Becky Watherston Counselling

Therapist counsellor anxiety London ADHD pregnancy birth therapy

Becky Watherston

Counselling

There are times in life when we all need a little help, reaching out to others can be hard and sometimes complicated. I offer a safe non-judgmental space for those times when you need to speak, be heard and explore some of life’s worries and questions.

I am an experienced counsellor and have worked in mental health and wellbeing for 18 years.

I work with a wide variety of concerns, including Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, Depression, relationship difficulties, bereavement and loss, prenatal and postnatal issues, as well as many other mental health challenges. please see below for more details in some of the key issues I work with.

I am a fully qualified counsellor, having trained on a BACP accredited course in integrative psychotherapeutic counselling. I have also completed various supplementary training courses in core specialist areas as well as completing an ACTO course in delivering online and telephone counselling.

Areas of specialism

Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural emotional response characterised by feelings of worry, nervousness, or unease about an uncertain outcome or potential threat. It can manifest physically as restlessness, difficulty concentrating, rapid heartbeat, or sleep disturbances. While occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, persistent or intense anxiety may interfere with daily activities and wellbeing, often indicating an underlying mental health concern.
I have several years of experience working with anxiety and exploring with clients what the underlying causes are.
ADHD, Autism and other Neurodivergence's

Whether you have a diagnosis or not, I work with the issues that come up due to the symptoms. Since 2006, I have developed significant experience in working with neurodiverse clients, and have written articles about working with Neurodivergence, for counsellors and clients. I use my counselling knowledge paired with extensive wider training around coaching and the specific issues facing clients with ADHD, Autism and other neurodivergence.
Bereavement

Experiencing bereavement can be profoundly traumatic, and it is often difficult to discuss your grief with those close to you. As an experienced bereavement counsellor with over ten years’ experience in supporting people through loss, I am here to help you navigate this challenging time with compassion and understanding.
Having the weekly space to talk, cry and reflect is hugely beneficial in healing and moving forward after a loss.
Perinatal Mental Health

Prenatal anxiety, postnatal anxiety or pregnancy and childbirth fears are all very stressfull to go through. However, they are very common, and seeking mental health support can help you and your baby feel safe and calm. This is an exciting new chapter in your life, one to be cherished and enjoyed. I have over 12 years experience working with pregnant and new mothers. Get in touch to find out how I can help you too.
Relationship Issues

Whether it's a romantic relationship, a friendship, workplace relationships or family relationships, they all take some figuring out.
When a relationship runs into trouble it can leave you feeling betrayed, hurt and vulnerable.
I have many years experience working with relationship dynamics and can help you to process problems within your relationships or feelings after a relationship breakdown. Get in touch to find out more.
Trauma

I am a trauma informed therapist, I work with both historical and recent trauma in various forms. Trauma comes in many shapes and sizes, I firmly believe that any kind of trauma is as important and significant as any other, there is no hierarchy in human experience. The surrounding circumstances play a big role in how a trauma is felt. I work carefully with clients to process any trauma that they have experience in a safe and supportive environment.

enquire

These are just some of the areas I can help with, I can also help you process; trust issues, terminal illness, social anxiety, adoption, passive aggressive behaviour, anger, shame, abuse, historical abuse, emotional abuse, parental support, depression, general anxiety, trauma, parenting problems, workplace problems and stresses. I can also work with you on other mental health issues and help you with mindfulness and meditation.

Sessions & Prices.

I offer a free 20-minute consultation to find out a bit more about you and for you to get to know me and see if you feel we could work together. This is not a counselling session, more of an introduction. After that sessions are 50 minutes at the same time weekly. health insurance session times may differ.

If you would like to get started the consultation and first session can be done together, one after the other.

I work online, on the phone or face to face, whichever suits your needs. I have counselling rooms in Shadwell/Wapping E1W. Online and telephone counselling clients can be anywhere in the UK.

Sessions are priced at £80 online or on the phone and £95 face to face, due to counselling room rental charges.

No question is a silly question

Before you read the FAQ’s I want you to feel at ease, no question is silly. If you have one that’s not listed below or you would like to know more about something below then send me an email or click the button at the end of the section.

I am passionate about helping clients understand counselling and find the right fit for you so will do my best to answer any queries you send me.

How do I choose the right counsellor for me? and other FAQ’s

There are so many to choose from it is hard! As the client you should feel empowered to email, message or speak to a variety of counsellors to find the right one for you. It is really important that you like the counsellor you work with and feel comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with sending an email and then not following up when you hear back. I recommend a free consultation or meeting in order to get a good understanding of how you will work with a counsellor. So, I encourage you to explore a few possibilities and when you feel comfortable, go for it!
There are a huge variety of counselling models, it is no wonder it is so hard to know what you are looking for.
The main ones are psychodynamic, which is more traditional and stems from Freudian theories. Its less relational and you may find if you are just starting out that this type of therapy is quite intense.
Then there’s person centred which is much more focused on the here and now with the client but doesn’t look too much at deeper issues about why you are feeling or behaving like you are.
There’s also CBT or Cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses more on negative thoughts and how to change them but again doesn’t look too much into why you are feeling or behaving a certain way.
Integrative therapy is a mixture of these and more too. You work with the therapist to find what you like and don’t like to find something that fits. You can explore uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, work on ways to change them and look at where they might be coming from, and how to find new ways of being that serve you better in the future. This is the style of therapy that I am trained in.
This is a tough question and there are many factors that contribute to differences in cost. Free counselling is often done by trainee counsellors as part of their training hours. This can be great counselling as the trainee is often well supported with extra supervision. However, waiting times for this are long and often it is limited to 6-12 sessions with no option of extensions. Trainees also lack the experience of a therapist who has been practicing for longer.
Private counsellors have a range of costs such as websites, directories, governing bodies, supervision, and room hire. This is before you think about the cost of the training and the cost of living. Counsellors should also be keeping to a maximum of 20 clients (BACP guidelines), and so to earn a salary some counsellors need to charge more. It is not a reflection on how good a counsellor is but rather how they have worked out what they need to charge. Some areas are more expensive than others, particularly when it comes to room hire.
The simple answer is no, most courses are to a minimum standard. If you are unsure, look for a counsellor who has trained on an accredited BACP course as their standards are high. Most courses are a minimum of two years and all therapists on the BACP have a minimum of 100 client training hours practice, or 450 for an accredited therapist. Often the MA or Dr before or after someone’s name doesn’t necessarily relate to the counselling course they have completed. If in doubt check it out, just ask the counsellor where and what they have studied, a good counsellor shouldn’t mind.