Therapy with me
As a Person-Centred therapist, I believe that every person has the capacity for growth when they are met with empathy, acceptance and genuine understanding. Rather than offering advice or trying to fix what feels difficult, I aim to create a relationship where you feel safe enough to explore your experiences at your own pace. I trust that you are the expert on your own life, and my role is to walk alongside you as you make sense of what matters to you.
I didn't become a therapist because I thought I had all the answers. In many ways, I became a therapist because I know what it feels like to search for them.
I have been shaped by my life experiences, relationships and the communities I have been part of. These experiences have shown me that we each experience the world through our own unique lens. They have also taught me to approach another person's story with openness rather than assumptions, allowing space for their experience to unfold in its own way.
Over the years, I have learnt that healing doesn't come from becoming a different person. It comes from gradually feeling safe enough to become more of who we already are. That understanding has come not only through my professional training but also through my own personal journey. Like the people I work with, I know what it is like to sit in the client's chair. I know the courage it takes to speak about the parts of ourselves that we usually keep hidden.
I completed my Foundation Degree in Person-Centred Counselling, accredited by the University of East Anglia, and gained much of my clinical experience within an NHS cancer support service. Working alongside people living with cancer and those close to them was both humbling and deeply meaningful. Those conversations were rarely about finding solutions. More often, they were about making space for fear, grief, hope and uncertainty. They reminded me that even in the most difficult circumstances, being truly heard can make a profound difference. I further developed my clinical experience within a local hospice, supporting people who had been bereaved. Sitting alongside individuals living with the loss of someone important to them deepened my understanding of grief and reinforced the value of simply being present. I learnt that grief has no timetable and that people need the freedom to experience it in their own way, without pressure to move on before they are ready.
My approach
The way I work is grounded in the relationship we build together. I don't believe therapy is about giving advice or telling you how to live your life. I believe it is about creating a space where you don't have to pretend, perform or protect anyone else. A space where you can bring whatever feels important, knowing it will be met with warmth, curiosity and respect.
A place to slow down
People often spend years feeling they have to hold everything together or that their feelings are somehow too much, not enough or simply don't matter. My hope is that therapy offers something different. A place where you can slow down, listen to yourself and begin to understand your experiences with greater compassion rather than judgement.
Who I work with
I welcome people from all backgrounds, identities and cultures. I recognise that our experiences are shaped by many influences, including our relationships, culture and the world around us. I will always be interested in understanding your experience as you know it, rather than viewing it through my own assumptions.
© Felicia Hooton Counselling
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