Andrew Lacey

As your counsellor (or “therapist”) I support you to resolve sometimes painful issues from the past that may be holding you back, help you deal with your feelings and emotions, and ultimately gain an improved sense of wellbeing.

Integrating a range of approaches, I offer a broad counselling/therapy to help with issues such as grief, bereavement and loss; anger; stress, anxiety and depression; shame and low self-esteem; and relationships and family issues. In addition, I specialise in working with clients who:

• are in recovery from addiction, eating disorders and “co-dependency”
• were abused or neglected as children or who grew up in “dysfunctional” families
• are struggling with or exploring issues of sexuality, identity and intimacy.

I belong to the affirmative It’s All About You Wellbeing network which enables LGBTQ+ people, their families and friends to make contact with the right  professional for them.

Coaching

Do you want to feel more positive about the life that you lead? Make some big change? Perhaps take on a new challenge?

Coaching helps you achieve the results you want in your life. The focus is on getting really clear what it is you want and then identifying the steps you need to take to realise your full potential. This could be about any aspect of life … landing your dream job; finding the work-life balance that suits you; improving the quality of your relationships; or daring to have a go at something you’ve always longed to do but told yourself you couldn’t!

As your coach, my role is not to give you answers, but to ask the right questions so that you find your own answers. Some people prefer to go out walking on the seafront rather than sit in a room, and that’s fine by me! While supportive and encouraging I can also be challenging. Coaching is action-oriented and usually short-term (typically four to six sessions over a few weeks or a couple of months – but there is no hard-and-fast rule).

Integrated coaching-therapy

Blending counselling/therapy with coaching brings together the depth of therapy along with a focus on your strengths and potential to thrive despite challenging circumstances. As a dual-trained practitioner, I’m very comfortable working in this integrated way.

Couples therapy / relationship counselling

All close relationships have their ups and downs. There are so many pressures on our lives and on our time – from family to finances, from children to communication – that many couples can struggle and go through difficult times. Couples counselling (also known as couples therapy or relationship counselling) provides a safe and supportive to explore and better understand what’s happened, learn to communicate more effectively, reconnect emotionally and figure out if it’s possible to create a happier and healthier relationship going forward. I am equally comfortable counselling same-sex couples as heterosexual couples. I also offer relationship counselling in other contexts, for example between family members, friends, flat-mates or work colleagues.

Find out more

Please see my Q+A page with answers to some common questions and Client testimonials to find out what previous clients have said about working with me.

My background

I have always had a passion for helping people heal, develop and flourish. Having benefited immensely myself from counselling and therapy, in my early 30s I trained in London as a psychotherapeutic counsellor and about 10 years ago gained a qualification in coaching and mentoring. I’ve also had considerable professional experience in other fields of work such as PR, corporate communications and learning & development.

My voluntary work has included counselling at the Terrence Higgins Trust in Brighton and being a trustee of Mankind UK, a national charity offering therapy and other support to male survivors of sexual abuse. I practice meditation and mindfulness and am currently a trustee of Gaia House, a retreat centre near Newton Abbot offering silent meditation retreats in the Buddhist tradition.

Our young Jack Russell called “Toby” is super-friendly and (mostly!) very well behaved. He doesn’t like being left in the house while I’m working in the annexe, so often sits in with me in sessions – but only with your prior agreement, of course!

Qualifications, professional membership and ethics

Counselling/therapy:

Fees

Individual Counselling or Coaching: I charge £75 for 60-minute sessions. Reduced fee daytime (not evening) sessions may be available depending on  your financial circumstances, frequency of sessions and the number of clients I am seeing.

Couples Counselling: I charge £100 for 60-minute sessions. Reduced fee daytime (not evening) sessions may be available depending on your financial circumstances, frequency of sessions and the number of clients I am seeing.

Flexible coaching package = £399 paid upfront: 6 hours’ worth of coaching support, delivered in a timeframe of 1 – 3 months, tailored to you. Choose a mix of face-to-face, online or telephone sessions and email contact between sessions.

Availability

I work regularly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and  Thursdays, including evening sessions. I may also be able to arrange other times for one-off sessions.

Taking the first step

I offer the option of a free 20-minute initial phone or Zoom consultation before booking a first session. Please contact me by phone, text or email if you are interested in the possibility of us working together. I look forward to hearing from you!

Contacting Andrew Lacey