Melanie Cotterill
Member Status: Accredited
Member No: NCS22-00530
Location: TOTNES
Counselling is my passion: It feels meaningful and transformative to be part of a client's journey towards well being and a better quality of life. I'm often amazed at the strength and resilience of my clients and I celebrate their renewed hope and recognition of themselves.
My background before becoming a counsellor was in the education and charitable sector. I seem to always have had jobs in the helping professions; previously I've worked with domestic abuse survivors, presently I offer my therapeutic services to young people who have been victims of crime.
I started my training, out of curiosity rather than thinking of it as a future career. However, I was so intrigued by what I found out about myself and others that I decided that I would like to become a counsellor.
To some extent I feel my own historical narrative has made me want to connect and therapeutically support others who may have been through similar experiences. I understand how it is to feel inferior or to suffer from a lack of self worth, to feel shame about family circumstances. I know how it is to be a part of someone's life when they are self sabotaging. I have experienced the pain of loss. I can empathise with individuals who have ongoing relationship challenges. However, I know it's possible to heal, and to move on, and I can help you do this.
I feel that my strengths lie in my ability to build trust and rapport with clients from all walks of life and all backgrounds. I'm down to earth and non-judgemental; I have a calm and gentle approach, but I also have the ability to be able to challenge clients when appropriate, or offer a different perspective.
I am intuitive, and I can listen and really hear what clients say, but I also have the knowledge, and skills to enable clients to progress. If a client has goals that they would like to achieve, it's important to me that we both work effectively towards the outcomes.
I have had considerable experience of working with issues around domestic abuse, or sexual assault, but I also really enjoy working with clients who feel "stuck", perhaps not knowing where they are going in life, or feeling that life is passing them by.
My other areas of interest are relationships, and helping individuals, couples, and families to navigate the challenges that relationships often bring.
