Soulful, Compassionate Counselling and Psychotherapy
With Alex Moseley UKCP in Exeter, UK and online
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Tel: 07834 066150 Email: hello@alexmoseleycounselling.co.uk
You are welcome here just as you are, however dark, difficult or unclear things seem to be; however lost, sad, confused, anxious or vulnerable you might feel.
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As a counsellor and psychotherapist, I have long been drawn to the image of the phoenix as a metaphor for what can happen in therapy. To me, the phoenix represents the possibility of a re-birth, of transformation from the ashes of our losses and our hopes and dreams.
I believe that this image of therapy can offer hope when it feels like there is precious little of it. However, a re-birth might involve a painful coming to terms with our lives; a grieving, and an imaginative approach to what the symptoms of our distress might be pointing to. Maybe there is wisdom and gold in the tears and the grief.
That’s what I have found, anyway. And there hasn’t been an ‘end point’ of experiencing difficulty in my life, but rather a sense of being more able to tolerate and re-vision uncertainty, confusion and disappointment.
Growing down
We live in a culture where action is valued, where fixing ourselves, an upwards movement towards the stars, is celebrated. Rather than becoming superhuman, how about a different approach, where we grow down into living our lives in these human bodies, on this earth, as part of nature?
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I do see therapy as helpful in supporting us to re-imagine our lives to have flavour, texture, and meaning… lives full of moments and relationships that move us and feel precious, whether traditionally seen as sad or happy.
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This all sounds very serious - and I hope we can make space for humour, and the playful, too!
​I believe that therapy can be helpful particularly at times of transition, when our old certainties start to dissolve. I hope to offer a space in counselling and therapy in which you can, over time, feel safe enough to explore your thoughts, feelings, worries and gifts.
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Some key points about me and my approach:
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· I have a particular interest and experience in supporting people as they face life 'transitions' such as illness; bereavement; losing your sense of personal or professional direction; coming to terms with an LGBTQ+ identity; or a quarter- or mid-life 'crisis'
· I have offered counselling and psychotherapy both privately and in organisational settings - at bereavement charities, in a hospice environment and for a local cancer charity
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· I work both short-term with clients (minimum 12 sessions) and long-term
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· I offer face-to-face sessions inside; in woodland and parkland; and online via Zoom.
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What we might do in our sessions
· Someone once said to me that therapy is a grieving process, and I believe that to be partly true. We might explore who and what you have lost, the roads not taken, and what you didn’t get and needed. We might explore the problems and difficulties. We might spend time exploring how to soothe oneself, or to develop a sense of safety within.
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· We might also make space for other influences beyond our attempts to manage and make happen. Some people might say that this relates to the unconscious, to that which is influencing us that we aren't aware of. It might also involve making space for what is happening collectively - the climate crisis, the pandemic, social and political structures - and wondering about how we are being affected by such phenomena.
· We might listen for the whispers of our deepest self in images, dreams, stories and myths, and our body’s movements. What if the symptoms that feel so painful are also communicating something important for us to pay attention to?
· We are relational beings and I believe that healing can come from relationship. A key part of our work would be to pay attention to what we think of, feel and imagine when we meet together.
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I am a registered member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), registration number 2011170656. I am based at Exeter Therapy Rooms in Exeter city centre, and also work online via Zoom. I charge £60 per 50 minute session.
To find out more, please do call me on 07834 066150 or email me at hello@alexmoseleycounselling.co.uk
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Embrace your grief, for there your soul will grow
Carl Jung
About Alex
​I was born and bred in Shropshire, and have lived at different times in the big city of Birmingham and by the sea in Devon.
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As a teenager and into my twenties, I felt very much on the outside. I used to wonder why this was the case. I also wondered how on earth I was supposed to do this 'being human' thing, and how to heal my own emotional wounds.
I have had my own experiences of anxiety, bereavement and loss. From my mid-teens onwards, I was curious about philosophy, spirituality and what the meaning and point of my life was.
I sought to find my own answers in different jobs and relationships. I worked in Higher Education and for a sexual health charity for young people, and explored complementary therapies, mindfulness and nature-based approaches to healing. Coming to therapy was a key part of the process which challenged me to explore who I am in relationship with others, how I relate to the land I lived on, and how I could live a life that was more aligned with my values.
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​I found myself training to be a counsellor, graduating in 2016, and then continuing on to train and qualify as a Psychotherapist in 2022 from Re-vision, a training college in London that specialises in offering 'soulful' therapy.
One of the changes to my practice from recent years is the development of a 'trauma-informed' approach to counselling and psychotherapy. This recognises the prevalence of trauma, its impact on the emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of people, and emphasises developing a sense of safety at these different levels of wellbeing. Part of our work would also be to connect to your own strengths and resources, even if they feel invisible to you right now.
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what is
psychotherapy?
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Here is one explanation from the UKCP website:
There’s no single explanation for how psychotherapy works because each therapeutic relationship is unique and tailored to individual needs. But, at the heart of life-changing and life-saving psychotherapy is a strong therapeutic relationship.
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Psychotherapy works. Thanks to numerous studies, we know that it can treat everything from depression to obsessive-compulsive behaviour, eating disorders to post-traumatic stress.
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But it’s harder to show exactly how psychotherapy has this impact. Just what is it about psychotherapy that can be so transformative?
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Psychotherapists from different approaches would give you different answers. But there are common reasons why psychotherapy can help you to heal from trauma, find better ways to cope, and gain deeper insight into the issues and challenges you face.
A strong relationship
Research shows that one of the most important aspects of psychotherapy is the relationship you form with your therapist. It’s a non-judgemental, confidential relationship that is tailored to be entirely unique to you. Your relationship with your therapist forms a new blueprint for your relationships with other people. It’s one in which you can feel heard, acknowledged and seen for who you really are. You can take this way of relating forwards into your other relationships so that they are healthier and more fulfilling.
The right therapist
To form a strong therapeutic relationship, it’s really important that you find the right therapist for you. There are thousands of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors in our Find a Therapist directory. You can search by location, whether you’d like to meet in person or online, and the issue you want to work on. Arranging a first session to assess how you feel when you’re with the therapist can be really helpful.
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A safe space
Boundaries are really important in psychotherapy as they help to create a safe space for you to explore your thoughts and feelings. An example of a boundary is that you have your session at the same time each week.
Another could be the fact that your psychotherapist may not reveal much about themselves.
By providing consistency, they help to build trust – essential for the success of psychotherapy. Boundaries are especially important when other relationships in your life have lacked them.
Our psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors sign up to rigorous ethical standards which help set these boundaries and the foundation for your relationship with your therapist.
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Processing trauma
Psychotherapy allows you to process trauma. This is when stressful events that you experience or witness make you feel unsafe, helpless or vulnerable. Your therapist will work with you to reflect on what has happened to you and how it might be affecting your life today. The focus is on compassion, listening and understanding, rather than making a diagnosis. This can help you to process trauma so it has a less negative impact on your mind and body.
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New perspectives
You will talk about your deepest thoughts and feelings with someone who is trained to help you make sense of them – and can support you while you do it. This can allow you to see situations, relationships and yourself more clearly. It can open up new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. You become more conscious of things that have held you back, giving you the opportunity to make different choices and stop damaging patterns of behaviour. You can also find better ways to cope with feelings and fears.
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Space to reflect
Your relationship with your therapist can put a magnifying glass on your life outside the therapy room. Your feelings, how you behave and what you say in therapy can help you to reflect on important relationships in your life. You can discover how your expectations of other people are influenced by your past. This can help you to see situations and people more objectively and change the way you think and behave to improve your mental and emotional wellbeing.
what to expect
​Initial contact and free introductory session
​Please do contact me if you wish to ask about counselling in general, or have specific questions about working with me.
If you decide to meet for an exploratory session, we will set a date and time for this meeting which will usually be within a week or two. This session will be free of charge and will take approximately 30-45 minutes.
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The aim of the first session will be for us to get a sense of one another and work out if we both feel we will be able to work together. At this session, we would explore any questions that you may have, what your hopes would be for working together and a bit about what has brought you to make contact. At the end of the session, you are very welcome to take some time afterwards to reflect on whether you would like to continue the sessions.
If you decide to continue, we will then establish a working agreement (see below) that will establish boundaries to support our work together, for example, relating to fees, cancellations and confidentiality.
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GDPR and Confidentiality
Confidentiality is at the heart of our work together.
Do take a read of my privacy policy and terms and conditions in my working agreement which outlines how I would manage your data and my approach to confidentiality.
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Supervision
All counsellors and psychotherapists are required to have what is known as supervision. This is a process designed to support our work together by giving me the opportunity to ask questions, reflect and be challenged by a more experienced practitioner. The sessions have strict confidentiality guidelines.
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Fees
Sessions will be charged at £60 per session. I ask for payment by the start of each session by bank transfer. I have a few places that I offer on a reduced fee basis of £55 - please do ask if you are interested.
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Ethics and code of conduct
As a psychotherapist, I abide by the UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy) ethical principles and code of professional conduct.
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Ideally we would explore any problems during our sessions together, but complaints can be made to the UKCP. For further information, visit How to make a complaint | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk).
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Letting Go
The Sacrament of Letting Go
Slowly
She celebrated the sacrament of
Letting Go…
First she surrendered her Green
Then the Orange, yellow, and Red…
Finally she let go of her Brown…
Shedding her last leaf
She stood empty and silent, stripped bare
Leaning against the sky she began her vigil of trust…
Shedding her last leaf
She watched its journey to the ground…
She stood in silence,
Wearing the color of emptiness
Her branches wondering:
How do you give shade, with so much gone?
And then, the sacrament of waiting began
The sunrise and sunset watched with
Tenderness, clothing her with silhouettes
They kept her hope alive.
They helped her understand that
her vulnerability
her dependence and need
her emptiness
her readiness to receive
were giving her a new kind of beauty.
Every morning and every evening she stood in silence and celebrated
the sacrament of waiting.
Macrina Wiederkehr