Hello and welcome to Gemma White Therapy.
I offer an extra warm welcome if you're wondering if therapy could be helpful for you. I hope you find the information you need here. I'm happy to discuss any aspect of working together or answer questions, you can get in touch through the contact section.
I am a fully qualified, BACP registered, Person-Centred counsellor, working online with UK clients.
I have extensive experience of, and a passion for, working with clients living with grief of all kinds. I also specialise in working with those who are childless/childfree not by choice.
Perhaps you have suffered a bereavement, or an important relationship has ended? You may be experiencing a loss of another sort, the loss of a future you imagined for yourself? Therapy can provide a supportive space, separate from the rest of your life, where you can talk about how it is to be you. It can be somewhere to make sense of thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears and to explore how you might move forward.
It can be difficult to find words for all aspects of our grief, some thoughts and feelings can be hard to acknowledge, but with support they can be named and explored. I believe when we feel deeply understood and accepted as we are, there is great potential for healing and lasting change. It is possible to thrive and flourish, even when not living the life we hoped for.
My style is gentle, sensitive, and compassionate. In our sessions, I strive to create a space where you are welcomed as you are and it feels possible to speak openly about how life is for you. We work at your pace and you decide on what feels most important to talk about. We can work on understanding it all together. In this space it is possible to see things in new ways and to discover opportunities and ways of being that are right for you.
If you like the sound of this way of working and you're ready to make a start, I encourage you to get in touch using the contact section.
ABOUT ME
A love of meaningful conversations and human connection inspired me to train as a therapist. I am endlessly interested in discussing our human experience and how it is to live. I have experienced loss, and I found Person-Centred therapy supportive, healing and transformative. Person-Centred therapy helped me to find self-acceptance and freedom to experience more of what it is to be me, this in turn allowed me to have more fulfilling relationships and to find more joy in life. I hold this personal experience in mind when approaching my work with clients.
My experience and passion is in working with those who are living with grief, particularly disenfranchised grief, those griefs that are less acknowledged and honoured by society. I believe all of us have value and deserve to be heard and Person-Centred therapy can be powerful in supporting clients who are faced with loss and trauma. I also specialise in working with those who are childless or childfree not by choice and I have lived experience of childlessness and infertility treatment.
I attained a BA in Person-Centred Counselling at the respected Metanoia Institute in Ealing, London. It was important to me to commit to a four-year, BACP accredited, degree level training to prepare myself fully for work as a counsellor. I wanted to be immersed in the theory and to invest the time required to develop my practice. This allows me to meet my clients fully in whatever they are experiencing.
What is Person-Centred counselling?
Person-Centred theory and values guide my way of working in our sessions. This theory suggests that within all living beings there is a drive to grow and fulfil potential. This drive can become stuck, due to difficult experiences or messages we may have received about our value and how to be. However, when a person receives genuine empathy and warmth, this drive can be freed and change and new ways of being can become possible. You may recognise the presence of this drive in yourself? Person-Centred values see everyone as unique and of value. I will listen deeply to you and work with you to understand what is happening for you and how you might want to move forward. You can read more about the Person-Centred Approach here: https://www.the-pca.org.uk/
Qualifications
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BA in Person-Centred Counselling, Metanoia Institute, Ealing London
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Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling, Metanoia Institute, Ealing, London
Continuing Professional Development
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I attend to my ongoing learning and development with individual supervision, trainings, reading and accessing peer support groups. Recent topics include Shame, Menopause and working within diversity.
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I am continuously engaged with examining my privileges and biases, and how they might be present in my work with clients. I am vigilant to the impact of differences and sameness between my clients and I.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Fees and Availability
I offer counselling for individuals of 18 years and older, online and in the UK (I do not currently offer counselling to clients outside of the UK).
Fees
My current fee is £60 per 50 minute session. (I offer limited concessionary sessions at £40 per 50 minute session, please let me know if you require a concessionary fee). I require payment by bank transfer prior to each session and ask for 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule for any reason.
Availability
I currently offer four time slots on Tuesdays (11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00) and some evening slots at 18:00. Please contact me for my available session times or to be added to my waiting list.
Online and telephone Counselling
I currently only offer therapy via video call on Zoom or telephone, and only to clients in the UK. I have specific training in working online and by telephone. Online/telephone therapy allows clients to have therapy from the comfort of their homes without the need to travel. To have online therapy you will need an internet enabled device with a camera, speaker and microphone. You may prefer to use headphones for extra privacy. You'll need an internet connection with sufficient capacity for live streaming, for example; watching Netflix. You'll also need a quiet and private space for our sessions. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss whether online/telephone counselling could work for you.
Social Media
I have a business Instagram page where I share content about therapy, grief and childlessness. You are welcome to follow me to get to know me and my work.
CONTACT ME
Please use this form if you're interested in finding out more about working together or have any questions.
I understand it can be hard to send an enquiry and I'll do my best to make the process as comfortable as I can.
Please share what you feel comfortable sharing at this point, brief details are okay. I'll aim to respond within 24-48 hours with suggested next steps.
If we decide to explore more, I will suggest a free, no obligation, 20 minute video call. This will be very informal, and will give you the opportunity to meet me and allow me to check if I am the best therapist for you.
If we conclude that I’m not the right therapist for you, I can make recommendations to support you in finding someone else. I look forward to hearing from you.