When your mind will not switch off.
Support with overthinking, pressure, panic, stress, emotional exhaustion, and the feeling that you are always bracing for something.
Online and Leeds counselling for adults
Therapy that helps you understand yourself and the patterns shaping your life.
If anxiety, relationship patterns, self-doubt, trauma, grief, anger, or life changes are becoming hard to carry alone, I can help you slow things down, make sense of what is happening, and find a steadier way forward.
MA
qualified integrative counsellor
MBACP
Registered Member 400233
350+
clients supported
3,000+
hours of therapeutic work completed
How I Can Help
You do not have to arrive with the perfect explanation.
Many people come to therapy with a tangle of feelings: something in life is not working, but it is hard to know where to begin. We start with what feels most important now, then carefully make links between your emotions, relationships, history, and current choices.
When the same patterns keep repeating.
Space to explore conflict, disconnection, rejection, people-pleasing, trust, intimacy, boundaries, and the fear of not being enough.
When the past is still active in the present.
Understanding childhood roles, family systems, emotional neglect, criticism, conflict, attachment wounds, and inherited ways of coping.
When you are tired of being harsh with yourself.
Work around shame, confidence, self-doubt, anger, masculinity, responsibility, identity, and reconnecting with who you actually are.
When life has knocked you off balance.
A steady place to process endings, loss, trauma, burnout, parenthood, ageing, separation, uncertainty, and major transitions.
When survival strategies are costing too much.
Curious, non-shaming work with the habits, escapes, reactions, and protective patterns that may once have helped but now feel limiting.
Work, Confidence and Boundaries
Therapy can help you feel clearer, steadier, and more confident at work.
Work can bring out patterns that are hard to manage alone: saying yes when you want to say no, avoiding difficult conversations, feeling responsible for everyone, doubting your ability, or becoming overwhelmed by pressure. I can help you understand what is happening and develop a more grounded way of responding.
Say what you need without feeling aggressive.
Build confidence to speak clearly, make requests, challenge decisions, contribute in meetings, and express disagreement without losing yourself.
Stop carrying more than is yours to carry.
Explore how to say no, manage expectations, protect your time, respond to pressure, and notice when guilt or fear is driving over-responsibility.
Work with self-doubt and impostor feelings.
Understand the roots of harsh self-criticism, comparison, perfectionism, and fear of being exposed, while developing a steadier sense of your own competence.
Handle difficult dynamics more thoughtfully.
Make sense of conflict with colleagues or managers, sensitivity to feedback, authority issues, avoidance, resentment, and repeating relational patterns at work.
Find a more sustainable way to function.
Support with pressure, emotional exhaustion, work-life imbalance, irritability, loss of motivation, and the feeling that you have to keep pushing through.
Step into responsibility without losing yourself.
Think through career changes, leadership, transitions, difficult decisions, visibility, communication, and the personal impact of professional responsibility.
My Approach
Clear, compassionate therapy with depth.
My work is relational, integrative, and insight-led. I listen carefully, ask meaningful questions, and help you notice patterns that may be difficult to see when you are inside them.
Feel safe enough to speak honestly.
Therapy begins with a steady, non-judgmental relationship. You do not need to perform, minimise, or have everything neatly organised before you arrive.
Understand the deeper pattern.
Together we look beneath the surface of symptoms and reactions, making links between emotions, relationships, family systems, past experiences, and present choices.
Build language for what has felt confusing.
Good therapy can make complicated feelings easier to name. When you understand what is happening, it becomes easier to respond rather than simply react.
Move towards change that lasts.
Insight matters, but so does life outside the session. We work at a pace that supports emotional regulation, clearer boundaries, better choices, and meaningful change.
What To Expect
Sessions are thoughtful, focused, and human.
You can bring whatever feels most alive or difficult. Some sessions are reflective and exploratory; others are more practical. The work adapts to your needs while staying grounded, boundaried, and collaborative.
We begin with what is happening now.
The first conversation gives us space to understand what has brought you here, what you want from therapy, and whether working together feels like the right fit.
We make sense of the wider picture.
I work integratively, drawing from psychodynamic, humanistic, existential, and systemic ideas to understand both inner experience and relational context.
We review and adjust the work together.
Therapy is collaborative. We keep noticing what is helping, where you feel stuck, and what needs more attention as the work develops.
Ways To Meet
Choose the format that helps you feel able to talk.
- Video sessions
- Phone sessions
- Live chat sessions
- Messaging support
Aaron Thorpe
Relational and integrative counsellor
About Me
I bring therapeutic depth, clear thinking, and long experience working with people.
I am an integrative therapist and senior educator with over 25 years' experience across education, counselling, youth work, leadership, and community settings. Over the past five years I have supported more than 350 clients and completed over 3,000 hours of therapeutic work.
Clients often describe the work as calm, focused, and clarifying. My background helps me think about people within their wider developmental, family, relational, and social contexts.
Qualifications
- MA Integrative Counselling
- Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling
- PGCE Secondary Education
- BA (Hons) Applied Theology, Youth and Community
Professional practice
- Registered Member 400233, MBACP
- Regular supervision and ongoing CPD
- Foundation Course in Systemic Practice, University of Leeds
- Integrative, relational, and systemic development
Professional Registration
Registered Member 400233, MBACP
I work within the ethical and professional framework of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Fees
Clear session fees before you book.
Each full therapy session lasts for one hour. Concessionary spaces are available for students and older adults.
Standard Session
£65
One-hour therapy session.
Concession
£50
For students and older adults.
Booking
Start with the appointment that matches where you are.
You can arrange an initial contact appointment, book a full therapy session, or contact me directly by email or phone.
Videos
Hear from me before you book.
These short videos can help you get a feel for my voice, manner, and way of thinking before arranging a session.
Questions
Common questions before starting therapy.
What can I bring to therapy?
You can bring anything that feels difficult to untangle alone, including anxiety, relationship patterns, family experiences, trauma, grief, self-worth, anger, addiction, identity, or feeling stuck.
Do you work online and in Leeds?
Yes. I offer online counselling and Leeds-based therapy, with session formats including video, phone, live chat, and messaging.
What happens in the first appointment?
We talk about what is bringing you to therapy, what you hope might change, any questions you have, and whether the fit feels right for ongoing work.
How do I choose the right booking option?
Choose initial contact if you want a first conversation before deciding. Choose therapy session if you are ready to begin or continue one-hour therapeutic work.
Can this website support me in a crisis?
This website is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services or a local crisis support service straight away.
Next Step
Start with a conversation.
If you are unsure, the initial contact appointment is a simple place to begin. You can also view my professional directory listings below.