Wendy Taylor is a psychotherapist in Sutton Coldfield and online.

What attracted you to become a therapist?

I felt called to train to be a therapist at 18 but back then you had to be over 25 to do any course, so I prepared by getting a degree in Psychology, then after a short break began my counselling training at age 25. I have always been able to listen and support people it came very naturally to me and as a Christian I enjoyed caring for people in this way.

Where did you train as a therapist? 

I did a BSC in Psychology at Worcester College, my certificate in counselling theory and Skills at Birmingham University then my Diploma in Integrative Counselling with Warwick University. I qualified in 2005, I then went on to become professionally accredited with BACP in 2012, working private practice since then.

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

I am an integrative counsellor which means that I am trained in variety of theories and interventions that enable me to match my counselling to the client and the issues they want to work on. Over the years I have gained a lot of experience to helping clients recover from trauma, helping them build a better life for themselves.

How does integrative counselling help with symptoms of anxiety and depression?

I am able to help people develop daily coping mechanisms whilst also looking for and working with underlying causes of the anxiety or depression state. I use psychoeducation and mindful breathing techniques to help clients manage their window of tolerance.

What sort of people do you usually see?

I trained to work with individual adults over the age of 18, I have worked with clients across the life span from young adults in their 20s to people in their 80s.

Have you noticed any recent mental health trends or wider changes in attitude?

I think over the last 10 years there has been a growing awareness of mental health in the wellbeing sense, particularly in the pandemic when we saw an increase in people struggling to cope with the social isolation that it brought to many people's lives. I feel that a lot of people began to take the idea of work/ life balance more seriously and demanded more flexibility from their employers if their mental health started to suffer.

What do you like about being a therapist?

I like being able to provide the support needed for someone to get to the place of healthy psychological functioning so they and live their lives more fully.

What is less pleasant?

Sometimes it is hard for clients to trust the counsellor due to previous bad experiences. I hope of provide a place of safety for clients to develop trust once more but sadly this is not always possible for some clients.

How long have you been with Welldoing and what you think of us?

I have recently joined Welldoing's listing of counsellors in the hope of letting more clients know of my counselling service.

What books have been important to you in terms of your professional and personal development? Do you ever recommend books to clients?

I have done lots of trauma training so have valued booked like 8 Keys to Trauma Recovery by Babette Rothchild. With client work I often come across highly sensitive clients so I will recommend The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron. This was a life changing book for me that I read when I was training.

What you do for your own mental health? 

I only work part time 3 days a week: Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays, giving me enough time and space to put in self care through exercise, prayer, meditation and reflection. I feel that it is very important to walk to walk as well as talk the talk about self care.

What’s your consultation room like?

I have dedicated private counselling room in my home, it is light and airy with comfortable seating. I am a therapist in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands for face to face clients, but I offer online video sessions UK-wide – all you need is a laptop or tablet with good internet connection.

What do you wish people knew about therapy?

That seeing a counsellor to get support will be the best decision they make. Having someone to support them professionally can enable them to work through issues they may never have explored before or fear to share with family or friends.

What did you learn about yourself in therapy?

That it really is okay to me, not what others want or need me to be.