).
Prior to training as a therapist, Claire’s role involved supporting people who had suffered life changing injuries or bereavements as a result of medical procedures. Seeing the way in which those people found a way to move forward positively with their lives after having counselling was one of the factors that inspired Claire to become a therapist.
Claire can be contacted by email at: clairewhitetherapy@gmail.com
Or by text or phone call on: 07575 712355
Lynda Dempsey
Lynda Dempsey is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. She has been qualified for 12 years and has worked with adults, young people and children presenting with issues such as anxiety; depression; grief and loss; relationship issues; self harm; trauma; gender and sexuality issues; autism and ADHD. Her therapeutic approach is person centred and she offers clients the core conditions of empathy; unconditional positive regard; and congruence.
Once qualified Lynda began to focus on working with children and undertook play therapy training with a national charity. She has worked in many primary and secondary schools in East Lancashire and has spent the last 4 years working in a Pupil Referral Unit. Lynda incorporates the PACE principles of being playful, accepting, curious and empathic into her work and is an advocate of always being curious as to what is underneath a child’s behaviour. She has a special interest in attachment, trauma and special educational needs.
Lynda’s priority is for clients to feel safe in the therapeutic relationship, focusing on understanding their unique self; helping them gain a better understanding of themselves; make sense of their experiences; and work towards a better future. She has been described as supportive, caring and compassionate. Lynda is based in Rossendale and works in private practice with primary school aged children.
Lynda can be contacted by email at: lyndadempseytherapy@outlook.com
Or by text or phone call on: 07726784250
Jayne
Jayne is a qualified counsellor who has a foundation degree in counselling and is a member of BACP. Jayne works with a person-centred ethos and is able to offer different models of practice to meet individual needs. Jayne is privileged to have worked within children, young people and family services for over twenty years and this opportunity has led her to become a qualified counsellor. Jayne offers a safe and confidential space where individuals can explore themselves and find their way.
Nicola
Nicola Watkinson – Family & Systemic Psychotherapist
I have worked in the social care and mental health field both statutory and voluntary for over 20 years and have been a fully qualified and registered Family & Systemic Psychotherapist since 2008.
I have worked for the NHS in CAMHS services at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Foundation Trust and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust working with children, young people, parents and families.
I also practice independently with individuals, couples, families, students, professionals and organisations and work as a teacher and supervisor.
I can help individuals, couples and family systems in any combination. A relational approach to therapy can be helpful to people experiencing any difficulties in their lives and across the lifespan including:
- relationship difficulties
- communication issues
- low mood, anxiety and other difficult to manage emotions
- food and eating issues
- difficulties with behaviour
- dealing with difficult experiences, trauma and loss
We all live our lives as part of a system of different relationships. Sometimes the patterns and dynamics of relationships in family life can become stuck or unhelpful and finding new ways to overcome these differences together can lead to meaningful change.
Family & Systemic Therapy positions people as experts of their lives and working collaboratively is a key concept. I believe that the support and influence of parents and care givers is so important in children and young peoples’ lives, that joint therapeutic work is vital to understand the whole family picture. Exploring the beliefs, strengths and structure of family life and how these themes impact the family life cycle can be hugely helpful.
I have been trained to deliver a variety of Systemic approaches, methods and techniques, so as well as talking we may use games, art/creative activities and play in the sessions, depending on your needs and preferences.
Email: nicwatkinson@gmail.com
Phone: 07855310197
Wendy
I have a qualification in therapeutic counselling using a person centred approach, otherwise known as talking therapy and currently work with ages 16 and over.
I have worked with people with varying issues. I believe an important aspect of therapy working is the relationship, so encourage all my clients to ensure this is the right type of therapy with the right therapist.
I have completed training involving working with children, trauma informed training and suicide awareness training. I continually strive to gain as much knowledge as I can that will help me, and therefore my clients who are working with me.
My phone number is 07468500158
My email is hello@therapywendy.co.uk