Help for individuals, couples and families
Counselling and psychotherapies in your local Ely/Haddenham area
What I can offer
Help for children, families, teens, individuals and couples
Are you struggling with stress, feeling overwhelmed or unhappy? Maybe one of your loved ones is finding life rather hard to cope with? Perhaps you are feeling at the end of your tether with your relationship and fearing the worst for it's survival, or just that it needs some TLC? You may have come to the right place if so... and I may be able to help.
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Whatever your story, tell me about it, and let's see if we can find a way through your dilemmas and struggles together..
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Couple Therapy
Are you finding that you are at the end of your tether with your partner or spouse, fighting over small things that blow up so easily; where have those days gone when loving each other was so much easier? Life is tough often and you both bring with you to the "dance" of two people a host of "baggage" that after the initial "romantic phase" has worn off can get in the way of a happy long term relationship ! Or it may be that there is a specific issue that is causing a problem.
Let's explore together and try to find that magic again. With evidence based techniques and gentle exploration we will aim to have you heading towards a more mature and long lasting love. Let's see if we can make it happen.
Anxiety and behavioural difficulties in children
Let's try to get to the bottom of it...
Has your infant or primary aged child been struggling with worry or lack of confidence, perhaps in trying new things or going to new places, or simply finds it hard when it's time to go to school and leave you at the school gate? Perhaps they just don't want to talk to adults that they don't know or find it hard to make friends with others. Do you get all sorts of advice from family and friends that is all at odds with each other and you just don't know which way to turn to help them? It's not nice for them, and it's a worry for you, but let me reassure you that you are not alone in that worry or situation and with a little bit of consistency, working together, lots of worry and anxiety can be resolved.
Sometimes, children's behaviour can become quite challenging and you can become exhausted as parents, not understanding why your child feels they have to behave in this way.. again, you are not alone. With some exploration and developing a greater understanding of your child, and a little bit of tweaking of your parenting approach, behavioural difficulties can become much, much easier to manage and may even disappear!
Why do I work with parents of younger children and not with the child themselves?
"It's my child that has the problem, not me..."
If you are thinking the above about therapy for children, you are not alone, but research shows that working with the parents for psychological and behavioural difficulties in younger children is much more effective and has much better outcomes than working directly with the children.
This is for a number of important reasons - in a nutshell:
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Parents are the expert on their child
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Parents are in a much better position than a therapist to put strategies into place on a day to day basis at home and to create opportunities for practicing new things
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Parents are often more motivated than the child at this age to try to make changes
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Parents can share the techniques and changes with the whole family
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Parents can continue with the new ways of doing things long into the future when the therapist has finished work
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Sometimes it is about the relationship between the child and the parent that needs to be tweaked a little bit for helpful change.
Those teenage years
Low mood and worry in young adults and teens
Navigating those teenage years can be exciting! A world full of endless possibilities and fun.. But is can also be a time of huge anxiety and worry. Young people have exams looming, friendship issues to try and manage and understand, and worry about wider issues such as Covid 19, saving the planet and keeping safe on line. Others have concerns with drugs and alcohol or all sorts of body image worries.  And then what about family relationships?!
Adult low mood and anxiety
Let's talk about it...
About Me.
I hold an honours degree in Psychology, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) primary school teaching) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (PG Dip CBT). I am trained in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) Level 2.
I offer an integrative talking therapy approach - which means I take the best techniques and approaches from well researched methods, and through gentle exploration try to find the best fit of help for you.
I also offer face to face couple work using the most effective approaches and strategies taken from well researched models such as Gottman method and Emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT) as well as developmental approaches too. Recent times have caused more stress and worry than ever before and this has taken it's toll on our relationships with our partners. I love to work with couples to bring them together to find a more mature love and a closer and more intimate connection with each other.
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I have had a long career working in many different fields of mental health and emotional well being within the NHS, with individual adults, children and families. I have worked with not only very troubled families, but also with families where children, teens and mums and dads have just struggled with some worry and anxiety, feeling low in mood, or with challenges in behaviour. I am also a Mum myself and I know just how hard parenting can be sometimes!
What are these therapies?
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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a very well known "evidence based" talking and practical therapy that was first developed by psychologists Beck, Rush, Shaw & Emery in 1979). The idea behind CBT is quite simple which is that if you are able to change the way that you think about yourself, others and the world (situations) and sometimes the way that you behave, it can, quite magically almost, transform the way you feel. Sometimes, through no fault of our own, we can find ourselves going round and round in habitual and self maintaining psychological traps which perpetuate anxiety and low mood. However, when you are being guided by a therapist to think about things a little differently, or to find things that are just out of your field of focus right now, using gentle and curious questions (called Socratic questioning) one can begin to act and think in different ways that loosen those traps and improve how you feel.
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ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It is an up and coming therapy being used more and more in mainstream therapy and psychology.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT therapy) is a type of mindful psychotherapy that encourages staying focused on the present moment and accepting thoughts and feelings without judgment.
It aims to help you move forward through difficult and distressing emotions so you can put your energy into healing instead of focussing on the negative.
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How Does ACT Therapy Work?
ACT therapy works by accepting life experiences as they come, without judging them or trying to change them. It's a skill developed through mindfulness exercises Doing this can free you from ruminating on negative things to bring peace of mind and healing.
Acceptance: accepting emotions and feelings that may feel like they're out of your control.
Commitment to a positive approach helping you to take charge and make a conscious decision to stick with the positive direction living your life in a way that you think is important and value. Staying resilient, no matter what life throws at you.
ACT can be a lot of fun and is more about doing than thinking or using words quite so much!
Fees:
I hour of evidence based therapy :£55
Couple/relationship £60
Family sessions: £80
This is paid by bank transfer only.
I do not currently work with medical insurance.
What to expect:
Reach out to me either by calling the telephone number below or sending me an email with some brief details of what you are looking for. Make sure you leave contact details so I can call you back or email you.
We will have a chat lasting up to 20 minutes on the phone just talking through what your worries are. Then, if you are happy to, we will arrange a first session to meet up with no obligation on your part to have further sessions if you decide it is not for you. If we do arrange a first meeting, then all I ask is for you to complete and return a therapy agreement form before you arrive which I will send by email. One of the most important things about successful therapy is that you feel a warm and safe connection with your therapist - if you feel that, you are half way there!
My office is a cosy and safe space for confidential work with you. I will offer a cup of tea or coffee/water etc and we will set to work. My cat, who has been dubbed our therapy cat, may also make an appearance ... if you are happy for that of course!!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Take some time to have a look at the rest of my website above and any questions please ask....
Fully DBS Checked.
What do previous clients say?.....
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Testimonials
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We’ve been attending sessions with Erica for a little over five months now, and the transformation in our relationship has been incredible. At the beginning, we were both quite sceptical - unsure of what to expect and, if we’re honest, probably more focused on proving our own points rather than actually hearing each other out. We were stuck in our own views and resistant to change.
But over time, and with Erica’s calm and thoughtful guidance, we’ve been amazed by how much we’ve grown - not just individually, but as a couple. She’s helped us move out of our own way, to see each other in a new light, and to appreciate our differences rather than feel threatened by them. What once felt like immovable differences now feel like opportunities to understand and connect.
As full-time parents and professionals, it can be difficult to find the space to really see each other, but Erica has given us the tools - and the structure - to do just that. She’s created a space where we feel safe to open up, and she even gives us practical homework to help bring what we learn in sessions into our everyday lives.
Erica is warm, understanding, and incredibly supportive. Nothing ever feels too heavy or too complicated to bring into the room with her. Her compassion and expertise are not only helping us reconnect, but also helping us build a stronger, more united “coupledom.”
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"We have had a fantastic service from Erica supporting our 17 year old son with some mental health issues. Despite being over Teams due to Covid, the therapeutic impact was not lost. Erica is a mum as well as a therapist and provided a unique and enormously helpful insight into supporting our son. As parents, we have learnt some very valuable tools for helping our son achieve his former mental health - highly recommended” Lynda. (mother)
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When trying to find a counsellor, my husband and I were concerned, wanting to choose someone we would feel comfortable with, but we needn’t have worried, Erica put us at ease from the very first phone call. In our sessions we felt very relaxed, she was very warm, understanding, and easy to talk so we were able to talk openly in our sessions and didn’t judge either of us. She showed us tools to help us communicate better, steps to reduce tension in our relationship and regularly circled back to go through them, they have become part of our day-to-day life and integral to us. In the time we have been going to Erica, we have grown as individual’s and as a couple, we are now in a better place in our marriage and can talk more openly & calmly with each other.
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When my teenaged son started therapy with Erica, he was finding life very difficult. Living with difficult-to-treat Crohn’s disease since the age of 11, he had just had a second surgery to remove part of his small bowel and form an ileostomy. In theory, he could start to live more of a ‘normal’ life; but he had no idea how to do that, which added to his anxieties.
Having worked with two other therapists, and experiencing very little meaningful change, he agreed to work with Erica, unconvinced that it would make any difference. But Erica appears to have the therapeutic ‘X-Factor’.
We started to see positive changes almost immediately. His personal confidence has grown, his anxiety is under control, and he is starting to look towards a future that he previously did not dare to imagine! He decided that he had done enough with Erica to start moving forward on his own, but also knows that he can have further sessions if/when he needs them.
Erica has a warm and friendly yet very professional approach. With her many years of experience, human compassion and kindness, she is someone that I would wholeheartedly recommend as a therapist
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Writing as a parent, I feel the therapy sessions have been a great success. My son has said he feels much
more in control of his feelings and now has strategies to deal with unwelcome thoughts and feelings when they arise. My impression has been that the therapy sessions have been a warm and safe space to speak about issues that were bothering my son. He has not gone into detail of the content of the sessions themselves but says that he has felt able to express himself and his feelings and that Erica has been a kind and understanding person to speak with. I am very happy to recommend Erica Jackson as a professional and empathetic therapist who works especially well with young adults.
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Erica was very understanding and compassionate and especially gentle while talking about difficult topics, I always felt like I was being listened to and her sessions has helped me view my struggles in a different light and be able to manage them effectively. The sessions have most definitely had a positive impact on my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for her help. (16 years)
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I found Erica to be easy to talk to and warm when we first spoke on the phone about organising sessions for M. This feeling continued on meeting her in person, and I felt she was a safe person to leave M with and to help him feel better.
M clearly felt very relaxed and comfortable with her. It seems possible that, over time, M will learn some useful insights into how to manage and accept his difficult feelings through further therapeutic sessions with her.
The only thing I would change is the option of a weekend appointment because of M being in school.
Ruth (mother of 15 year old M)
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Erica was professional without being too formal, and although we were a little anxious she put us entirely at ease.
We felt listened to and understood. Having struggled with our present situation, we came away feeling more positive and empowered.
We have started to initiate the approach we discussed and feel confident with the small steps we are taking to achieve this.
Thank you for starting us on our journey to achieving a more balanced relationship in our situation with our daughter.
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Erica is a gem of a therapist – she perfectly combines professionalism with care for each person’s needs and feelings. Erica’s warmth and welcoming was palpable from the first time we spoke to her, which was so important to us when looking for a couple’s therapist. We felt she genuinely cared and was interested in our issues and how to resolve them. She listened and empathised, yet she was also not afraid to challenge us or to suggest changes in our habits that might make lasting improvements to our lives. We learnt that just because my husband and I work in Communications, it doesn’t mean we always communicate well, as life and bad habits get in the way. Erica helped us realise how little time we were setting aside to talk to each other and support each other in bringing up our daughter. She also helped us take responsibility and believe we could make changes – even to my over-working behaviour patterns that had been in place for 20+ years, which with Erica’s help, I am now keeping at bay.
We now have some really excellent tools we can use to keep communicating, and to resolve issues in our relationship. We highly recommend Erica – both as a couple’s therapist, an individual therapist and an expert in children’s psychology, as she has also helped us hugely with our parenting skills. (local couple.) (feb 23)
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Having been in a really bad mental state when I first made an appointment with Erica, I am amazed that after just a few sessions she changed my thought process and I am now much more content in myself and more chilled about things going on and life in general.
I know that she understood my problems and apart from her professionalism, she showed great warmth, understanding and guidance and it was very easy to talk to her about my problems.
I shall miss sessions with her but have so much to thank her for. (March 23)
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Erica’s support was invaluable in helping us to offer the right support to our daughter. She shared a huge range of clear, appropriate strategies for us to explore, based on a thoughtful, sensitive, and professional understanding of our specific situation. Everything was delivered with warmth and (when needed!) a dose of humour. The improvement we have seen in our family has made the world of difference to us and had better equipped us to deal with any future challenges too. Thank you J
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We found Erica when my teenage son was struggling with feelings of pressure, anxiety, and hopelessness. From our very first contact Erica was open, warm, and extremely easy to communicate with. She was patient and kind providing him with useful resources and coping mechanisms that he responded well to. It is incredibly difficult to know how to help your child when they don’t want to talk to you for fear of worrying you. I am incredibly grateful we found Erica, and it gave me a lot of comfort knowing that my son was talking to someone. He said he always felt understood and listened to.
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I have recently had a telephone consultation with Erica which I found to be very inciteful. I felt very comfortable speaking about my concerns, despite us having never met we were able to progress the conversation productively and I look forward to further discussions in the future to gain a greater understanding of my situation. [ J Jun 24]
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So, I (we) have so much to thank you for, from your time, to all the tools you have given us. For the opportunity to help us grow as a couple and as individuals, and for giving us a way to see the bigger picture and prioritise on the important stuff.
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Erica kept a high level of professionalism, that made me feel safe to open up and honest.
In the beginning of my treatment, it was often difficult to get my thoughts and feelings into words, Erica was very patient and validated my feelings. Especially on difficult topics that were hard to talk about.
I always left our sessions feeling lighter for having opened up and having someone that understood what I was dealing with and provided many mindful ways of helping me with these issues.
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Erica is very approachable and caring, which helped alleviate my fears of judgement or rejection when I share more fully, which gave me the opportunity for greater therapeutic progress.
(A small side note: I am always offered something to drink, cold or hot. I usually turn the offer down, but Erica never fails to offer. This small gesture always leaves me feeling valued).
The most useful thing was understanding how I think, as it was something that always eluded me and often left me in a spiral of bad thoughts and feelings for long periods of time, because I could not identify the triggers that caused these emotions.
Now I have a better understanding of this, I can better control my moods and express how I feel to others.
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Having the tools to identify and communicate my thoughts and feelings has been extremely helpful when discussing big and small topics with B. We can get our opinions across to the other without them taking offence or guilt, by avoiding ‘you’ statements and listening to the other when they are speaking, only replying once they have truly stopped.
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All of the issues I faced at the start of my therapy have been identified and worked on for the whole duration of my journey. I cannot ask for more than the care and support Erica gave me.
Should I ever need a session in the future, I will not hesitate to get back in touch to book an appointment. My eternal gratitude, [J Aug 2024]
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​I always felt very comfortable and accepted into your home office and liked the fact that it felt very homely, it made the whole experience feel less clinical - like with my previous experience of therapy.
One of the biggest lessons we've learned is that we don't have to please everyone. We can do things our way and don't need to follow someone else's path. It's more about being confident in our own choices rather than worrying about making the "right ones". It's less about chasing the perfect life and more about making the life we have the best it can be.
It's also been amazing to see J take on new challenges in his career. Just two years ago, he was hesitant to seek help and struggled to imagine things getting better. Now, seeing how much he's grown is truly inspiring. It's heart warming when he comes home with a smile on his face.
J having the courage to go to you and occasionally bring me along has saved our relationships. We are now able to understand our communication methods and as a result feel our love and respect for one another is now much greater. You have made a very big change to our lives and I will never be able to repay you for that. [B Aug 2024]
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​Working with Erica was a very positive experience. From our initial meeting, I knew that she ‘got’ me and this was very important in choosing to take therapy forward. She is very professional, and her approach is muti-disciplinary, being able to take aspect of different therapies and apply them where appropriate. She is a very warm and empathetic practitioner, made me feel comfortable and able to freely open up about the issues concerning me. Going forward I will try to engage with the skills that we discussed and try to take them forward into life. I recognise that I need to make changes and will endeavour to do so, always thinking that Erica is on my shoulder!
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Contact me - I offer a free 20 minute phone call consultation.
Call on: 07712904220
Office hours are Monday 9-5, Thursdays 9-5 and Fridays 9-5, weekday evenings 6-8pm. If I am unavailable please send me an email on: eckyj@hotmail.co.uk and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Please leave a telephone number for me to call you.
Make contact
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