Chris Elcombe

I offer short- and long-term therapy for individuals, both indoors and outdoors (see below for more on my outdoor work). When life is challenging, we can feel scattered or lost, stuck in a rut, or in pain. I’m passionate about working with people to help them understand themselves more deeply, and find more easeful, or fulfilling ways to live their lives. Reconnecting to parts of ourselves we’ve lost touch with or had to hide can be transformative; building healthy connections with others and with the world around us is, I believe, more important than ever in the uncertain and challenging times we live in. Whether you are struggling with something in particular, or have a sense of something not being right that you can't put your finger on, I offer my presence and experience alongside you in exploration. Rather than focus on techniques, I work with you to find the best way for you to explore whatever is troubling you. I'll pay attention to what you're saying, how you're saying it, and what you might be communicating in ways other than words. I work relationally - a way of paying attention to repeating, often troubling patterns we hold onto from our early life. So I'll ask about your life today and in the past, particularly perhaps your childhood, and together we'll start to make sense of things. We'll talk, but also make space to notice what might be happening in your mind and body. We'll work with whatever feelings, thoughts, and beliefs arise so you can begin to live differently. Coming to therapy can be a big step. I will work with you to create a relationship built on trust and mutual respect, that can feel safe enough for you to go into difficult areas of your life and explore possibilities for change. I welcome diversity in all its forms, and am committed to holding a confidential and non-judgmental space for you. I am a member of the UKCP and abide by their ethical code. Outdoor therapy I offer outdoor therapy as an alternative to my indoor practice. For some people, therapy in an outside space can open things up in a different way from talking face-to-face in a room. I also believe passionately in the benefits (for us as individuals, and collectively) of paying attention to how we connect to the natural world we're a part of. The way I work opens up the possibility of exploring our relationship with the environment we are in, moment to moment, as well as reflecting on what might be happening inside us, or between therapist and client, as we might in a more ‘traditional’ setting. I have found that this process can enliven and deepen our understanding of ourselves, of how we connect to others (including but not exclusively people!), and of our relationship with the world we are moving among. It can feel vital, and vital-ising, to spend time tending to any or all of these relationships. Please do get in touch if you would like to ask any questions. Practicalities I offer therapy on a weekly basis. I don't prescribe the number of sessions - everyone has different needs. It is your choice, and something we can discuss together at the beginning, and review as the therapy progresses. However, I would suggest though it is not compulsory that a minimum of 6 sessions is advisable in order to gain any benefit from the work. But you don't need to commit to anything before we've had a chance to talk: I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation to discuss what you might be looking for and to see whether we would like to work with each other. Accessibility: There are a small number of steps up and down on the way into my therapy space. I work in a garden office and there is no access to a toilet at these premises. I am near a high street with several cafes and am happy to advise on alternative local facilities if necessary. Please let me know if you have any other access needs - I am open to discussing ways in which I can reasonably accommodate these.