Phil Brain

Hi, I’m Phil.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my profile, I know how daunting taking the first step towards therapy can be.

I am an experienced counselling therapist and I offer a fully remote global counselling service. My aim is to support anyone through life’s journey whenever they feel that support is needed, within a non-judgemental, safe and empathetic space.

My main method of working is in the humanistic, person-centred approach which is where my core training lies. Post qualification training means I also work in an integrative method which incorporates CBT techniques, mindfulness, solution focused and directive therapy. As part of a more directive approach, I can offer psychological coaching and education which can often be an accelerator pedal for your personal journey.

I want to support you in the way that works the best for you as an individual. Within my role I want to facilitate and support you in finding your personal path through life’s twist and turns with self-discovery and understanding. I am passionate in my belief that therapy is not just a tool for when we feel really low but can also be a tool for life’s journey which can be used as and when required by you. I can also support you in building a personal toolkit that you may find useful to draw upon in the future.

For this reason, I offer something a little different alongside my traditional therapy options which is Single Session Therapy (SST). I am fully trained in this and alongside my work as a private therapist I work freelance with a company that offers this form of Counselling. I get to regularly see the benefits that focused single therapy sessions can offer. Sometimes only one session is needed for you to find the start of your pathway to move forwards.

I also work in a more “traditional” therapy style offering both short term sets of therapy and ongoing long-term work. I believe it is important that you have the right structure of therapy for your individual needs and will always try to accommodate this. Your emotional health and wellbeing is always my number one priority and I am happy to discuss this with you via email or phone, to understand what would best suit your needs with no pressure to continue further.

I have experience of working with young people both privately and within school settings. Due to the nature of my practice being remote I only offer therapy to young people aged 15 and over, however if you feel working with me could be of benefit to you or your young person please do contact me and we can discuss further.

A little about me…

I originally trained as secondary school teacher, however due to a health condition I was unable to continue with this career. With the support of therapy, I was able to find my way to a new path in life, which in turn led me to retrain as a therapist. I am of the belief everyone can find their own individual path with the right support. My own lived experiences of hidden disability and chronic conditions and pain means this is an area I know well. I have worked with many clients to support them in finding the ways they can work with these areas instead of needing to fight against them. I also am experienced in pain management coaching, so if you are struggling with chronic pain, I can offer a safe space to explore this and support you in finding your ways to combat the pain you are experiencing. I am an Accredited Member of The National Counselling Society (NCS) and abide by their ethical framework.

Who do I support?

I don’t believe that you must find yourself at a crisis point before coming to therapy, it can be beneficial at any stage of life. I invite you to come and talk about whatever is on your mind. Area’s I have worked with clients on the past on include, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and lack of confidence, stress both of a personal nature and work based stress and burnout, family and relationship issues, loss and bereavement. This list is by no means exhaustive, and I believe that everyone’s life experience is individual, and I work inclusively with your personal circumstances and context. I am happy to meet you at whatever stage of your personal journey you are at, so if you feel my way of working could be a good fit for you please do take that next step and get in touch with me.

I am open to working with anyone aged 15 and above in the UK and adults wherever you may be in the world, I have experience of working with clients from the UK, Europe, The Americas, South Africa and Asia.

Employment: In addition to my private practice, I am employed as a freelance / contracted therapist for two large, growing, start-up companies, offering accesible Single session and short term therapy within their businesses since 2020 I work with clients globally in these roles.

These roles have also allowed me to become involved in wider therapeutic offerings including Manager training on how to support employees with their mental health and wellbeing in the work place and triaging clients to help them to access the therapeutic services that these companies offer.

I have also worked in schools in my local area for a period of 3 years working with young people aged 11 plus.

I am an Accredited Member of The National Counselling Society and work within their ethical framework.