Pete Tobias Counselling
COUNSELLOR IN LONDON BRIDGE AND ONLINE
Welcome to Pete Tobias Counselling
A Safe Space to Speak Your Mind
“Healing is neither a thing nor a process, but a relationship that draws us near to the source of life.” – Roger Grainger
Being human is a challenge for us all. The journey of life is filled with not only great pleasures, but intense moments of struggle. Psychotherapy is a powerful tool that can help us explore, and overcome life’s challenges because it draws on the healing potential of relationship. Most of our struggles are born out of our experiences in relation to others. Therefore, healing, growth and change can be facilitated through a healthy, trusting and authentic relationship.
That is why a non-judgemental and trusting relationship is at the heart of my practice as a counsellor. Many of us have faced life’s challenges on our own, but there is no reason why you have to continue struggling in silence. Mental health struggles are human struggles. If you would like to take the first step toward experiencing the healing potential of relationship, contact me for a free, no-obligation consultation.
How Can I Help?
The healing potential of relationship is at the core of my practice as a counsellor. Research on the effectiveness of therapy confirm that the quality of the relationship between a counsellor and a client is the primary factor that determines successful treatment outcomes. That is why my approach is to work relationally and integratively. The aim is for us to work together to explore the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviours that are negatively impacting on your well-being.
Working relationally means engaging in the emergent here-and-now relationship between us. As humans we are part of a network of relationships. Disconnections in relationships, from the day we are born until the day we die, can create psychological difficulties. A relational approach to therapy means that I will work with you to establish a healthy and authentic therapeutic relationship. Together, we can create a comfortable and safe space within which we can untangle and process the difficulties and challenges life throws at you. I will be fully present without trying to shift your perspective, or judge your experiences. Therapy is a collaborative, non-directive, and non-judgemental journey.
Working integratively means that I use a variety of approaches based on your unique life experiences. There is not one approach to therapy that has proven to be clinically adequate for all clients and all situations. We are inherently healthy and self-regulating beings. My aim is to be present and to create a safe space within which you can connect, re-connect and grow your relationship with yourself and others. Within this flexible and personalised approach to treatment, you can expect the following from our sessions:
- Mutual trust, respect and confidentiality;
- Shared decision-making and agreement on the goals of therapy;
- The freedom to share any negative emotional responses, thought and feelings;
- Co-constructing a space within which you feel comfortable and able to share and experience difficult emotions;
- Empathic support in undoing self-criticism, as well as challenging, and changing behaviours;
- A caring space within which we can explore difficult, traumatic and painful relationships, feelings or events;
- Knowledge and expertise that can help regulate, mitigate, and alleviate physical trauma responses within your body.
What To Expect From Our First Consultation
It is completely natural to feel a sense of apprehension, fear, anxiety, or discomfort before starting therapy. That is why I offer a free, no-obligation consultation. This will be an opportunity for us to get to know each other. You can ask any questions you may have about the process, and my way of working. It will also be an opportunity for you to share some of the difficulties you want to explore. This will help us set goals, expectations, and help us create our roadmap toward growth and healing, should you wish to continue with therapy. Importantly, the first consultation is your opportunity to get a sense of whether or not you are comfortable in undertaking this journey with me as your counsellor. You should feel at ease going on this journey of healing and self-discovery with someone you can grow to trust.
Who Am I?
My name is Pete Tobias. I am a neurodivergent BACP Accredited counsellor based in London Bridge in South East London. I offer in-person therapeutic support to adults aged 18+ based in South East London. I also offer individual counselling online for people outside this area, or those who prefer online therapy.
Like you, I know human struggle and pain. On my own journey I have been fortunate enough to experience the healing, and transformative potential of authentic relationship. It is this gift of authentic connection that I hope to share with every client I meet. I believe that when we meet each other fully in all our ‘human-ness’, we become an important other that can help each other move from chaos to containment in a world that is often overwhelming and off kilter.
I celebrate our underlying shared humanity, but I also honour all the ways in which our lived experiences may be different. I do not shy away from working with difference and believe it can act as a bridge into self-awareness. I work with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds, complicated and nuanced identities, and from diverse cultures. I do not pathologize difference and encourage clients to bring their full selves into the space in acknowledgement of how deeply impacted our internal worlds are by our external environment. If you need a non-judgemental safe space within which to explore painful, conflicting, confusing, or unacknowledged parts of who you are, I am here to help.
Why Choose Therapy?
A Safe Space
It can often be extremely challenging to really explore our struggles in an honest and truthful way with friends and family. The therapeutic space exists so that you can experience the freedom of expressing your honest and innermost troubling thoughts and feelings to a trained professional who is there to listen without offering advice, judgement, or invalidate your experiences. The freedom to share who we are, what we feel, and what we’ve lived through with someone who respects us, protects our confidentiality, and honours our emotional responses can be an extremely liberating, cathartic, and transformative encounter.
To Change and Grow
In therapy we explore all the negative thoughts, negative emotions and patterns in your life. Together, we examine how they might have developed, and work on your self-awareness to either find acceptance or the energy to discover new ways of interacting with the world and yourself. Whether you are facing a significant crisis in the present, or are plagued by problems from your past, it is never too early or too late to change and grow. Gaining a deeper understanding of the issues that have impacted us can help us develop helpful coping strategies to thrive in life, no matter what the future holds. “Self-awareness is a supreme gift, a treasure as precious as life. It is what makes us human.” – Irvin Yalom
For Everyone
The gift of therapy is for everyone. Too often we assume that we only need help and support when we are navigating major life transitions, experience anxiety or depression, or have survived a traumatic event. However, you might be grappling with problems in a relationship, be struggling to manage your stress or work-life balance, or simply find yourself feeling empty and unfulfilled. My approach to therapy is integrative and I draw from various different theories and approaches to create a treatment plan that is based on your unique therapeutic needs. Together, we can identify all the stressors in your life, and manage any serious or challenging mental health concerns you may have. Whether it is anxiety, depression, trauma, the relationship with yourself or others that you want to work on – there is a safe space available.
What issues can 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:
Stress
Trauma
Depression
Relationship problems
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger
Anxiety
Problems with addiction
Sexuality
Post-traumatic stress
Grief, loss or bereavement
Work or retirement
Abuse
Family or academic life
“I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become”
Carl Jung
“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.”
Shannon L. Alder
“A very little key will open a very heavy door”
Charles Dickens
My location
I work from my private offices located in London Bridge in South East London. Working with clients from this location as well as surrounding South East London areas such as Waterloo, Borough, and Southwark. Location details will be provided when we arrange our first counselling session.
Along with providing compassionate face-to-face counselling, I also offer online sessions for clients in London and across the UK via Zoom or Signal.
If you have questions regarding how online counselling works, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Fees & availability
Counselling sessions for individuals are 50 minutes long and usually take place on a weekly basis. Get in touch to enquire about availability and further information about pricing.
If you want to cancel an appointment, I require 48 hours’ notice, otherwise you will need to pay for sessions missed.
Are you experiencing difficulties in your life and need to speak with a counsellor in London Bridge or online, please fill out the booking form to arrange a no-pressure free 15 minute consultation or go ahead and book an initial full assessment session.
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 +44 (0)7815 156 495 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. Find out more by reading my Privacy Policy.