Hi, my name is Kelly Porch and I am a qualified person-centered Counsellor and Supervisor. I am also a registered member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), which means that I agree and abide by a strict code of ethics.

I work with a wide range of issues, such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, stress, abuse, anger, bereavement and many others. I also have a special interest in providing counselling for those diagnosed with, or who are affected by, a chronic illness or who suffer from chronic pain and there is more information about this below.

It is important to me that everyone should have access to counselling should they require it and so I provide two types of counselling to accommodate for this:-

In-person Counselling

Face to face counselling in Kettering, Northamptonshire;

• A first floor room with plenty of free parking (please let me know if you are unable to access the first floor using stairs and I will endeavour to make alternative arrangements);
• 2 minute drive from Junction 8, 20 – 25 minute walk from Kettering Town Centre, 15 minute walk from Kettering Railway Station, C34 bus route

Online Counselling

Face to face online counselling via the internet using video conferencing software such as Skype, Facetime and VSEE.

Online counselling enables:-

• Those who travel for business to still access regular counselling;
• Those who live outside of Northamptonshire or in a remote area to still access counselling with me;
• Those who are unable to leave the house, due to factors such as chronic illness/pain, anxiety and so on, to still access counselling;
• Those with busy lives to avoid extra travelling time to attend sessions in person;
• Me to offer counselling at a slightly cheaper cost.

What Can You Expect

I understand that seeking counselling can be a scary prospect for many people and choosing the right counsellor is essential but it can also feel difficult when there are so many people to choose from and so many different types of counselling too.

It is therefore important to me that I am available to answer any questions that you may have about the service that I offer so that you can make an informed choice about whether to proceed with counselling with me.

I offer a free introductory session where you are able to meet me (either in-person or online) or speak to me on the telephone, to discuss what brings you to counselling and to identify together whether counselling with me would be suitable for your needs and requirements.

If you decide to proceed with counselling, I will provide a confidential service, free from judgement and with lots of empathy. We will go on the journey together.

There are many different approaches to counselling and my main approach is Person-Centered. This is a non-directive type of counselling, which means that I will not direct what we talk about, that will be your choice. The foundation for this is that I believe that nobody knows you better than you know yourself - you just may not realise it yet! Through the counselling relationship that we develop together, we can begin to work towards you becoming more self-aware and more in control of creating the positive changes that you want to achieve.

Counselling can be either short-term or long-term – there is no limit to the number of sessions that are provided. Counselling will proceed at your pace. We will have regular reviews to identify whether counselling is meeting your needs and whether counselling continues to be necessary. You are also free to end counselling at any time.

Counselling for Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain

If you suffer from a chronic illness or chronic pain, you will probably agree that in addition to experiencing physical effects, it can also have a huge impact on your emotional and psychological health and well-being.

I know that counselling cannot take away your illness or pain, but it can help you to accept it and work with it rather than against it.

Emotions can become so overwhelming that they can prevent you from seeing any way out and it can become a cycle of negative emotions and pain – the negative emotions can even be a direct cause of symptoms/pain in some conditions.

However, with good understanding of the issues related to the pain, a good medical team and support network, chronic illness and chronic pain can be managed and you could still live a fulfilling and happy life.

I believe that suffering from a chronic illness or chronic pain is a very personal experience, as each individual will perceive and experience their illness/pain differently from the next person.

I therefore believe that it follows that how this is managed is also a personal process and this is where I can help here at Kelly Porch Counselling by:-

• Providing a place where you can really focus on yourself and your experiences of chronic illness/chronic pain and the emotions that come with this;
• Enabling you to focus on positive aspects of your life and begin the process of acceptance of the losses you may have experiences as a result of having a chronic illness/pain;
• Enabling you to focus on positive aspects of your life and begin the process of acceptance of the losses you may have experienced as a result of having a chronic illness/chronic pain;
• Providing a place where you can begin to develop a new sense of identify and build your self-esteem and self-worth;
• Providing a place where you can begin to regain a sense of control and move towards a more positive and happy life.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or you have lived with your illness for a long time, counselling can help you to explore your feelings, emotions, behaviour, coping strategies and many other factors that affect your well-being as a result of being chronically ill or in chronic pain.

There may also be events or issues from your past that now impact upon your ability to live with chronic illness/pain and counselling can help you to explore these and make sense of them and the impact they are having on you now.

Chronic illness/pain can also impact on the family members, friends and loved ones of those who are suffering. If this is you then you may be experiencing worry, stress, anxiety, depression, guilt or other feelings that you don't feel able to communicate to the person for fear of adding to the burden that they are already experiencing.

Counselling at Kelly Porch Counselling can help you to explore your feelings about your family member or friend and what they are going through as well as the impact that it is having on you.

For more information, please:-

• Take a look at my website (www.kellyporchcounselling.com);
• Contact me by phone (07999 858630);
• Email ([email protected])