Youmatter.therapy practice welcomes you
Trauma informed. Anti-oppression framework. Empowerment focussed.
"The only way out is confrontation, we always thought it was retreat"
Lauryn Hill
A BIT ABOUT THERAPY
Guiding You On the Path of Self-Healing
Therapy is a place where you can come to discuss any difficulties you may be having in your life. It is a safe confidential space that is dedicated to you only. Every individual will use the space differently and it is an opportunity to get to know yourself better and become more connected to yourself.
What can therapy help with?
- Learning to build trusting and caring relationships
- Break down experiences of oppression and work through identity issues
- Prioritising your self care
- Working through past traumas
- Gaining freedom from the negative inner critic
- Understanding why you do the things you do and increasing self awareness
- Beginning to make behavioural changes in areas of your life you would like improve on
- Working through fear of conflict
- Building confidence, self love and self empowerment
GET TO KNOW ME
Bringing light where there is darkness one soul at a time
Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to get into a career path that gave me the opportunity to help people feel empowered and enlivened in themselves. This interest led me to study community theatre and eventually I went on to study to be a counsellor. As a licensed Therapist, I am committed to the well-being of all my clients and go above and beyond to cater to their needs.
I truly care for all of my clients, and work diligently to help find them the answers they seek. Since 2009, I have worked in the field of mental health. I have a background in mental health user involvement and am passionate about keeping the client voice at the centre of all the work I do. I worked with organisations such as Gendered Intelligence, Stonewall, Bipolar UK, the Advocacy Project and the NHS.
I am trained as an integrative therapist, which means that my style of therapy can be adapted according to your unique needs. My training was in Patricia Clarkson's relational model which draws on theory from psychodynamic, humanistic, person-centre and transpersonal psychotherapy. I bring a keen focus to the relationship within the work I do, and believe that it is within this container the healing can take place.
I am also a qualified reiki practitioner and use this in my therapeutic practice to help connect with the body if this feels aligned for the client and the work; reiki helps the body to relax, intuition to arise and stored energy in the body to release. Additionally, I use a technique called focussing, a meditative practice that aids bodily enquiry and deeper listening to the inner experience.
I have a background in the creative arts and have a deep spiritual practice of meditation. Where helpful to your process I use chair work, music, drawing and writing as therapeutic aids to help with your self expression.
MY PRACTICE
A personalised space for you to explore your inner world and needs
Hello, my name is Orla (they/them), welcome to my page. As a counsellor and human, I am all too aware of how daunting it can be to take that first step towards counselling. If you are reading this page, well done for getting this far. Sometimes in life we can start to feel stressed or overwhelmed and we need some help, someone to listen. It isn’t always possible to work out what we need or how to feel more whole within the communities or support systems we may already have in place.
Counselling is a process of discovering yourself. It can be exciting, but also scary. I practice with curiosity, creativity and empathy to help you unfold your story and have a space that honours you and your process. I am down to earth in my approach and aim to make sure you feel as comfortable as possible. I work very much human to human when working with clients to break down hierarchy and encourage empowerment in the therapeutic process. I can offer you a safe and understanding space in which you can explore whatever it is that is on your mind. No problem is too small or too big, because you matter.
I am trauma-informed in the work I do and work deeply with clients to identify what wounds are holding them back in life, helping them to lean into the pain so it can receive the attention it needs to heal. We are taught to avoid or fix our pain, this is a misguided myth; in this context of therapy, the solution is in building enough trust in the therapeutic relationship to make space for the grief to breathe. In doing this inner freedom is enabled. It's hard work, but it's heart work, and I am here to guide and hold you in this process.
I work with a wide variety of issues including: abuse (including narcissistic abuse), sexual trauma, racial trauma and identity, depression, LGBTQ+ (including gender dysphoria and transitioning), redundancy, relationship issues, polyamoury and relationship diversity, codependency, empath and HSP (highly sensitive people) challenges, hearing voices, low self-esteem, stress, bereavement, inner child work, sex and love addiction, anxiety, self-harm and other forms of emotional distress.
Working with issues concerning intersectionality and identity journeying are areas of particular passion for me. For those it is meaningful to, I identify as a Non-binary, Queer person with British and European heritage. I have ADHD and mental health lived experience; my lived experience informs my practice and I provide an inclusive space in which all aspects of identity can be honoured and repaired where there has been shame planted. Whether you have had wounding in your identity as a result of your gender, ethnicity, religion, spirituality, age, disability, class, neurodiversity, health, relationship diversity, education or sexuality - together we can cultivate an environment in which you can move through the fire of that shame and walk out into empowerment and pride.
Please visit my Instagram business account and website for more information about my practice:
Instagram: @youmatter.therapy
Facebook: @Youmattertherapy
CONTACT ME
Brighton & Hove in person, UK wide online
07564702888
