Meet the Therapist - Charlotte

Relational therapist

Hi – I’m Charlotte and I’m a volunteer counsellor/psychotherapist at York Women’s Counselling.

I’ve worked in the voluntary sector for over 20 years and my love of counselling began when I worked for Victim Support, helping people cope with the psychological impact of crimes such as robbery, antisocial behaviour and burglary. Later, I did more intense training which allowed me to support the families of murder victims, and survivors of rape and sexual assault. Since then, I’ve worked for St Vincent’s Support Centre, Guide Dogs for the Blind and, since February 2020, York Women’s Counselling Service.

I love the ethos of YWCS; we really are a close network of female counsellors who support each other in supporting the women who need our help. I love the fact that the therapists are all so different – we have a range of backgrounds and have come to counselling from different directions, whether it’s teaching, social work, corporate sector or, like me, counselling-type roles. We all share the values of York Women’s and want to make a difference.

I trained as an integrative, relational counsellor at Leeds Beckett University. I believe that relationships are key to a person’s happiness and that negative experiences from the past (or present) may significantly affect how a person interacts and connects with others. Exploring relationships with a client can help them to understand themselves better, and make changes if they wish to do so. I also believe that the relationship between counsellor and client is paramount, and that trust and connection are crucial ingredients for successful therapy. I integrate different styles of therapy into my work depending on the client and their needs.

I enjoy working creatively with clients if it is appropriate. I enjoy working with the sand-tray and stones, as well as with nesting dolls. Sometimes the use of ‘props’ can help unlock something from the subconscious. Some clients are able to open up more when working in this way as they can use the dolls or stones as metaphor for relationships or feelings. Nesting dolls (also known as Russian dolls) in particular can be used to look at the different parts of ourselves and which parts we are comfortable showing to the outside world.

I am also the Operations Manager for York Women’s Counselling. This is a 2-day a week role and my main responsibilities are around income generation, finance and future development. I also work in private practice as a therapist, but my voluntary counselling work for York Women’s is the most fulfilling work that I do. For many women, the cost of private therapy is a barrier, and knowing we are making counselling accessible to ALL women is so important.