What is trauma counselling?

Trauma counselling provides a safe and supportive space to explore the impact of difficult or distressing experiences and develop greater understanding, coping strategies and emotional wellbeing.

Do I need a diagnosis to access trauma counselling?

No. Many people seek support for difficult experiences without having a formal diagnosis. Therapy focuses on understanding your experiences and how they are affecting you.

Can childhood experiences affect adult life?

Yes. Early experiences can influence confidence, relationships, emotional wellbeing, boundaries and ways of relating to others throughout life.

Can counselling help after sexual abuse?

Many people find counselling helpful in understanding the impact of sexual abuse, processing difficult emotions, rebuilding trust and supporting healing and recovery.

Do I have to talk about everything that happened?

No. Therapy moves at a pace that feels safe and manageable. You are never required to discuss experiences before you feel ready.

ADHD-Aware Therapy in Surrey

Understanding ADHD - Understanding yourself

Noticing the patterns behind how you feel, cope and connect.

ADHD-Aware Counselling in Surrey

Understanding ADHD can sometimes help you make sense of patterns that previously felt confusing, frustrating or difficult to change.

ADHD can affect much more than attention or concentration. For some people, it can influence relationships, emotional regulation, self-esteem, impulsivity and the ways they cope when life feels overwhelming.

ADHD-aware counselling at Surrey Talking Therapy offers a space to explore what is happening in your life without assuming that every difficulty is caused by ADHD.

I provide support for all areas of therapy from an ADHD-Aware perspective - I have worked with many clients including those experiencing:

Common Mental Health Difficulties

Relationship Problems

Trauma or difficult past experiences

Attachment or adverse childhood experiences

Alcohol as a way to cope with emotional regulation

I offer a free initial consultation - you don't have to decide whether therapy with me is right for you before getting in touch. We can speak about what you are looking for & what working with me is like. You can decide from there what next steps are right for you.

Book a Free Introductory Call

ADHD, Emotions and Feeling Overwhelmed

Some adults with ADHD describe emotions arriving quickly and intensely.

Stress, rejection, criticism or feeling misunderstood can sometimes become difficult to manage, particularly when several pressures are happening at once.

Therapy can help you slow these experiences down, recognise patterns and explore different ways of responding rather than repeatedly finding yourself in situations you regret afterwards.

For some people, this also involves exploring earlier experiences and the beliefs they have developed about themselves.

ADHD and Relationships

Relationships can become difficult when behaviours connected with ADHD are misunderstood. Forgetfulness might feel like a lack of care.

Distraction can feel like someone isn't listening. Emotional reactions can quickly turn a small disagreement into a much bigger argument.

Over time, couples can become caught in patterns of criticism, frustration, defensiveness or withdrawal.

Read more in this blog ADHD and Relationships: Why Do Couples Get Stuck in the Same Arguments?

Understanding what may sit underneath these patterns can help both partners move away from blame and towards a clearer understanding of what is happening between them.

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ADHD, Alcohol and Coping

Alcohol can sometimes become a way of switching off, slowing things down or escaping feelings of stress and overwhelm.

What begins as something that helps you relax can gradually become a coping strategy that creates difficulties of its own.

Counselling provides an opportunity to explore what alcohol or another behaviour may be doing for you, rather than simply focusing on stopping the behaviour.

Understanding the need underneath a coping strategy can be an important part of finding other ways of meeting that need.

Read more here ADHD and Alcohol

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ADHD-Aware Counselling Surrey

You do not need to have it all worked out before coming to therapy.

You may have an ADHD diagnosis, be waiting for an assessment, or simply be wondering whether ADHD could help explain some of your experiences.

Counselling does not provide an ADHD diagnosis and is not a replacement for an ADHD assessment or medical treatment. It can, however, give you space to explore your relationships, emotions, coping strategies and the things you would like to change.

If ADHD is part of your experience, it can be considered as part of that conversation rather than ignored or treated as the explanation for everything.

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FAQ section

Do I need an ADHD diagnosis to have counselling?

No. You may have a diagnosis, be waiting for an assessment or simply wonder whether ADHD could be relevant to some of the difficulties you experience.

Can counselling diagnose ADHD?

No. ADHD diagnosis requires an appropriate clinical assessment. Counselling can help you explore the emotional, behavioural and relationship difficulties you may be experiencing.

Can ADHD affect relationships?

Yes. Attention, forgetfulness, impulsivity and emotional regulation can sometimes contribute to misunderstandings and conflict between partners. Understanding these patterns can help couples respond differently.

Can ADHD be linked to problems with alcohol?

ADHD is associated with an increased risk of problematic alcohol and substance use. Therapy can help explore whether alcohol has become a way of managing stress, emotions or feeling overwhelmed.