Holistic Jungian therapist specializing in trauma and relationships
I am a fully qualified Person Centred Therapist with a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I am an accredited register member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) licensed in the UK.
I follow a humanistic model – talking therapy focussed on the client’s experiences and needs.
I will not diagnose you but instead will try to provide a safe and confidential space in which you can uncover what your needs are and what it is to be you.
Although I sit within the Person-Centred framework, I draw on other models of therapy in order to support the unique needs of my clients, Transactional Analysis and Egan/ Solution Focussed Therapy.
I have worked with clients who have a range of mental well-being issues, including stress, anxiety & depression. I create an environment where emotions can be shared without fear of judgment, one in which clients can explore the conditions they need in order to grow into the person they truly are.
Men and therapy:
When I graduated as a therapist there was only one other man on my course. My agency placements were run by women. The other therapists were predominantly women as were the clients. As a therapist the majority of my clients are women and they are of course very welcome to access their therapy through me. As a therapist who is male this lack of men in therapy could however lead me to conclude that counselling is a system that does not have men in mind.
According to Dr Zac Seidler, a clinical psychologist at Movember.com, 60 percent of men who die by suicide have been in touch with mental health services in the prior year. This suggests that men are willing to engage but counselling is not meeting their needs. 32 per cent of men offered treatment by UK NHS Talking Therapies will not complete their allocated sessions.
Man up? Is there more to being a man in the 21st century than this? How about a therapy that uncovers and supports all those different parts of you? How about a therapy that helps you lead a more fulfilling life?
What is it to be a man? And by asking that question does it take away your individuality?
Are men who exhibit addictive behaviours eg pornography or gambling seen as vulnerable or are they judged as risk takers? Does the word vulnerable contradict the “be a man” expectations that society has of men?
What do you think of the term toxic masculinity?
There is a danger that therapists inadvertently judge men in the same way society judges them. If they are angry they are difficult. If they are silent they are uncooperative.
I provide a space where I talk with you not at you – and that is for male and female clients.
In considering, as a male therapist, whether men feel understood as clients in the therapy room I also have to consider cultural competence. According to the therapist Denise Devenish, Therapy’s predominantly white middle class make up can be a barrier for clients who are from minority groups. Incorporating cultural competence into my practice respects and appreciates the diversity of human experience and the unique perspectives that are shaped by the client’s cultural background.
Clients and addiction
Feeding our “addictions” can provide a temporary escape from inner insecurities or that our lives or even ourselves are not enough.
Each person’s experience with alcohol, drugs or “behavioural” addictions is relative to them. I will provide a space in which you can explore what your relationship is like with your addiction and how you would like that relationship to be.
Addictive behaviours around substances and alcohol – or “behavioural” addictions around pornography and gambling for example – are increasingly common today. Many “users” feel shame and have tried to shame themselves out of using. I will support you in developing self acceptance in order to gain autonomy over how you want your life to be.
International clients on BetterHelp.
I have worked with clients from Syria*, Israel and Ukraine, who have left their country of origin because of conflict. Therapy can provide a space for a range of feelings without the need to feel a particular way. It can be a place to mourn the complex mix of feelings in response to what has happened. I will not advise you to do breathing exercises or not watch the News. I will help you explore what you have been through.
*Jude Boyles, psychological therapy services at the Refugee Council.
We can all fulfil our potential providing we have the right conditions. Therapy can provide the access to those conditions.
Licensed · Professional · Cancel Anytime
James Morrell is a fully qualified person-centred therapist with a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and Psychotherapy and an accredited register membership of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), licensed in the United Kingdom. He works from a humanistic, person-centred framework that focuses on each client’s experience and needs, and he does not provide formal diagnoses. Instead he aims to offer a safe and confidential space where clients can explore who they are and what they need.
While rooted in the person-centred model, James draws on additional approaches when they suit a client’s needs, including Transactional Analysis and Egan’s solution-focused work. Over six years of practice he has supported people with a range of concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression and addictions, and he creates an environment where emotions can be shared without judgment so clients can consider the conditions they need to grow.
James has a particular interest in working with men and in thinking about how therapy can better meet men’s needs. He notes the relative scarcity of men both training and working in counselling and has reflected on wider patterns in help-seeking. He references research showing that a large proportion of men who die by suicide had contact with mental health services in the prior year, and that a notable number of men offered treatment through UK NHS Talking Therapies do not complete their allocated sessions. These observations inform his work with male clients and his commitment to a collaborative style in the therapy room.
Questions about masculinity, vulnerability and labels such as toxic masculinity are part of the conversations he is prepared to have. James is mindful that therapists can unintentionally reproduce societal judgments about men – for example seeing anger as difficult or silence as uncooperative – and he aims to provide a space where he talks with clients rather than at them. He welcomes both male and female clients.
James also incorporates cultural competence into his practice, recognising that therapy’s predominantly white, middle-class makeup can be a barrier for people from minority backgrounds. He aims to respect and appreciate the diversity of human experience and the ways culture shapes perspectives.
When working with addictive behaviours James recognises that substance use or behavioural patterns such as pornography or gambling can offer temporary relief from feelings of insecurity or a sense that life is not enough. He offers a space to explore an individual’s relationship with their addiction and to build self-acceptance as a step toward greater autonomy over how they want their life to be.
James is a male, gay therapist who describes himself as older, non-religious and liberal, and he works with both UK and international clients.
Many people ask whether online therapy can really help. For common concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges or navigating life changes, research indicates that online therapy can be as effective as traditional face-to-face sessions.
One major advantage is flexibility. Clients can choose the mode of contact that suits them best – video calls, phone sessions, live chat or in-app messaging – which makes it easier to fit therapy into a busy life.
Online therapy can be particularly useful for those who need adaptable scheduling or who prefer different ways of communicating. Each participating therapist is a licensed professional, and if a client feels the need for a different fit they can switch to another therapist.
Overall, online work offers an accessible option for addressing a range of everyday mental health and relationship concerns while allowing people to engage in the format that feels most comfortable to them.
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