Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read this.
My name is Elizabeth, and I am a qualified therapeutic counsellor and certified online therapist. From time to time we all struggle to find our way through life’s challenges, and I am here to help you through these difficult times.
I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their Ethical Framework for Counselling Professionals. This means I take great care to work professionally, with sincere respect for you. I provide a safe space for you to talk about your life circumstances and accompanying feelings. Confidentiality is a priority, as is my commitment to empowering you to be your best version of yourself.
Currently, I am working online using Zoom (a secure video platform) which means you can benefit from being in the comfort of your own home (or perhaps car) for our sessions. Zoom is user friendly, works on phones, laptops and tablets and is encrypted end to end. Check out my tips for online therapy on my website.
Alternatively, you may prefer using a telephone for our therapy sessions which relies less on good internet connections and may reduce anxiety for some people who are not keen on using a camera.
I also offer email therapy using ProtonMail which is highly secure and confidential (and also free to use). Some people may prefer email therapy as the slower pace allows for reflection and considered responses, and also enables you to write at a time that suits you.
It can be daunting making that first step to take control of your situation, but here you are doing that already. Let’s build on this together.
I charge £40 per 60-minute session and payments are to be made through bank transfer.
I truly look forward to meeting you and starting our therapeutic journey together.
I understand approaching a counsellor for the first time can be daunting. From the outset I offer a safe, non-judgemental, confidential space in which you can express your feelings and gain deeper insight into any difficulties you might be experiencing. If you are unsure, or you have any questions about accessing counselling, we can have a brief talk prior to committing to accessing sessions. I will aim to support you to feel at ease in taking this first step.
How I work -
Following an initial phone call (for which there is no charge), we may arrange for an assessment session to take place (via telephone or Zoom webcam) which will determine whether the counselling I offer is appropriate to your needs and also for you to decide if you would like to work with me. After assessment, and depending on need, I can offer short-term counselling which can be anywhere between 8-20 sessions with a focus on a particular concern, or open-ended counselling to explore deep-rooted feelings and past experiences that can affect daily life.
Training and experience -
I am a qualified counsellor, accredited and registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). As an accredited member of the BACP, I work to their Ethical Framework for Counselling Professions which requires attendance at regular clinical supervision and continued professional development (CPD). I have in-depth understanding of the therapeutic process gained from 12 years of providing open-ended psychodynamic and short-term focused counselling to adults experiencing a broad range of concerns. Some of the areas of counselling I deal with are bereavement and loss, depression, stress and anxiety, trauma, obsessive behaviours, relationship difficulties, transition and major life changes, low self-esteem and self-worth.
I work with clients from a diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds. I also deliver emotional wellbeing and reflective [...]
When you are needing support to manage/ overcome difficulty, or to find more meaning and fulfilment in your life, counselling offers a safe space where you can think about yourself and take time to talk.
Counselling gives you the opportunity to talk with a trained professional who will listen, in a non-judgemental way, to help you better understand and address those issues affecting your wellbeing.
I am an HCPC registered Art Therapist also trained to work online and face to face with adults and children as well as a member of BACP and a Fellow of the RSA. I have experience working with adults in the community for the NHS as well as voluntary work with charities and with children in primary schools.
Sessions and treatment are planned to meet your individual emotional, therapeutic and basic ‘being’ needs before working on any life experiences or difficulties.
What does meeting being needs look like?
Ways to regulate emotions – to relax, feel calm and self sooth
Ways to keep and feel safe
The experience of being with another, being heard.
Once safety, trust are established we can look to process experiences and difficulties you may be facing.
Description of my online supervision service:
I offer one to one online supervision (and supervision of supervision) via email or live video to therapists, supervisors, professionals who work in the mental health / wellbeing sector, or any other professional who needs robust and boundaried support for the work they do with people.
I aim to support you via confidential email exchanges, as you reflect on yourself and your circumstances. Where appropriate, together we can find a way forward that you consider to be helpful, rewarding and lasting.
The process of reflection and exploration normally awakens or heightens emotions. Our work together can help make sense of any triggered emotions and thoughts; it can also support you to safely make appropriate changes, as and when you choose to do so.
It would be impossible to do this work without your trust, motivation and cooperation and anything you disclose is treated respectfully and confidentially.
CONFIDENTIALITY (YOUR SECURITY):
Confidentiality is central to the functioning of this service. I will not disclose any identifying information about you to others unless we both agree in writing that it is helpful, or unless refusal to disclose is against UK law.
HOW ARE THERAPEUTIC EMAIL EXCHANGES SET UP AND DELIVERED?
1- We provisionally agree on a date.
2- You pay your fee at least 48 hours before the agreed date. Once your payment has gone through, the date is confirmed.
3- I will send you a blank password-protected document to use. You send me your confidential comments and thoughts in this doc. at least 24 hours before the agreed date.
4- On our agreed day I commit one hour (just like a face to face session) to carefully read and respond to your confidential attachment.
DATA PROTECTION:
I am ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) registered and comply with the UK Data Protection Act.You have the right to access any records that are kept about you. An exception would be information about or from a third party.
Description of my online supervision service:
My Supervision service is a relatively new one. I have a warm approach, respecting all that my Supervisee knows and practices. My main aim is; 'How do I help this Supervisee become a great Counsellor/Therapist)?
Full information atwww.castawaytherapy.com (click for
direct access to website.
* I work with individuals and couples providing Sex & Relationship Therapy.
* I work with indivduals, couples and their partners with Sex addiction, Love addiction, Porn/website/chat room/escort addiction.
*I also work with unwanted Fetishes.
* I work daily with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviours
etc
I am currently at capacity and not able to take on new clients. However, you are still welcome to contact me for a brief chat to talk about what you are looking for from therapy and how to find a suitable counsellor.
In general I see counselling as a process where you and I work together to try to make sense of your life: what has happened to you in the past, what you have had to do to get this far, and what you would like to do with the rest of your life. But of course you can choose to work on something much more specific than this, and that's fine too.
Hello. Perhaps the idea of online therapy seems daunting to you but I believe it can be as effective as face to face sessions. One of the bonuses of course is that so long as you're in the UK, your geographical location is irrelevant. You're welcome to book a 15 minute initial online video meeting so we can speak and see if the way I work suits you.
Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed by the pressures in your life and want someone to talk to. You may be feeling stuck in a rut, stressed, low, indecisive or struggling with anxiety and depression. On the other hand, you don't have to have a major crisis to benefit from counselling. Perhaps you just need help in reaching a specific goal or are experiencing a life event or change you're finding difficult. Our work together may help you to see things from a different perspective, explore possible changes, coping strategies and options, helping you to move forward in the way you want to.
Common issues men and women come to me with include:
depression and anxiety
stress
relationship issues
bereavement (including pregnancy/infant loss and pet loss)
abuse
confidence and low self esteem
sexuality and gender
personal development including finding meaning in life
If you'd like to give online therapy a try, pease get in touch
I love working as an online therapist and have successfully worked with clients from many parts of the world. Do feel free to contact me for more information.
Whether you live abroad, or have difficulty accessing help, or prefer seeing a therapist online: receiving therapy online can be very rewarding and creative. I can help with anxiety, depression, panic, bereavement, or gender dysphoria and many other issues.
I am also qualified and experienced as an online supervisor and qualified to provide virtual reality therapy using avatars through ProReal. I am also Vice Chair of ACTO.
I originally trained in a psychodynamic way but now I prefer to work in the way that seems appropriate to and for you, the client. This is called an integrative way of working as it calls on many psychotherapy traditions and techniques. I do not do any face to face work now, I only work therapeutically online.
I leave the format I use for the work for you to choose: the most important thing is that you make the choice and are happy with that, and of course we can change format. We can worth by video, audio, live chat, email or virtual reality. I always use Zoom.
I work online because that’s what I love doing and can see how successful it is for my clients. You shouldn’t expect miracles, and you may feel worse before you feel better, but I will support you through these stages and have 30+ years’ experience of working successfully with clients.
I believe strongly that depression and anxiety are symptoms not the cause and once we’ve worked to make you feel more in control of yourself then the longer-term work starts to look at what led to the problem, so that you’ll be better in charge of yourself in future.
I use tests known [...]
Ellie Fretwell, Senior Psychological Therapist
2013: Online Therapy Certificate, Online Therapy Institute
2012: Post Graduate Diploma in Psychological Studies, University of Bolton
2011: Diploma in Counselling Studies, Stockport College
2008: Introduction to Counselling, University of Oxford Continuing Education
2007: BA Honours English Language and Literature, St. Catherine’s, University of Oxford
I am an Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a member of the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO)
Are you questioning the ways you manage life and your reactions to it? Perhaps you are struggling with a specific issue, or just have a general sense that things aren’t working as well as they could. Work with me to explore how you can be empowered and supported to make a better life for yourself.
Counselling with me can help you to make better sense of where you are, where you have been, and where you are going in your life. It can help you to understand yourself and your life better, and can therefore lead you to find better, more positive ways of continuing with it.
Counselling with me offers a safe, non-judgemental space which can enable you to be open and vulnerable about the aspects of your life which feel as if they’re getting in the way of the person you would like to be. You are always in control of what you say, how much and when.
My counselling training is integrative, which just means that I integrate more than one school of thought in my work. I tend to tailor the way I work to the particular needs of the client. You can find out more about the types of training and the approaches I use in the jargon-free descriptions on my website (listed above).
