Nicola Demetriou, BACP

Nicola retrained as a counsellor after experiencing bereavement and recognising the personal benefit of counselling, moving from a background in teaching into a therapeutic vocation. She brings a calm, warm approach and aims to create a gentle environment where people can explore their experiences and work towards meaningful change.

Over seven years Nicola has supported people with a wide range of concerns, including bereavement, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, work stress, childhood-related issues and domestic violence. Her experience includes work with a bereavement charity offering longer-term support, a community charity supporting clients with issues such as infertility and abuse, counselling within a GP NHS surgery on a six-session model, and work with social services supporting families facing complex challenges.

Nicola trained in integrative counselling to allow flexibility in selecting methods that suit each person's needs. Her practice draws on psychodynamic ideas, solution-based approaches, cognitive behavioural techniques, person centred work, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. She also lists client-centred, narrative and psychodynamic approaches among her clinical influences. Nicola holds BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - as a professional credential.

Her working style emphasises authenticity and transparency, helping people identify patterns in thoughts, feelings and behaviour and explore past, present and future perspectives. She supports clients to process emotions, build self-worth and improve self-esteem, often working in six-session blocks with a review at the end of each block to set the next achievable goal. Practical techniques used in sessions can include examining negative thoughts and their origins, breathing and relaxation exercises, and communication skills practice.

Initial contact is followed by an assessment session where Nicola and the client can agree goals and decide whether to proceed. Regular sessions are offered weekly with the option of fortnightly appointments, and reviews take place every six sessions to reflect on progress and adjust goals. Nicola aims to provide a collaborative therapeutic relationship where honest discussion and ongoing feedback guide the work together.