Stephen Garvey

Stephen Garvey retrained as a counsellor after a successful career as a mediator. He first experienced counselling following life-changing events and, despite initial apprehension about opening up to a stranger, found the process so useful that he decided to train professionally in counselling.

Making that career change was both the hardest and the most rewarding thing he has undertaken. Over five years he has worked with many people, helping them face unique life challenges, make positive changes, or adjust to and make sense of difficult events. People come to him for reasons that include social anxiety, anxiety, depression, low self-confidence, bereavement and relationship difficulties, among others.

Stephen believes that researching options is an important first step and that reaching out for help is often the next and hardest step. He understands how coping with thoughts and emotions alone can be a daily struggle and can leave someone feeling unable to see a way forward. For many, simply being listened to without judgement or immediate solutions provides the space needed to put feelings into words and to gain clarity.

He emphasises the importance of finding a counsellor who feels comfortable and who ‘gets’ you. Although a therapeutic relationship grows over time, a first gut instinct when meeting a counsellor is often a useful guide to the likely fit. If you do not feel comfortable you are less likely to trust and speak honestly, which limits the effectiveness of therapy.

Clients have reported that being heard without advice or attempts to ‘fix’ them helped them become more open and authentic in other relationships, increased self-acceptance, and supported clarity about changes they wanted to make and new understanding of grief or difficulties. He offers a safe, supportive and nonjudgemental space. Sessions take place in his private and comfortable therapy room, and he holds what is discussed in confidence. He will listen to all that clients bring, including parts that may feel vulnerable, embarrassed or ashamed, and will accept the full range of emotions they might not usually show.

Stephen is an older, non-religious male therapist who also offers coaching and works with issues including grief, self-esteem, stress, relationship and family matters, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, career concerns, depression and coping with life changes.