Rachel Shaw
Member Status: Accredited
Member No: NCS22-02775
Location: Peterborough
About me
My name is Rachel and I'm a Person-Centred counsellor, working integratively using the knowledge I have of other theories to help you in the way you need. I believe that you are the expert of yourself and therefore you and me work as a team to help you. I provide a safe, confidential, non-judgemental and honest space for you to talk freely and grow.
How I work
I work with a multitude of issues, childhood trauma being the main but not the only. I can give you tools to help certain things now such as panic attacks, dealing with anxiety and negative thoughts. But I also help you get to the route causes of your issues so you are able to know yourself more and really delve deep within yourself but this is always done at your pace.
Initial session
We will have an initial session where we talk through your expectations of counselling, what issues you want to address in therapy and to allow you some time to ask any questions and get to know me in order for you to feel more comfortable. We will also prioritise which issues are the biggest for you so you have control over what we work on and prioritise what is important for you.
Online Therapy
With online therapy, it is a great way for therapy to work with your life. You can do it from anywhere as long as it's in a quiet, safe place and it doesn't have to take up half your day with travelling. Also being able to have therapy in your safe space at home, such as your bedroom or garden, means you can have all your usual comforts with you, like a pet or a cup of tea in your favourite mug, making the experience less alien if you've never had therapy before and to just make you feel more comfortable.
Walking Therapy
Walking therapy is an amazingly powerful tool for therapy as the healing properties of being in nature is scientifically proven to aid with therapy and mental wellbeing. It helps to ground you, it's calming and it is a great way to step outside of all the noise of busy life and to just be. We will walk in nature, taking in all the sounds of the birds and other wildlife, watching the trees sway in the breeze and feeling the ground beneath our feet. You also don't need to be a walking enthusiast to enjoy this experience; if walking for an hour isn't enjoyable or possible for you, we can just sit in the wood and still enjoy what nature has to offer.
Session length
All sessions are an hour long with an agreement of an initial 8 weekly sessions but we will review your counselling journey every 6 weeks to gauge how the process is going for you. Whether you want or need more, or whether you are happy to reduce the frequency to fortnightly or monthly or stop altogether; this is all something we discuss together.
I'm passionate about the power of therapy and how it can transform someone's life. I have seen it personally and through the clients I've had. No issue is too big or too small to ask for help.
I grew up in the church and also in a military family therefore I believe I have a unique set of personal experiences could that help others that have been or are in those two worlds.
I completed 4 years of training at college, going from Level 2 Counselling Skills through to Level 5 Therapeutic Counselling. As part of these courses we had to complete 100 hours of placement counselling which I completed at a male prison. This was an incredibly rewarding experience, working mostly with trauma, addiction and childhood abuse.
I have also done additional courses on trauma, shame and guilt and eco therapy.
