Welcome, and thank you for visiting
Are you feeling stressed or anxious?
Do you struggle with negative thoughts, low mood, or self doubt?
Are you having difficulties in your relationships with your partner, family or friends?
Do you look as if you're doing fine, but underneath feel as if life is out of control?
Are you struggling with grief or dealing with feelings of loss?
I'm Niki and I specialise in anxiety, relationship issues, loss and trauma.

I understand that when you make the decision to have counselling it can feel pretty daunting. It is important to find the right fit for you; someone you can trust and feel comfortable with and I hope my website reassures you that my approach is welcoming, non judgemental and empathic.
I will help you explore any issues in your life that are causing emotional pain or distress. By talking things through, we can take time to understand what is going on for you, finding fresh insight to help you to move forwards. Sometimes you may find acceptance and peace around your issues; and sometimes, with support, you might make positive changes by making different choices. I often feel very moved and privileged when my clients tell me how helpful and empowering counselling has been for them.
"Let go of who you think you're supposed to be;
Embrace who you are."
Brenee Brown
HOW CAN COUNSELLING HELP?
I can help you with wide range of issues, including:
Depression/low mood
Anxiety
Relationships/divorce and separation
Bereavement, grieving and loss
Trauma, PTSD
Abuse, (including domestic abuse, bullying, etc)
Family issues
Self esteem
Anger management
Work and employment issues, including stress/burnout
Identity issues
Addiction, (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc)
At my counselling room in Dorking, Surrey, I aim to help you feel comfortable, safe and supported, to explore confidentially any problems or difficulties you may be experiencing, no matter how big or small. People often tell me that they feel unable to share their feelings with those closest them as they fear burdening them. However, they find huge relief, comfort and new ways forward from talking to a Counsellor, who is not directly involved in their lives and will not judge or give advice. For more information on how counselling can help you, visit the About Counselling page.
I am a trauma informed Counsellor, and understand the importance of creating a safe and boundaried space for you to work through your emotional responses, rebuild trust and regain a sense of control. My counselling style is "Integrative", meaning that I am able to tailor my approach to your individual needs by drawing on techniques from different types of therapy. These include Psychodynamic therapy, which can help you understand how current emotions, relationship patterns and behaviours are shaped by past experience; and Humanistic therapy, which is person centred, and focuses on your feelings in the here and now, empowering you to take responsibility for your own life and trust your inner strengths; I also use some tools from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which works by challenging unhelpful thoughts, beliefs and behaviours.
For further information about my personal approach as a Counsellor, please visit the Qualifications page.
In our initial session, we will talk about the issues that are that causing difficulty in your life, so I can gain an understanding what is bringing you to therapy; and you will get an idea of how I work and how I can help. If we agree to work together, we will arrange to meet each week and explore what is going on for you at your own pace. For some people, short term counselling of six to twelve weeks can be very effective; others may need a little longer to resolve their issues. After a while many of my clients opt to meet fortnightly or monthly and this is still very helpful. For further information visit the FAQ page, and you are welcome to telephone, email or text me if you would like any more details.
You can email me on niki.ridgley@btinternet.com, or by filling in the form below.
Alternatively, you can phone or text me on 07980 354495. If you leave a text or a message I will get back to you as soon as possible, normally within 24 hours or less.
We can then arrange an initial "taster" session, to discuss your counselling needs, and if we both feel I am the right counsellor for you, we can arrange a suitable weekly appointment.
My counselling room is welcoming, confidential and comfortable, based within easy reach of Dorking town centre, accessible to Reigate, Leatherhead, Crawley, Horsham, Epsom, Guildford and other areas of Surrey/Sussex.
REFLECTIONS
Sessions for individual clients are £60 per session.
Sessions for individual clients last for 50 minutes.
The initial session lasts for 60 minutes.
If you would like to book an appointment please contact me by phoning 07980 354495, or email me at niki.ridgley@btinternet.com, to arrange a suitable time to meet for an initial session, at my practice in Dorking. Alternatively we can arrange to have online counselling. At our the initial session we can discuss what issues have brought you to counselling, and you will get a clearer idea of what you can expect from counselling with me, and I can answer any questions you may have. This will help us both to establish whether I am the right counsellor for you at this time, with no obligation to continue with further sessions.
I offer appointments on weekdays, including some early evenings.
We can decide this between ourselves, but after the initial session, having decided to go ahead, it is usually beneficial to have at least 6 sessions together to begin with, on a weekly basis, in order to establish a therapeutic relationship.This will usually be offered at the same time each week, however I can also offer a certain degree of flexibility to fit in with clients' needs. After this the work will be open ended, and we will regularly review how things are going and how you are feeling, in order to ensure that our work together continues to meet your needs.
The counselling sessions are completely confidential, with a few exceptions, in line with usual counselling practice, which I will explain in our first session.
I am based in Dorking, within easy reach of the town centre. My practice room is very comfortable and situated in pleasant, relaxed surroundings. There is ample free, off road parking right outside the premises. I also offer online counselling.
I am able to offer online counselling (ZOOM or What's APP) if and when clients prefer.
© Niki Ridgley
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