Elizabeth Lauren Counselling
Online and Telephone Counsellor based in Bexleyheath
'Every feeling is welcome here'
Welcome to Elizabeth Lauren Counselling
A confidential space to explore the thoughts, feelings and challenges in your life
About Me
Hi there! My name is Liz, I'm a counsellor in my late 40s and a mum to two incredible young men. I'm delighted to extend a very warm welcome to this space!
I understand how messy and painful life can be at times. That feeling of opening your eyes in the morning and the incoming waves of dread and apprehension as another day starts, another day of maybe having to show the world you're fine, when in truth, you feel anything but. Maybe you're entrenched in grief, or there is a loss of direction in your life, feelings are showing up every day that you struggle to make sense of, anxiety feels like it dominates daily life, relationships are becoming difficult, or you have a heaviness of hopelessness and 'stuckness'. Perhaps you're yearning to heal from a traumatic event, you long to silence the internal nagging voice that tells you you're not good enough or worth enough, you find yourself screaming into a void or you're struggling to identify a reason to keep on going...a reason to stay. Whatever brings you to counselling, I believe your feelings matter and deserve to be heard.
My own life experiences have shaped my understanding of how challenging life can be and inspired my journey into counselling.
Thank you for being here and reading my words. If you feel I could be the therapist for you then, then please do reach out for an initial chat which will hopefully help you decide if we're a good fit. If not, then I wish you all the very best with your journey towards growth, fulfilment and healing.
‘When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change’
Wayne Dyer
Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling CPCAB
Certificate in Counselling Studies CPCAB
Certificate in Counselling Skills CPCAB
Accredited member of the NCPS (National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society)
Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
As an ethical practitioner and member of the NCPS, I engage in regular CPD (Continuous Professional Development) to enhance my work and ensure I keep up to date with new developments relevant to the counselling profession. Whilst this is an ongoing process, some areas I have covered to date have included:
Understanding and Therapeutically Supporting Infant Loss
Understanding Complex Grief and Suicide Bereavement
Disenfranchised Grief
Working with Pet Loss
Working with Trauma: The Fundamentals
5 Dimensions of Working with Trauma
An attachment aware and trauma informed perspective on resilience
Nervous System Strategies for Trauma Survivors
Distinguishing PTSD and Complex PTSD
Using Trauma-Informed Grounding Techniques
Neurodiversity and resources
Working with the Inner Child
The Inner Child from Various Perspectives
ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
Attachment Styles
Working with Domestic Abuse in the Counselling Room
Men's barriers to mental health support
Prior to setting up my own practice I was a counsellor at North Kent Mind, Headstrong and the Royal Greenwich Counselling to Schools Service. My previous roles have included working with children with autism for 15 years (in Outreach/Advisory Services) and as a Family Support Worker/Designated Safeguarding Lead. I currently work with a domestic abuse charity as an advocate for survivors of abuse.
‘When we own our stories, we get to write the ending’
Brene Brown
I recognise that taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting, especially if you've never had therapy before.
Maybe it's somewhat overwhelming or intimidating too with so many counsellor profiles on offer and not knowing quite where to start?
With this in mind, I want to thank you for stopping here and to offer my admiration for taking this first important step and for making the commendable investment in you and your future.
The lotus flower in my logo reflects my belief that sits at the centre of both my practice and my understanding of human resilience: even in difficult, painful and challenging circumstances, growth and healing remain possible. No matter how dark things may feel right now, there is always the potential for change, hope and renewal.
I believe passionately that at the heart of counselling is the therapeutic relationship - this is the foundation that we build the work upon. In my practice, I strive to always offer a warm, compassionate and genuine space.
My Approach
As an integrative counsellor, I draw on different therapeutic approaches depending on your individual needs, However, the foundation of my work is person-centred, which means I believe you are the expert on your own life and experiences.
My role is not to tell you what to do, but to walk alongside you, offering support, understanding, and a space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Together, we can make sense of what you're experiencing, recognise patterns and consider changes that feel right for you.
Just as there may be tears of pain, there may be laughter and tears of joy too - please know that every emotion is welcome! I will meet you where you are with respect, acceptance, warmth, compassion and no judgement. Rest assured - we will only ever work at a pace that feels right for you with no expectations. This is your space to be yourself.
Areas I can help with
People come to counselling for many different reasons and below are some of the areas I work with.
I am particularly interested in working with bereavement, grief and loss which can come in many forms. An area I specialise in is 'Disenfranchised Grief' - a lesser known type of grief and loss that isn't recognised or acknowledged by others. Please see my blog for more information about this.
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief, loss and bereavement, including non-death losses
- Low mood
- Relationship difficulties
- Divorce and separation
- Parenting difficulties and associated stress
- Workplace difficulties and burnout
- Low self-esteem/low self-confidence
- Shame
- Life transitions
- Trauma
- Autism
- Sexuality
- Men's mental health
You are warmly invited to reach out for an initial free consultation where we can discuss in more detail what you would like support with.
Crisis
If you are in crisis and need immediate help, please see below for information on support available:
- Call Samaritans on 116 123 (Freephone - 24/7 helpline)
- Visit your nearest A&E Department
- Text SHOUT to 85258 (Text based chat)
- Call CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) Suicide Prevention Helpline for anyone affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts on 0800 585858 (Freephone - open from 5 pm - midnight every day)
My Location
I am based in Bexleyheath/Bickley - South East London and provide services to local areas and across the UK - please see the bottom of this page for further information.
I offer a free 15 minute 'discovery'appointment (phone or online) as an informal opportunity for us to get to know one another a little more, for you to ask any questions and to help decide if I might be the right therapist for you. If it feels that we may not be able to work together, I will, where possible, endeavour to signpost alternative options for you.
I offer online or phone sessions of 50 minutes scheduled at a frequency that best suits you. You may choose to book weekly sessions initially (this is recommended to help establish trust and a feeling of safety), reducing to fortnightly or monthly should you feel you are making the progress you hope for. We will regularly review our work so we can always discuss this together.
Fees
My fee is £60 per session. I have a limited number of sessions offered at a concessionary rate for people who are on a low income.
My cancellation policy is 24 hours. Cancellations outside of this timeframe will incur the full session fee.
I am an accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). I also hold therapeutic insurance, an enhanced DBS certificate and am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how therapy works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to therapy, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07767 944 280 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. Please be aware, I will only leave a voicemail if you advise that it is appropriate to do so. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
I aim to respond to enquiries within 72 hours and all contact is strictly confidential. I respond to all messages so in the event you appear not to have received a reply, please check your spam/junk inbox.
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