Peter Coffey, Explore Counselling

I am a person-centred therapist for whom the majority of their experience has been working with trans people including women, men and non-binary people.

I believe that therapy is about understanding yourself and your problems. I believe that this is most effectively done by giving you a safe and non-judgemental space to talk about the things that are bothering you. I don't believe in telling you what to do, I will spend maybe 6 hours with you, whereas you've lived your whole life trying to understand yourself.  I can never achieve such expertise.  What I can do, is provide you with a safe and welcoming environment to talk about the things that really bother you, in your own pace, at your own speed and whilst respecting your boundaries.  I don't pry and ask questions about things you're not ready to talk about, if I do ask questions it's because I'm trying to understand what you're telling me.  That process of explaining how you work to someone else is really valuable because it can give you real insight into who you are and how you tick.  

Often, feeling understood and understanding yourself better can be a very positive experience. It isn't always and that isn't my aim, but it does happen pretty frequently.