Reuben Turkie is a counsellor in Stroud and online


What attracted you to become a therapist?

My main objective for becoming a therapist was to feel I had a new purpose in life. Helping others overcome life’s obstacles and learning to grow from their experiences motivates me every day.


Where did you train?

Graduate of the Level 5 Chrysalis Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling (NCS, AIMcert.) These are affiliated and certified by the National Counselling Society and AIM Qualifications. I am also a qualified Chrysalis Level 4 Hypnotherapist, endorsed and regulated by the National Hypnotherapy Society


Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?

I am a person-centred Integrative therapist, meaning I work from each individual set of circumstances and apply different modes of therapy where applicable. These include person-centred, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, transactional analysis (TA), Gestalt, and other creative practice and models such as art therapy, connecting with nature, timeline work or visualisation.

Every person I see is welcomed into a safe and secure environment where they can explore their feelings with no fear of judgement. Building trust and rapport we work together to find ways to heal. Therapy really can be transformative.

In some cases, people need to be held emotionally and given the time and space to tell their story. As we progress, we might apply a more psychodynamic approach, exploring our past to understand how it informs our present and also project into the future to have clear goals. 

Broadly speaking, I work with:

  • Stress, anxiety, depression and self-defeating behaviours
  • Relationships, bereavement and loss
  • Sexuality and personal relationships
  • Development, motivation and creativity
  • Working with senior citizens
  • Addiction and self-harm
  • Abuse


How does therapy help with symptoms of grief?

When we work with loss, people can find it hard to pinpoint the exact emotion they are feeling. Whilst CBT or other counselling resources where we use visual references help with this, the truth is you cannot quantify bereavement. Everyone experiences it differently. Another approach is to use a creative approach. For example, if a client has a leaning towards drawing, we can spend a session doing that whilst the client speaks about the person they are grieving. This can be enormously powerful and allows the client to open up more freely.


What sort of people do you usually see?

My clients are from a diverse group of socioeconomic backgrounds, races, gender, sexuality and include all age groups.


What do you like about being a therapist?

The sense of gratification I get when I end with a client and we both agree how transformative the therapeutic process has been.


What is less pleasant?

Sometimes it can be challenging for us therapists too! I think the hardest part of what we do is safeguarding around suicide.


How long you’ve been with welldoing.org and what you think of us?

I am new to welldoing.org, but so far it seems to be an excellent resource for matching people to the most appropriate therapist.


Do you ever suggest books or apps to clients?

Yes, sometimes I will suggest meditation or life coaching apps or online resources. If a client engages well with reading, then I will also offer suggestions of some of the better self-help books.

I also offer recordings of my hypnotherapy screeds once people feel confident enough to try self-hypnotherapy.


What you do for your own mental health?

Exercise, Tai Chi, meditation and since the pandemic I have started yoga too. Sometimes it can be hard to remember to be consistent with these coping techniques. However, I notice a big difference when I have.


Where and how I work:

My private practice is based in North Woodchester, Stroud. But I also cover Bristol, and other areas in Gloucestershire. I also offer online sessions; this has meant I have seen clients nationally and opens avenues for seeing people internationally too. I also offer a walk and talk service. Connecting with nature and our surroundings can be really evocative for some people and we live in an area of outstanding natural beauty.


What’s your consultation room like?

It is important to keep the room as neutral as possible. Generally speaking, I think I have achieved that by hanging non provocative art and keeping the colour scheme.


What do you wish people knew about therapy?

That they should not feel intimidated about coming to see a therapist. It takes courage to do this, but once you are seeing someone, these nerves tend to subside.


What did you learn about yourself in therapy?

A lot! But in summary I think I live now by Carl Rogers (Founder of person-centred therapy) philosophy that you cannot truly begin to change until you have accepted who you are or have been in the past. Or in his words –

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” - Carl Rogers

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