Hi, I'm Simon Dowling.
I am an EMDR Trauma Therapist and a registered Accredited Member of the British Association for Counsellors & Psychotherapists (MBACP).
I provide online and face-to-face psychotherapy & EMDR to help people overcome life’s obstacles, including trauma, sudden loss and bereavement, work-related stress, low self-esteem, addictions, guilt, anger, depression, anxiety, fears, and sexual identity.
My speciality is in childhood trauma, working with individuals who have experienced physical, sexual, and or emotional abuse during childhood.
I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), ensuring your information is kept confidential and secure.
My History
Having served in the Royal Engineers within the Armed Forces, I have first-hand experience of the pressures that are upon service personnel and their families whilst serving their country both at home and overseas.
I have also worked with the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, supporting serving personnel, veterans and dependents with a wide range of diagnoses and symptoms, including PTSD and Complex PTSD.
As a Support Worker, I have worked with many individuals who have a mental health diagnosis, including autism, acquired brain injuries, self-harming, and learning difficulties.
What to expect.
Working together begins with a free initial telephone consultation where you have the opportunity to explain the background of your issue and ask me questions before moving forward with our first session.
Each counselling session lasts 50 minutes, either online using Zoom or at my office in Coalport. EMDR sessions can take longer, lasting up to 90 minutes.
In order to gain an understanding of your situation, I will listen to you and, if appropriate, will use artwork, music, or guided imagery to uncover what may be happening in your subconscious mind and suggest alternative perspectives which may enable you to gain a new understanding of the problem.
Each session is personalised to you as an individual, with the aim of supporting you to overcome the challenge, problem, or issue you are facing. We may start with Counselling & Psychotherapy and then move on to EMDR when dealing with specific traumas.
There is no minimum or maximum number of sessions. Research suggests clients usually engage in an average of 6 sessions, keeping in mind that it may take 1 or 2 sessions to understand your background before discussing the intricacies and possible resolutions.