About me
Hi, I’m Bel. Welcome to my website. I’m a qualified and experienced integrative counsellor and therapist and registered member of the BACP; the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. I offer counselling in Bradford on Avon in my therapy room located in the heart of the town, outdoors with Walk and Talk therapy, and by Zoom and telephone throughout the UK.
I work with individual adults aged 18+. You can “meet me” in my therapy room here (a short video on Instagram).
About me
I live in Wiltshire, in the countryside. I love being able to get out of doors into nature. I walk and take time to be still, feel the sun on my skin and listen to the birds. I work in Bradford on Avon which is beautiful little town on the southern edge of the Cotswolds. It’s a great place to spend some time in with its historic buildings, a river and canal, shops and restaurants.
People say that I’m really calm. It’s true! I’m an introvert and I also love to get in touch with the fun-loving part of me too. In the past I’ve struggled to get my voice heard. This helped me to become a good listener.
Speaking up is something I’ve worked on. I joined Toastmasters, a public speaking organisation, to get out of my comfort zone and it really helped with my confidence. It can feel a bit like jumping in the deep-end of a cold swimming pool, but you start to get used to it!
I came to my counselling training in mid-life and it’s been a wonderful journey and a privilege to share people’s stories from so many different backgrounds and use my calm and listening skills. At my age, I’ve also had my fair share of life experiences both good and not so good, to draw upon to inform my work, and for which I’m grateful.
I’ve worked with a wide range of people’s issues (see below). I have also been a mental health group facilitator for several years, worked in a counselling agency and in an addictions rehab setting. I’ve been in private practice seeing clients in Bradford on Avon at my current location for thee years.
That’s a little bit about me. How about you? I’d love to know more about who you are and why you might be interested in therapy. You can book a free session with me to find out more here.
What does ‘integrative’ mean?
When I say I’m an ‘integrative’ therapist, it means I use different therapeutic approaches to inform my work according to what you need at the time, rather than just being restricted to one theory. This gives me flexibility in the way I work. My approach is to work collaboratively with you, taking your preferences into account so that you get what you need from our time together.
Safety and support
My aim is to listen deeply to what you choose to bring to counselling and to hold your experience of whatever is going on in your life with care, compassion and without judgement, giving us a safe space to explore and re-evaluate what is important to you and where you might like to go from here. All this at a pace to suit you, as we learn to take the pressure off and let things unfold naturally. I follow your lead and I may make suggestions along the way which you are free to explore or decline. I value your autonomy; your freedom to choose your own path and I will endeavour to foster it whenever I can in our sessions.
What is counselling like?
I wrote a short blog here comparing counselling to going on a journey together. Everyone’s experience of counselling is unique. Often it’s the first time people experience being really heard, emotionally held and fully accepted for exactly who they are; it can be a powerful experience. A genuine and healing relationship is being developed.
Counselling offers a space where you can slow down and attend to what you are thinking and feeling. The process of talking out loud with your therapist listening and you also hearing the words you are saying to them, often helps you make sense of experiences that may have felt confusing or overwhelming when just stuck in your thoughts. As you reflect on and naturally start to question what you’re verbalising, your understanding can deepen and new perspectives can emerge. Many people find that things gradually begin to ‘click’ into place.
In my experience, regularly talking about things can start to help words and expression to flow better. It’s like building a skill, so that how you articulate what’s going on for you becomes easier and more natural. As the words flow, so stuck emotions and beliefs start to shift. Talking about things, examining them with compassion and understanding them for what they really are, can lead to an unburdening of emotional weight you may have carried around with you for a long time. How much better life feels when that weight has been lifted!
Alongside this, counselling can help you learn practical ways of managing difficult feelings, unhelpful thoughts and patterns of behaviour, so that you feel better equipped to cope with life’s challenges.
I’m drawn to work in a holistic way, because we’re not computer heads bolted onto robot bodies; we are complex, embodied beings. As we become more in tune with all aspects of ourselves, including our bodies, our lives can transform. So therapy can be about working with awareness of sensation, feelings and movement in the body, working with mind imagery, using art materials and therapeutic props, as well as through talking, and only if you wish to work this way.
How will I know if it’s right for me?
It’s something you need to experience for yourself to decide if it’s for you. I wrote a blog here about what good therapy looks like, which may help you make your decision to try counselling.
I offer a free half hour introductory session to help you decide if working with me is right for you. I have travelled this healing journey myself so I’m very much here for you. Let’s see how we can share this part of your journey forwards together!
How is it different from talking to a friend?
Counselling is different from talking with a friend or relative. I’m able to offer you impartiality and confidentiality. There will be no adverse repercussions if you speak your true mind. No need to take care of someone else’s feelings as well as your own. All your thoughts and feelings will be welcomed. When we work together, you can be sure of my warm acceptance and valuing of you as an individual just as you are. There will be no unsolicited advice giving or hurrying over difficult topics. I’m on your side 100% and the focus will be on you.
Clients I have worked with
I have worked with a diverse range of adult clients regarding age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, neurodivergence and presentations including addiction, dual diagnosis, childhood trauma, anxiety, stress, difficulties with emotional regulation, personal relationships, life choices, trauma, bereavement, a sense of feeling stuck, low self-esteem, life transitions, caring responsibility, coping with disability, depression, sexual identity, anger issues, and burnout.
Much of my work has been helping people to overcome anxiety, overwhelm and stress. I also find working with relationship problems and confidence issues very rewarding. I welcome all counselling enquires; I do not restrict my work to these areas.
I have worked with counsellors, and counsellors in training.
My influences
My main inspiration comes from the Person Centred and Gestalt approaches, where the development of a certain quality of therapeutic relationship between the client and the counsellor is valued as central to facilitate growth and change. Person Centred approaches value the innate capacity of an individual to grow naturally towards what is right and healthy for them, if the right conditions are created. Gestalt therapy has a strong tradition of working with the body, similar in approach to aspects of mindfulness.
In my work I’m increasingly aware of the importance of compassion for one’s self and of self-care. This may be an important part of our work together.
I find transactional analysis and attachment theory can be helpful to understand how people relate to each other. But maybe theory only appears to explain what is going on. So I try to keep an open mind and am guided by your individual experience.
Embracing diversity
My aim is to provide a safe and inclusive space where all people feel welcomed, valued and affirmed for who they are with their own unique identity. I invite clients to share whatever they feel is important for me to know about aspects of their identity, whenever they choose is the right time for them to do so. This could be around aspects such as neurodivergence, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, spirituality, religion and disability.
I am starting to incorporate ecotherapy into my practice through Walk and Talk sessions. I am also interested in groupwork ( I’m a mental health group facilitator) and I intend to incorporate the added option of groupwork in the future. If you are interested in joining a group, please contact me.
Get in Touch
As a counsellor in the Wiltshire area, I’m committed to helping individuals navigate their emotional challenges and improve their overall quality of life. If life is currently a struggle and you’re unsure of how to move forward, counselling can offer a way to make positive, lasting changes. Together, we can work to address the issues that are holding you back and help you find greater clarity, balance, and peace of mind. To find out more about my counselling services in Bradford on Avon or online, you’re welcome to book an introductory call or contact me directly via:
- Phone call 07421 219910. If you leave a message I will call you back.
- Email bel.gamlin@protonmail.com
- Or contact me through my BACP directory listing. The contact form is on the left side under my profile picture.
- You can also use my Calendly page to arrange an introductory session. Contact me direct if these times don’t suit you
I look forward to hearing from you!
