Stephen Garvey, NCPS

Stephen Garvey pursued counselling after experiencing therapy himself following life changing events. Initially apprehensive about opening up to a stranger, he found the process so helpful that he left a successful career as a mediator to retrain as a counsellor. That transition proved to be the most difficult and rewarding undertaking of his professional life and led to a practice focused on supporting people through significant personal challenges.

Over five years of practice, he has worked with many people to help them make sense of difficult experiences and to take positive steps forward. He supports clients facing social anxiety, general anxiety, depression, low self confidence, bereavement, relationship difficulties and other common sources of distress. He describes counselling as a way to process emotions, gain clarity and reduce the sense of isolation that often accompanies life problems.

Stephen works from a client-centered perspective, prioritising the client as the expert on their own life and aiming to create a space where thoughts and feelings can be explored without judgment. He holds the NCPS credential, presented here as a professional counselling qualification, and applies that training when listening and responding to what each person brings.

Some clients have said that being heard without receiving advice or attempts to fix them helped them become more authentic in other relationships, increase self-acceptance, and clarify the changes they want to make. Stephen aims to offer a supportive, nonjudgemental environment where even difficult or embarrassing material can be spoken about and worked through. He meets with people in a comfortable therapy room and encourages anyone considering counselling to recognise that reaching out is a courageous and meaningful step toward feeling better.