Gayle is a fully qualified person-centred counsellor and member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) and has over 12 years’ experience of working therapeutically with children, young people, adults and couples.

Over the years that Gayle has practised, she now uses an integrative approach, whereby working in a way that best suits the client and their needs.

During counselling, Gayle offers a safe space in which to build a trusting therapeutic relationship, supporting the client to share their story, bringing a focus to the areas in which they wish to see change and to work alongside the client to enable them to reach their goals.

Gayle has had considerable experience, working with children, young people and adults who have experienced sudden and traumatic grief and loss either through illness, suicide or murder.  She has also worked for many years with children, young people and adults who have experienced both recent and historical abuse as well as children in the Looked After System.

In working with younger clients, Gayle offers play and creativity as well as a talking therapy.

“Children make sense of the world and gain a better understanding of their experiences through the use of play and creativity.  This is a gentle way of exploring very difficult and tricky thoughts and feelings and working in this way, supports children and young people to feel safe enough to share these”.

In private practice, Gayle has worked with adults dealing with a myriad of issues, such as managing stress and anxiety, separation and divorce, living with cancer and anticipatory grief, childhood trauma, late diagnosis of neuro-diversity (Autism/ADHD etc) and working towards acceptance and understanding of self, eating issues, school/exam stress, self-harm, suicide ideation, eating issues, school/exam stress and friendship/ relationship/ couple issues.

Couples counselling – We all communicate in our own way and in relationships these communication styles often differ, and can come into conflict, causing us to feel a myriad of emotions.   I strive to support couples to become better communicators, creating an opportunity to get back on the same page, talking and listening to each other and feeling heard.

In my work with couples, I believe that creating a safe and neutral space can enable couples to identify and work through their issues whilst being supported in the process.  This can lead to gaining a better understanding of themselves and each other, develop some insights about they’re relationship, acquire some useful strategies and learn ways to move forward in whatever direction that may be.

Alongside private practice, Gayle has worked for a national children’s charity for the past 9 years providing trauma informed counselling to children, young people and adults.  Previously to this, her role also entailed working in partnership with the RVI offering patients a Pregnancy Options Counselling Service for young women who felt uncertain about their pregnancy options.

Qualifications & Experience

Foundation Degree with Commendation in Counselling (Sunderland University)

BA Joint Honours Degree in Care and Education of Children and Young People and Professional Practice Studies (Northumbria University)

Working with Couples – Jesmond Therapy Centre

Trauma-Focussed CBT – Accredited, Level 2 (Association for Psychological Therapies)

Child Protection/safeguarding Core Module 3 and Effective Supervision and Risk Management.

Solution Focussed Training and Practice

Suicide and Traumatic Bereavement

Pregnancy Options Training (Barnardo’s)

Sexualised Trauma Training

Working with Young People and Sexualised Behaviour

Introduction to Transactional Analysis

Sleep Sound Training (Working with sleep issues)

Understanding Autism (TQUK)

The Inside of Autism (The Autistic Advocate)

NCFE Cert. in Mental Health Problems – Level 2

ACE’s Training (Adverse Childhood Experiences)

Grief Works: Life, Death and Surviving

Understanding and Supporting Young People who Self Harm

Developing and Enhancing Supervisory Practice (Northumbria University)

Providing Good Clinical Practice – Accredited (Association for Psychological Therapies)

Memberships

Member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)