Hello, I'm Peter.
Thank you for taking a look at my profile.
First of all, if you want to hear me talking and get a sense of me, then check out my short introductory video on my website.
I imagine that you are looking for a counsellor because you want some support to deal with issues that are affecting your mental health. I think working with a counsellor shows a real commitment for self-care. Through undertaking counselling, you can give yourself nourishment to help you grow stronger, able to mentally cope with what life throws you and be prepared for what may come.
How I work
It's important to me that you feel safe, so I am focused on working responsibly and ethically. We will look together at what you bring to counselling, exploring or clarifying issues or situations in your life that can lead to positive change and personal growth.
Often the issues that we have going on today are rooted in the past, so together we will explore the different factors that make up how you think, feel and behave. Doing this increases your self-awareness and understanding, which is important to move forward with more autonomy, openness and feeling more in control of your life.
I will use my experience and skills to listen attentively to what you say. We will look at the thoughts and beliefs you made in the past, giving you the opportunity to perhaps make new decisions in order to feel better about yourself and your life today. I will use imagery at times to help bring colour, life and depth to the thoughts and feelings that may be hiding deep in your mind.
What type of counselling do I Use?
My training is in Transactional Analysis or TA. TA is useful for giving you easy to understand tools that you can apply to your life. These tools are useful for helping you to understand yourself, others in your world and how you see the world.
We will look at your ‘Script’, a TA concept. By doing this you will understand more and more how the script you created when you were younger is having a significant impact on your life today. Developing an increased understanding of the specifics of your own script, makes it possible to begin making new decisions about how think, feel and behave that will lead to positive change.
We will work together on whatever you want to bring to counselling. You know yourself better than anyone, so it is important that you have a say on what you feel would be best to change in your life. I will be there to support you on this journey.
The LGBTQ community.
As a Gay man, I passionately support the LGBTQ community and I have worked with many people on their gender, relationship and sexual diversities. I understand the benefit and sometimes the need to talk to someone that is from the same community. This is because there is a shared understanding and belief in what is being talked about, which helps create and build the necessary feeling of trust and safety in the counselling relationship.
I volunteered as a counsellor at MindOut for 3 years, a charity supporting the mental health of the LGBTQ community in Brighton.
In my role as a mental health ally at Brighton Magistrates Court, I have used my knowledge and experience to talk to people across the country at the Ministry of Justice about identity, men’s mental health and the LGBTQ community.
Online Counselling
I offer counselling using Zoom video-conferencing, instant messaging or email. All of these methods are very effective and studies have shown that online counselling can be just as effective as in-person counselling. I undertook 80 hours of training this year - 2020, on a General Certificate in Online Counselling, in order to offer online counselling responsibly and safely.
I am a member of the NCS (National Counselling Society) and UKATA (UK Association for Transactional Analysis). I am a member of UKATA's Diversity and Social Responsibility committee. I have an enhanced DBS record check.