Welcome to Central Sutton Counselling
Holistically helping you make real, lasting change
My name is Jessica Grante and I am an Integrative Counsellor providing 1:1 personal therapy in Sutton and the surrounding areas of Cheam, Epsom, Banstead, Carshalton, Wallington, Kingston, Wimbledon and the wider SW London and Surrey environs.
Counselling and therapy in a safe, comfortable and private setting
I do not underestimate how challenging first making contact with a counsellor can be and the understandable reservations you may have about personal disclosure and unpicking painful material. My skill lies in developing a trusted, confidential space guiding you to help you make real, lasting change. Well done for taking this first step!
I graduated with a First class Honours Psychology degree from Exeter University in 1999. After careers as a chartered accountant and primary school teacher, I realised my heart has always been in the holistic healing world and so, in 2017, I trained as a volunteer counsellor with the bereavement charity, Cruse where I continue to see clients, including having additionally trained as a children's counsellor. In 2020 I embarked upon a Level 3 Certificate, then Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and am now fully qualified with 5+ years client experience and over 150 Supervised hours and am registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP member 404989). I also counsel pro bono for a local domestic abuse charity. My expertise includes issues of grief & loss; depression; anxiety; unresolved trauma; low self-esteem; negative thoughts; stress; burn-out; stuck-ness; pain; addiction; abuse; jealousy; burn out; attachment; parenting and relationship difficulties.
I am an Integrative counsellor, pursuant to the Petruska Clarkson relational model. The therapeutic relationship is a uniquely dynamic space between Counsellor and Client, with my role being to provide a non-judgmental, safe, empathic, confidential space in which you can be guided to very carefully explore what's going on for you right now, including how your past may be impacting your present and future.
With compassion and appropriate, gentle challenge, my aim is to assist change by empowering you to learn how to help; understand; accept; forgive; and ultimately love & respect yourself.
Counselling takes place in a safe space, where you can meet with someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy - and without judgement. In the therapy space thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely and in confidence.
What issues can I help with?
People come to me for help with a wide range of problems. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavement
Problems with addiction
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Abuse
Depression
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger management and jealousy
Identity issues
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Overwhelm and burn out
My location
I work in Sutton and see clients from nearby Cheam, Epsom; Wimbledon; Kingston; Surrey and throughout SW London.
Fees & availability
Sessions are 50 minutes and take place in a calm, comfortable converted coach house in central Sutton, Surrey SM1. Forging a therapeutic relationship is key; so I do not charge for our initial 15 minute triage telephone call (video enabled if you prefer). Fees are currently £55 per session, with a block of 10 available at a discounted £500 rate payable in advance (T&Cs apply). Payment can be made on arrival by cash or bank transfer. A 48-hour, no exceptions cancellation policy applies to all bookings.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07908 853 417 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Some frequently asked questions
Many therapists tend to view Counselling as ‘short-term’ work; when someone has a problem that can be looked at and discussed in a clearly-resolvable way. This work often requires undertaking sessions for a certain number of weeks, to explore, discover and clarify a way forward. Therapy is a word used more to describe ‘long-term’ work; discussion that tends towards substantial issues and things that might be life-changing on a deeper level.
Whether counselling or therapy work best as a short- or long-term option depends on the client though, and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling can prove helpful as a continuing, longer-term option, or therapy can help resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
There’s no fixed or ideal length of time for the counselling process; it varies from person to person and will often depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. While I can work on an open-ended basis with clients, I find it is helpful for us to both agree before we start on undertaking a certian nunebr of sessions and reviewing where we are at once we reach that point. You are able to decide how long your therapy willl last, and in return my aim is to make sure therapy continues for only as long as it is of benefit to you.
This depends on what your needs are. Some people find that after only a very few sessions they have some clarity and focus and are ready to end the therapy. Other people value the ongoing support and relationship with me and will continue to come for weeks, months, or even years. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to therapy.
My aim is to offer you a first appointment, known as an assessment session within 1-2 weeks, this is once we receive your completed client pack back. However, waiting times will vary according to pressure on our resources, your own availability and the service you seek.
An appointment to our short term counselling, which is not subsidised, can be offered within about one week.
Confidentiality is one of the main ways in which therapy differs from many other forms of helping - for example, talking to friends or family can rarely offer the same degree of confidentiality as talking to a counsellor. Because of this confidentiality, you will find that - as you get used to coming for therapy - you are freer to talk about whatever you wish to.
No therapist can offer 100% confidentiality: there are some situations where the law requires disclosure of risk (e.g. certain child protection issues) and in common with most other therapists, there are some situations where I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. In particular, if someone tells me that they are thinking of harming themselves in a way that I believe puts them at serious risk, or if someone tells me that they are doing something that could put others at risk, I may not be able to keep such information confidential. However, breaking confidentiality is rare, and only happens after talking to the person concerned.
When you come for counselling it's important that you feel free to talk about whatever is important to you. Sometimes, you may not be clear what those issues are. Having a friend or family member with you is not usually helpful because they may have their own agenda for you. Even if this is just that they want to be supportive, or want you to 'get better', this agenda can prevent us opening issues up. When you come for therapy, you may need to explore thoughts or behaviours about which you feel ashamed or embarrassed and you may censor yourself so as not to hurt someone, or you may find that what they want you to talk about is not really what you need to discuss.
Sometimes, family/friends can even be part of an underlying issue which needs to be aired and discussed. Usually, people who ask this question are nervous about coming for a session alone, or they are anxious for the person who is thinking about arranging sessions. This anxiety is quite normal, and you will not be forced to talk about anything you feel uncomfortable about - but you do need to be able to talk about whatever is important. For this reason, I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family
© Jessica Grante
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