Holistic Jungian therapist specializing in trauma and relationships
I have become a therapist relatively late in life, in my late 50s, but that brings with it a wealth of life experience and a working life that has covered other professions. I believe in adopting a non-judgemental, person-centred therapeutic approach, where the client has time to express themselves fully and where I, as a therapist, spend much of the time listening and empathising with clients without pre-conditions and judgements.
The therapeutic environment needs to be safe, secure and somewhere that clients can bring their whole self to, without fear of being labelled, treated other than with respect and dignity, and where they feel they can be valued and their contribution is valid and understood. I am fully aware that clients often discuss issues, emotions and reactions with a therapist that they would not address elsewhere, indeed this is one of the principle raison d’etres of the counselling process, so appropriate confidence, reassurance and congruence are key for me in working with clients.
I qualifed in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in 2021 and as part of my Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy, was required to work in Placements obtaining 100 hours of client work. I continue to work professionally within these organisations, a charitable counselling service in North Yorkshire serving a wide range of clients, as well as working with a charity specialising in bereavement services. I also work with the Samaritans, which specialises in helping people with suicidal thoughts, ideation or actual plans to end their life.
While I work with clients of all ages, I find working with people of a similar age can often work particularly well, given issues that can be especially related to more mature people, whether it’s bereavement, new relationships following separation or loss, “taking on” new families in later life, redundancy, career change and loneliness and isolation.
I firmly believe that counselling is not formulaic, and it’s critical to always consider the individual needs of clients, so while my training was broadly in the Carl Rogers person-centred environment, I recognise that sometimes clients can benefit from other approaches which might be more about a directional approach and challenging clients around their views, attitudes or behaviours.
Licensed · Professional · Cancel Anytime
Matthew Higgins became a therapist relatively late in life, in his late 50s, bringing a wide range of life experience and earlier professional work into his counselling practice. He adopts a non-judgemental, person-centred approach that gives people time to express themselves fully while he focuses on listening and empathising without pre-conditions or judgement.
He emphasises that the therapeutic setting should be a safe, respectful place where clients can bring their whole selves, be treated with dignity, and feel that their experiences are understood and valued. Aware that therapy often involves discussing emotions and reactions not raised elsewhere, he aims to offer confidence, reassurance, and congruence throughout the counselling process.
Matthew qualified in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in 2021 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy and completed placements that totalled 100 hours of client work as part of that training. He continues to work professionally with the same organisations, including a charitable counselling service in North Yorkshire and a charity specialising in bereavement services, and he also works with the Samaritans supporting people with suicidal thoughts or plans.
Although he works with clients of all ages, he often finds strong rapport with people of a similar age, where issues common in later life can be particularly relevant – bereavement, new relationships after separation or loss, taking on new families in later life, redundancy, career change, and loneliness or isolation.
Matthew sees counselling as non-formulaic. His training was broadly in the Carl Rogers person-centred model, yet he recognises that some clients benefit from approaches that are more directional and that sometimes challenge views, attitudes, or behaviours. He is a male, older, non-religious, liberal therapist with three years of professional experience.
For many common concerns – such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, or navigating life changes – online therapy has been shown to be as effective as traditional in-person sessions for most people. It can provide a practical way to address everyday mental health and relationship challenges without sacrificing the quality of care.
One major benefit is flexibility – you can connect with a therapist in whatever format feels most comfortable, whether through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or in-app messaging. That flexibility often makes it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to maintain continuity of care.
Therapists offering online sessions are licensed professionals, and if you feel a different match would be better you can switch therapists at any time. For many people, online therapy is a convenient and effective option to begin or continue work on their mental health and wellbeing.
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