Verna Tiroke

I believe no one should have to feel alone with their thoughts and feelings, or feel that they have no one they can talk to.

Yet sometimes, even when we are surrounded by other people, it can be difficult to find someone we feel able to truly open up to. You might be carrying thoughts or feelings that you haven't felt able to share, worrying about how someone might react or whether they will really understand.

Perhaps your mind feels constantly busy, and you find yourself overthinking conversations, decisions or what other people think of you. Maybe you spend so much time questioning yourself that it can be difficult to know what you truly feel, want or need.

You may find yourself putting other people first, struggling to say no or worrying about letting people down. Perhaps you have become so used to adapting to the people around you that you're beginning to wonder who you are underneath it all.

You might also be exploring or questioning parts of your identity, including your sexuality, gender or heritage, and want somewhere you can do that openly, without judgement or expectation.

Or perhaps you are living with grief or loss? Sometimes loss can feel incredibly lonely, particularly when it feels as though other people expect you to be "over it" or move forward before you are ready.

I'm a Person-Centred counsellor, and I place great importance on building a relationship where you feel comfortable enough to bring the things you may not have felt able to share before.

I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness, acceptance and respect. My role isn't to tell you what you should do or who you should be, but to offer you the space to explore what is going on for you and to help you make sense of it in your own way.

We will work together at your pace, with whatever feels important to you. You don't need to have the right words, know exactly where to begin or have everything figured out.

Sometimes, simply having someone alongside you, someone who will listen, without judgement, can make it feel a little less lonely.