Chris Bailey

About me and my therapy practice

You might be feeling overwhelmed by all the people in your life and the things you have to do to make life feel less chaotic, less out of your control. You may have found ways of coping with this emotional turmoil, which might bring quick relief for now but the same old problems and feelings build up again in time. You might feel bad about yourself, maybe use addictive coping behaviours, repeatedly self-shame or even self-harm in some way. 

This may seem like the only emotional outlet  available to you at present. By listening attentively to how you see yourself and what your experience of life is, I can help you to understand and perhaps come to terms with some of your emotions such as shame, self-loathing, anger or failure, which may overwhelm you or those who you care for. 

I offer you a non-judgemental and neutral safe space. By gently questioning, we can look together at the circumstances which have led you to this point. I can introduce you to different ways of experiencing, coping with and framing your feelings - and where they might be coming from. I have over a decade of experience working with these kinds of  overwhelming emotions, including as an Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist, in a mental health referral service at Mind. 

Previously I studied for a Master of Science Degree in Psychology at the University of Bristol. This research into neuroscience, developmental and social psychology has proved an invaluable resource to my understanding of childhood trauma, post traumatic stress and how childhood sexual abuse may impact you as a child, an adolescent and an adult. It underpins my Post Graduate Level 7 training as an Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist, which draws on a Person Centred approach, a Psychodynamic Approach and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (a little more on this below). 

Practice description

It can be more useful to talk about 'what has happened to you' rather than 'what is wrong with you'. By talking, and more importantly, being seen and heard, we can look at who you really are. I offer a safe and neutral environment, along with my training as an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist. This means we can explore how you uniquely experience your own life, (the person centred aspect of my integrative model) and to understand how you might have arrived at this point (the psychodynamic aspect). I can help you identify your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, to enable you to make any changes that might be helpful to you (the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aspect). I will work with you creatively, to find what will help you. You may not notice how I use my theoretical training, but I ask what you might find helpful from the variety of techniques I offer, which include role play, writing,  visualisation and breathing exercises for trauma, anxiety or stress relief, to name a few.

Along with the four years experience with this integrative model, I have worked creatively using the above techniques for over a decade in therapeutic education, including working with special needs children, young people and adults. I draw on this range and depth of experience to find the right way for you as the unique person you are, to feel more comfortable with yourself and move towards a way of living more to your choosing.

My first session

The right therapist is key to your therapeutic journey. 

First we will need to work out together whether you think short-term therapy will meet your needs, perhaps if you have a single issue you wish to work on. Longer-term therapy may be more suitable, if your issues have been going on for some time and you feel stuck in a pattern of behaviour and relating which is upsetting or unhelpful to you.

If you decide to go ahead on your therapy journey with me, we will decide together on an initial number of sessions for which we will meet. This is likely to be around six 50 minute sessions, for short term work, or up to twelve initially if your needs are more complex, with more open ended work available if we agree this is what would work best for you. 

Based on these things, we will make a contract together of how we will work, detailing what you can expect from me, such as respect, punctuality and reliability, how I will store and keep your data secure and for how long. Similarly, what I can expect from you in the way of keeping to our session commitments and schedule.

I will need a few practical details, for safety reasons, such as your GP, someone who I can contact in the case of an emergency and any medication you may be on at present.  We will both need to assure the confidentiality of the therapeutic relationship as this confidentiality will be important for us both and is something I am offering to you.