A quiet space to talk things through.
Whatever you're carrying — anxiety, grief, a relationship that's lost its footing, or something harder to name — talking it through with someone outside of it can help. Directions offers confidential counselling, without judgement, at a pace that's yours.
Counselling is a talking therapy
It gives you room to talk about what's happening and how it feels, in a confidential and dependable environment. Nothing you bring is too much, and nothing is judged — the aim is simply to help you understand it, and yourself, a little better.
Howard Antonio
A registered member of the BACP, working in individual and relationship counselling.
Howard Antonio
I am a registered member of the BACP (the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), and an accredited practitioner in individual and relationship counselling. Alongside this, I work in the public sector with young people and families as a mentor and family support worker.
As a counsellor, I take a person-centred approach — sometimes called client-centred counselling — which centres on your own self-worth and values. Being heard without being judged can help you accept who you are, and reconnect with yourself.
I believe that talking things through with someone who can offer impartial, non-judgemental but compassionate support makes a real difference. It can help you build the coping mechanisms that free you from whatever is holding you back — whether that's an emotional issue, a mental health difficulty, or simply a search for a clearer sense of meaning.
Ready to talk?
One person, one conversation,
fully your own.
Individual counselling gives you space to talk through what's happening with someone caring but not personally involved. Useful when family or friends are too close, or part of the difficulty itself.
At Directions, individual sessions give you the opportunity to:
- Explore your feelings
- Make sense of what's happening
- Increase your sense of self-awareness
- Look at the wider perspective and the options available to you
- Get support choosing the most appropriate course of action
I use a relational form of therapy to explore a person's emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and spiritual dimensions. Both of us are actively engaged in shaping the process and its outcomes — this approach stresses your own capacity for self-development, and I work with you to realise it. I also take into account the impact relationships have on your inner world, exploring the social, cultural, religious and political aspects of your experience.
Download more about individual counselling (PDF)Ready to arrange a session?
For couples ready to be heard, together.
A solution-focused approach to help you heal a communication breakdown and regain intimacy, respect and mutual understanding — treating the relationship itself as the client.
Couples counselling addresses communication problems and a loss of intimacy. It can help you build more realistic expectations, a more mutually satisfying compromise, and deeper intimacy. It can also help you reach a less conflicted separation, if that's what you both want — you don't have to be certain either way. My role is to help you explore these things safely and confidentially, without fear of direct attack.
How it can help
- Learn easier ways of managing conflict
- Identify destructive patterns of relating
- Develop and improve communication skills
- Encourage empathy and intimacy
- Explore the impact of change and loss
- Acknowledge abuse and domestic violence where it's present
If a relationship can't be reconciled, I can also help you mediate your way through separation or divorce, so it doesn't have to end in messy disagreement — especially where children are involved.
Download more about couples counselling (PDF)Ready to arrange a session?
Support through grief,
for as long as you need it.
For most of us, bereavement is the most distressing experience we'll ever face. Grief is a natural response to losing someone you care about, and there's no right or wrong way to move through it.
Bereavement counselling is a specialised form of support for anyone who's lost a loved one — helping you work through your grief, and perhaps learn coping mechanisms for when you're on your own with it. It's recommended for anyone, of any age, whose loss feels overwhelming or whose life is being affected by their grief.
Turning to bereavement counselling isn't an admission of weakness — it's an admission of the strength to seek help when you need it.
If you're finding it hard to move through your grief, or you're concerned about someone who isn't coping well, seek help — or encourage them to. Directions is here to support you, or a loved one, through the grieving process.
Download more about bereavement counselling (PDF)Ready to arrange a session?
Get in touch
Face to face, online and telephone sessions are all available. Call or email to ask a question, or to arrange an appointment.
| Session | Fee |
|---|---|
| Individual counselling | £65.00 |
| Relationship counselling | £95.00 |
| Family / group counselling | From £170.00 |