"Overcoming difficulties leads to courage, self-respect, and knowing yourself " - Alfred Adler
About Me
My name is Natalie Easthope and I am a counsellor specialising in long and short term therapy for teens and young adults. I see clients in a comfortable, professional space within a counselling centre in Bishop’s Stortford. Zoom sessions are available to enable clients from further afield to access counselling.
I also have extensive experience working with adults.
People have always been at the forefront of my life; I spent my early career working in Human Resources, where my passion was staff well-being. When it became apparent that my true vocation was helping those who were struggling with difficult feelings, I set about training to become a therapist. My experience includes working with clients in private practice, secondary school setting and within a formal counselling organisation. I am qualified to offer both short (6-12 weeks) and open-ended long-term counselling.
The well-being of young people became a particular focus as I witnessed the mental health issues and increased pressures this demographic encounters.
As a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I work inline with the BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. I am also a member of ASIIP, the Adlerian Society UK Institute for Individual Psychology.
Making Informed Choices
Together we will work to understand feelings, explore difficulties, discover choices, develop tools to cope with, and manage change, and learn new ways of living by creating greater self-awareness and autonomy.
A Problem Shared...
Many of us feel overwhelmed by the various struggles we encounter in our lives, these can often leave us with difficult thoughts and feelings; worthlessness, stuckness, frustration or suicidal thoughts.
Being able to say things out loud helps to release these thoughts and feelings. I use many creative techniques in my work to identify and explore these struggles.
Speaking in Confidence
I offer an environment that is relaxing and safe where our time will be used to express and explore thoughts and feelings without judgement or pressure.
Our sessions and discussions are confidential. If a subject is raised that brings up a safe-guarding issue, or there is risk of harm to yourself or to others, we will discuss the possibility that confidentiality may need to be extended.
How can counselling help you?
I work in a way that explores how life could be different; we will set achievable goals and together we will work towards them. These may be to be more confident, to manage situations and relationships without intense anxiety or to increase self-esteem. Each of us already possess many techniques that we use to live our lives well, we will discuss how we can increase and tweak these methods to ensure a life of growth and happiness.
My training followed the work of Alfred Adler, a humanistic psychologist and contemporary of Sigmund Freud, the approach is known as ‘Individual Psychology’. Adler saw people as social beings, driven by a need to belong and connect. Consequently, I work in a way that is encouraging and collaborative.
Here are a few of the more common difficulties I can support you with through counselling:
Anxiety
Depression
Parenting
Panic Attacks
Grief, Loss or Bereavement
Relationship Issues
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Suicidal Ideation
Abuse
Stress
School Issues
Anger
Problems with Addiction
Life Transitions
Family Conflict
Peer Relationships
My Location
I work from a counselling centre in Bishop’s Stortford and see clients from the surrounding area. Location details will be provided when we arrange our counselling sessions.
In addition to face-to-face therapy, I also offer online sessions; these provide local clients with an alternative or supplementary way to access therapy or enable clients from further afield the opportunity to engage in therapy without the need to travel.
Contact me to find out more about how online therapy works.
Availability
Counselling sessions last 50 minutes, usually taking place on a weekly basis. I provide a limited number of spaces for those on low-income or for counselling trainees, please contact me to enquire about availability.
Fees
Counselling sessions are £60 for a 50 minute session.
Note: Cancellation charges apply on a sliding scale within 48hrs of the appointment time.
Payment accepted in cash or via bank transfer.
Get in Touch
To find out more about how I work or to enquire about booking a session, please call me on 07426 836318, email me at natalie@saffroncounselling.co.uk or use my secure and confidential online contact form here.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Some frequently asked questions
This is a 50 minute session which gives you a chance to tell me about yourself, what’s brought you to counselling and what you hope to get from therapy.
It gives you a chance to ask questions and to decide if it feels right for us to work together.
Our sessions and what you discuss are confidential except in the following circumstances:
- I will discuss my work with a clinical supervisor. This is standard practice and challenges me to continuously improve my practice and skills in order to work with you in a safe and ethical way. My supervisor is a psychotherapist and bound by the same code of ethics as me.
- If during our work I am concerned there is a safeguarding risk or that you are at risk of harming yourself or others, I would break confidentiality to prevent harm. This could mean contacting the emergency services, GP or your emergency contact details. These are extreme circumstances, and I would always seek to discuss it with you prior to taking any action.
- If you disclosed acts of terrorism, drug trafficking or money laundering this could mean contacting emergency services as above I would seek to discuss it with you prior to taking action.
- If I am required to in a court of law.
For the initial session I would be happy for you/them to bring a relative, parent/guardian or friend into the therapeutic space with you, however I would anticipate this only being for the first 5 minutes or so until you feel settled.
The following sessions will only be you and me because I work with individuals rather than couples or groups.
It is absolutely fine for someone to drop you off and collect you from the session. There are no waiting room facilities at the counselling centre.
There is no hard and fast rule about this because everyone is different. It could be that you get want you need from the first session and we end there. You may feel a few more sessions would be beneficial, a typical short course of therapy lasts between 6 and 12 weeks or it may be that a longer period of therapy is required.
Whatever the duration might be, we will review from time to time to make sure that progress is being made and that you are getting what you need from therapy.
The initial assessment will be within 1-2 weeks and then depending on slot availability, the first session will be in the following week
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