Nicky Scrimgeour
Counselling

 

About Me

I’m Nicky Scrimgeour, a Relate trained relationship counsellor and psychosexual therapist, working predominantly with couples, but working with individuals too. I am experienced in working with a diverse range of relationship and sexual issues.
 
Talking about your difficulties and exploring them with someone trained to listen can be very helpful. Counselling isn’t a quick fix for problems and it won’t take away a difficult past, but it can help you towards an easier future. My aim is to provide support for you in a safe and confidential space and without judgement.
 
I understand that it can sometimes feel daunting to seek counselling and to open up to a stranger about your personal problems. A relational approach and establishing a therapeutic relationship where you feel able to express your thoughts and feelings, in an environment where you feel heard, goes a long way towards helping you to gain clarity about a problem.
 
I live and work in Kent, around the Tunbridge Wells area.

 

Relationship Counselling

Our relationships can bring us the greatest of joy but also the hardest of challenges at different times in our lives. Counselling can help you towards an understanding of your own and your partner’s roles within your relationship. It can open up a space to explore and address the impact of a life event or a changing situation or the consequence of a betrayal. It can help you both to learn to accommodate differences in attitudes and beliefs, and it can help to break cycles and patterns of conflict. It can help to improve ways of communicating effectively. It can help to improve emotional and physical intimacy.
I can help you to take that first step, when recognising a difficulty you might be having, towards making changes.

Individual Counselling

Relationship counselling doesn’t necessarily mean coming along with your partner. You might want to explore how to manage a problem or a difficulty individually. You may have experienced a difficult behaviour within a relationship. You may be going through, or have been through, the break-up of a relationship. You may feel stressed or anxious within another aspect of your life or within other relationships such as those with other family members, friends or people you work.
I can help you to find clarity for yourself, as a first step.

Psychosexual Therapy

Sex therapy is for couples, and in some cases individuals, if you are experiencing difficulties in your sexual relationship. It is a task-oriented, behavioural and talking therapy, which helps you to address sexual problems or a sexual dysfunction. It is solution focussed and for couples who have a good level of commitment and communication, and who both see the problem as shared.
My aim is to help you to improve the physical intimacy in your relationship, and to help you to feel more comfortable in your sex life. Sex therapy can improve sexual function and can help treat sexual dysfunction.
Dysfuncions may include desire and arousal issues, pain during sex, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation issues. You might be worried about your body image or feel anxious about other areas of your sexuality.
The first conversation when things are difficult can feel overwhelming, but it is an important first step to take, and I can help you to do that.
Sex therapy is not appropriate when there are high levels of distress in your relationship. Couples counselling might be more helpful in that case. It is not recommended in crisis, or if there is a serious mental health issue, or a concern about alcohol or drug use. In some cases past trauma might need addressing before embarking upon Psychosexual Therapy.

Separating Parents

Sometimes couples decide to separate. Managing the period of transition can be difficult, particularly when you have children, as you each adjust to the change that separation brings to you and your family.
Counselling can help you to find the common ground to manage any differences, helping you to reduce any conflict in order to communicate better with each other and to find a way to work together in your ongoing roles as parents.
I offer you a neutral space to talk together as you take the first steps towards being parents apart.

Where to start

I will begin by offering you an initial consultation. This gives you the opportunity to tell me your story and me the opportunity to understand it. I can help you to work out what it might be that you would want to get from coming to counselling or psychosexual therapy.

Where I Work

I work in Kent from rooms in West Malling, offering quiet, confidential spaces for us to meet. I prefer to work with my clients face-to-face and both counselling and psychosexual therapy seems to work best when sessions are weekly.

Each session is one hour.

Couples Counselling

£70/ Session
For availability and further information:
Contact me

Individual Counselling

£60/ Session
For availability and further information:
Contact me

Psychosexual Therapy

£70/ Session
For availability and further information:
Contact me

I am willing to discuss the cost of sessions with you. You are welcome to ask me.

Qualifications

I have Relate CPCAB Diplomas in Relationship Counselling and a COSRT accredited Relate Professional Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy.

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I am a registered member of the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists.

I abide by their ethical frameworks.

 

I attend clinical supervision regularly and I am committed to ongoing professional development.
The areas in which I have experience include:

Affairs and betrayals
Anger
Arguments and conflict
Attachment
Blended families
Boundaries
Communication
Cultural differences
Gender, sexuality and relationship diversity

Grief and loss
Impact of physical health issues
Life stages and changes
Loneliness and isolation
Mental health issues
Parenting and step parenting 
Separation
Sex and intimacy
Trust

This is my second career. Before becoming a relationship counsellor and psychosexual therapist I was a Registered Nurse and worked within the NHS.

Please contact me using the form below or email me at:
nickyscrimgeourcounselling@gmail.com