About me
Hello, I’m Catherine — founder of Relating to You.
I’m a qualified counsellor with many years experience supporting people to communicate more openly, understand themselves more deeply, and build stronger, healthier relationships.
My work is rooted in one simple belief:
When people feel heard, they begin to heal. When people feel understood, they begin to grow.
Throughout my career, I have worked across a range of therapeutic settings, including:
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Providing counselling within relationship-focused services such as Relate
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Delivering short-term therapeutic interventions within NHS Talking Therapies
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Supporting individuals in private practice with anxiety, relationship challenges, life transitions, and emotional overwhelm
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Working with numerous EAPS and Bupa
These roles have allowed me to work with diverse clients — from individuals navigating personal challenges to professionals managing workplace pressures.
My approach is warm, relational, and grounded in professional ethics.
Clients often describe my style as:
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Calm and steady
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Thoughtful and reflective
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Practical yet compassionate
I combine therapeutic insight with real-life understanding — especially for those balancing work, family, and personal growth.
Alongside my formal training and professional experience, I am deeply committed to ongoing development, supervision, and reflective practice.
But just as importantly — I am human.
I understand the realities of busy lives, competing responsibilities, and the quiet pressure many people carry. That lived understanding informs the way I work: grounded, respectful, and never clinical or detached.
If you’re looking for counselling, connection and accountability support - I’d love to hear from you.
Because when we relate well — to ourselves and to others — everything begins to shift.
Working with me
I'm a qualified person centred counsellor, with an integrative approach.
You are the expert on your own life, and our work together will be shaped around you, your circumstances and what you need.
Sometimes it may be helpful to explore patterns, relationships, thoughts or behaviours in more depth.
And sometimes we might look at practical ways of managing what you're experiencing.
What happens in a counselling session?
At the beginning of a session, we might simply talk about how things have been for you since we last met and what feels important today.
You might bring something that has happened during the week, a thought you can't stop thinking about, a difficult conversation, something that's making you anxious — or simply a feeling that you can't quite put into words.
Some sessions might feel very conversational.
Others might involve more reflection or exploration.
There may be moments when something feels difficult to talk about, and that's okay too.
You set the pace.
My job isn't to judge, rush or tell you what you should be feeling.
It's to be alongside you while we explore what's happening
Online or face-to-face counselling
I offer counselling online via a secure video platform, allowing you to access support from wherever you feel comfortable.
Online counselling can work particularly well if you have a busy schedule, don't live locally or simply feel more comfortable talking from your own space.
You'll need a private place where you won't be interrupted, along with a reliable internet connection.
Face-to-face counselling
I also offer face-to-face counselling from my counselling space in Southend on Sea.
Who I work with
I work with adults experiencing a range of difficulties, with a particular focus on stress, anxiety and the pressures of everyday life.
You might be experiencing:
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Workplace stress or burnout
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Anxiety and overthinking
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Feeling overwhelmed
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Relationship difficulties
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People-pleasing or difficulty setting boundaries
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Low confidence or self-doubt
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Life changes and transitions
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Difficult emotions
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Feeling stuck or disconnected
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Problems switching off or constantly feeling “on”
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The pressure of trying to keep everything together
How often would we meet?
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes and take place weekly.
Regular sessions can provide continuity and give you space to explore what's happening without having to start again each time.
How many sessions will I need?
There isn't a set answer.
Some people come for a relatively short period to work through a particular difficulty. Others find that longer-term counselling gives them the space they need to explore things more deeply.
We can review how things are going together rather than deciding everything before we begin.
You don't have to commit to a particular number of sessions before you know whether counselling feels right for you.
Fees
£60 per 50-minute session
(Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice are charged at the full session rate.]
If you would like to discuss your circumstances before booking, please get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know what's wrong before starting counselling?
No.
You might know exactly what's troubling you, or you might simply know that you're not feeling like yourself.
You can start with that.
Is everything I say confidential?
Counselling is confidential within the normal professional and ethical boundaries of counselling practice.
At the beginning of our work, I'll explain confidentiality and its limits so that you know what to expect.
What if I don't know what to talk about?
That's completely okay.
You don't need to arrive with a list of things to discuss. We can begin with whatever feels most present for you.
How do I know whether you're the right counsellor for me?
The relationship between counsellor and client matters.
That's why I encourage you to get in touch and ask any questions you have. It is completely reasonable to want to feel comfortable with the person you're considering working with.