Y Counselling
COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR MALES IN Preston, LANCASHIRE
Welcome to
Y Counselling
A confidential space for males to explore the thoughts and challenges in their life.
Based in Preston, Lancashire.
Counselling, positive psychology and general wellbeing support for males in Preston, Lancashire
Welcome, and thank you for visiting
Y Counselling.
My name is Jonathan Fletcher and I have worked within education or a professional sporting environment for the last 20 years supporting people to improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. Within education I’ve helped young males overcome low mood, social anxiety, poor motivation levels and general academic stress. I’ve supported athletes as they try to balance sporting, academic, social and family commitments. I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact of males failing to reach out and ask for help when it’s required. For too long there has been a stigma attached to males seeking help and admitting when they are struggling. This is the main driving force behind the reason I've established Y Counselling. I want to play a small part in changing this mindset among males and in doing so, have a positive and lasting impact on the individuals, families, and communities I work with.
Speak in Confidence
Counselling takes place in a safe space, where you can meet with someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy - and without judgement. In the therapy space thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely and in confidence.
A problem shared...
Trouble with a relationship; anxiety or panic attacks; mood swings or depression - many people face difficulties in their everyday lives that can be hard to get on top of. Counselling gives us a set of tools we can use to help gain a better understanding of what’s causing these problems - and how you can move towards managing or resolving them.
Make better, healthier new choices
Working together I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and see how you can start to make better, heathier choices moving forward.
How can counselling help you?
I am an integrative counselor that has worked in a wide range of environments including professional football clubs, Universities and colleges. I have worked with students, clients and athletes to enhance their mental health.
Often the individuals I work with are lacking motivation, confidence or the desire to make a change that will not only benefit themselves but also their loved ones around them. Through person-centred counselling sessions and the utilisation of positive psychology I aim to give the clients I work with hope for the future, as I truly believe everyone has the potential to make a change for the better. I feel I have a unique blend of relevant experience and qualifications that has equipped me with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to make a real and lasting positive impact on the lives of the clients I work with.
What issues can
Y Counselling help with?
People come to me for help a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Academic stress
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavement
Problems with addiction
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Abuse
Depression
Social anxiety
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger management
Issues relating to sexuality
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Cultural issues
Qualifications
I have a master’s degree in Counselling & Positive Psychology and currently work as a BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) accredited counsellor within a Further Education setting. BACP is one of the main bodies overseeing the accreditation and registration of counsellors in the United Kingdom. To achieve this accreditation, I had to meet the criteria for qualified/experienced therapists and work in accordance with their ethical framework.
My location
I am based in Lostock Hall, Preston, Lancashire and see clients from Blackburn, Leyland, Chorley, Blackpool and the wider surrounding areas.
In addition to providing face-to-face therapy, I also offer phone counselling and online sessions for clients further afield. Contact me to find out more about how online therapy works.
Availability
Each session lasts 50 minutes and can take place on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Sessions can take place in person at the Y Counselling meeting room, or via phone calls or video calls on Microsoft teams/zoom/WhatsApp.
Anybody contemplating accessing support with Y Counselling can receive an initial free 15-20 minute introductory phone call to gain a better understanding of what they can expect from the sessions. This can also be an opportunity for you to share your hopes for the sessions.
Fees
50 Minute Session
£50 per session
Initial 15-20 min phone call
Free
We accept payment via bank transfer.
If a client is unable to make a session, we ask for at least 24 hours’ notice otherwise full payment will be requested.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07894116430 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Frequently asked questions
Counselling is usually a good way to help with a current problem; something that can be discussed and - hopefully - resolved within a limited number of sessions. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and away forward becomes clear. Therapy often describes work that goes a bit deeper, towards more substantial life issues and problems having a deeper effect on the client’s life. Therapy often requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open-ended.
Which option is most suitable depends on the client and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling works well as an ongoing, longer-term option - or therapy can manage to resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.
Note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others, and there the law requires that I notify an authority; in these cases I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. Having someone else with you who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availabity. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availabity of that free ‘slot’.
You may not know it, but you’ve already taken the first step...
It can be scary and confusing making the decision to contact a counsellor or therapist, but in my experience people will struggle with a mental health issue, a personal crisis or problems with a relationship for much longer than is healthy. Sometimes a friend has proved a source of comfort, but this help can only go so far. Realising that resolving a problem requires something more means you have actually already taken the first step towards improving your life.
How I see it...
I have worked as a counsellor for a number of years now, and have come to believe that unless someone wants to change and has the desire to ‘put in the yards’ and undertake the work, counselling will likely be of limited value. The skill of a counsellor is in helping people to help themselves... the person coming to therapy has to want that help, and be prepared to act on it.
A fascinating journey begins here...
Seeing a therapist is not a passive act; it isn’t like visiting the doctor to be measured, assessed and treated. You don’t come away after one appointment with a pill to take and the responsibility ends there. Counselling and therapy are journeys with a guide through a familiar but somehow unusual land; they can be rewarding, sometimes confusing and often revelatory... what they aren’t is passive!