TERESA DOWSON COUNSELLING
COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY IN FAREHAM, HAMPSHIRE & ONLINE
Welcome to
Teresa Dowson Counselling
and
Thank you for your visit!
Person-Centred Therapy
Life can feel overwhelming. This is true for everyone.
Being heard, feeling valued and accepted is a powerful agent for positive change.
We are all unique and sometimes it feels difficult to ‘fit in’ with the world
around us.
Why choose counselling?
For a lot of people, overwhelm can show up as feeling
anxious, stressed or suffering from low mood. It can be from things that are happening right now; or due to experiences that have followed us since childhood.
Some of us might feel as if we wear a mask just to get
through each day. This can be exhausting.
How Counselling Can help
By talking to someone unconnected with our day-to-day lives, we can start to identify the things that have been leaving us feeling overwhelmed. We can start to understand our reactions to different experiences.
We can start responding in a way that feels right for us, as individuals.
My experience has shown that as our self–awareness grows; so Too does our self – esteem.
What to expect from our work together
As your counsellor: I am a guest in your world, remaining with you as you explore your thoughts, feelings, and your unique experience of life.
This might take the form of short-term counselling, to
explore a current concern; or longer-term psychotherapy aiming to unravel past hurts that are impacting your life right now.
Whilst I can work with individuals who have been given a diagnosis of a mental health disorder or are neurodivergent; I focus on you as an individual rather than working with a diagnosis. I listen to the unique
experiences, thoughts and feelings that each individual wishes to share with me, and I am grounded in a concept of ‘difference’ rather than ‘disorder’.
No one is more of an expert on you and your life than you are, so I do not offer solutions or treatment plans in my therapy. You set the goals in therapy and I will support you as you find solutions that will work for you. I will stay alongside you as you explore whatever comes up for you during our therapy sessions.
The person-centred approach is built upon
empathic, active listening, and offering genuine acceptance.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and abide by their ethical framework.
About Me
Who am I?
My name is Teresa, and I am a person - centred counsellor based on the South Coast, near Portsmouth.
I am passionate about supporting individuals who are (or think they might be) neurodivergent, such as Autistic Spectrum or ADHD.
My journey
The journey I have been on to become a person – centred therapist has led to an enthusiastic desire to support all individuals and in championing anyone whose way of being can feel ‘out of step’ with others. My research for the BA (Hons) was focussed on autism and the person – centred approach. The client - directed approach to therapy is uniquely suited to supporting individuals who sometimes feel misunderstood.
My work
I work with individuals from aged 18+. I work as a therapist in person at The West Street Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre in Fareham (Hampshire). I also offer remote / virtual meetings using Google Meet or telephone counselling (covering the UK).
My clients set their own goals from counselling and I offer empathic listening, understanding and acceptance. Through these therapeutic conditions, my clients work towards greater self- awareness and acceptance; finding their own way of managing what life has to offer.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) in Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy (First Class Honours). Middlesex University
- Diploma (Dip HE) in Person–Centred Counselling. Middlesex University
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills.
- Level 2 Certificate Introduction to Counselling.
- Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems
- Trauma Informed Coaching Certificate - Centre for Healing.
- Autism Pathway Training Certificate - Autism Hampshire
- Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum - NAS
- NMH Autism Course 6 module bundle - NAS
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
- Registered Member of British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (MBACP)
- Member of The Person-Centred Association (tPCA)
INSURANCE & GDPR
- Full professional liability insurance
- Registered with information Commissioner’s Office: Ref No. ZB313300
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange a free initial assessment phone appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help. You can also call me on 07449318364 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first.
My Location
Based in Fareham, Hampshire; I see clients from Fareham, Portsmouth and the surrounding areas including Gosport, Stubbington, Titchfield, and Portchester. I also offer telephone and video ‘remote’ counselling (video via Google Meet).
I offer face to face counselling at the West Street Counselling Centre, 126 West Street, Fareham, Hants PO16 0EP.
The centre consists of comfortable therapy rooms across two floors, including accessible ground floor rooms and facilities. Situated in central Fareham, the practice is walking distance from Fareham train station and convenient bus links.
What I can Help With
It is my experience that person – centred therapy can be powerful in supporting individuals with a variety of presenting issues, including (but not limited to) the following experiences:
* Anxiety
* Isolation
* Stress
* Low mood
* Depression
* Self – harming
* Suicidal Ideation
* Chronic pain
* Relationship difficulties
* Carers
* Autism / Neurodiversity
* Diagnosed/ suspected mental health issues
* Trauma
* Distress
* Personal development
Neurodivergent - affirming therapy
My counselling practice is 'neurodivergent - affirming' which means I do not subscribe to a medical model view of neurodivergence as something to be cured or treated. I consider myself to be 'Autism informed' and continue to improve my understanding of the neurodiversity paradigm through ongoing continual professional development.
Each individual is unique.
We all have a unique way of being and a unique way of experiencing the world. This might mean checking in with an individual regarding their preferred way of communicating or finding out what changes might need to be made in order to successfully co - create the optimum environment for successful therapy.
It also involves recognising the client's own boundaries in therapy and respecting these rather than pushing a client to talk about something they do not feel comfortable exploring. At all times, I work in a way that respects that the client is in the lead for our therapy sessions and the client sets the pace.
This is at the heart of the Person - centred approach to therapy.
Sessions & Fees
The standard fee for each session is £55. This is payable via bank transfer 24-hours before the appointment. If paying by cash - a first and last payment during the first face to face appointment is required. At least 24-hours notice of cancellation is requested to avoid potential charge for missed sessions.
Standard sessions last for 5o-minutes and this is often referred to as a 'therapeutic hour'. These can be weekly, fortnightly or when it is mutually convenient.
It is my aim to provide a 'bespoke' service for clients and meet them 'where they are' - be this through face to face therapy or remote counselling (video/phone/text). Dates, times and method of therapy is mutually agreed between myself and the client and confirmed at each appointment.
Let us ‘co-create’ our own therapeutic space together
I approach the counselling session with an open mind, drawing from creative therapy ideas such as art, playing games or writing. My aim is to create with the client an environment that feels comfortable and unique. This is particularly useful for supporting neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism) where conventional talking therapy may feel overwhelming. If you wish to bring art, play, or writing materials with you to the session – feel free and we can incorporate this.
