Brighton and Hove Counselling Service

Welcome, my name is Shelley Holland. I’ve been qualified as a therapist for over 27 years, and have a lot of experience working with people of all ages and backgrounds. I offer long-term, in-depth psychotherapy, but also welcome enquiries from people wanting to explore an issue with short-term counselling. I am also a qualified clinical supervisor, and with additional training in attachment work and EMDR. I am the owner of The Palmeira Practice, a counselling and psychotherapy hub based in Brighton and Hove, and I run Brighton Therapy Partnership, an education provider in the psychotherapy field. Please be aware that I am offering online therapy via Zoom only.

You can read more about how I work below and also on my ‘About Me’ page here.

I have worked with people from all walks of life who have come to counselling with a wide range of difficulties and issues, such as:

**Shelley Holland - Counselling 4 Brighton - 27 years in practice**

Difficult relationships, both past and present, including toxic relationships and daughter-mother relationships (mainly from the daughter perspective), or family estrangement issues.
Trauma, either experienced in childhood or as an adult, including ‘inner child’ work. I offer an attachment-based approach to historical trauma, and can offer EMDR based interventions where suitable, and/or work with you to develop your own emotional resource “toolkit”. (Please be aware I do not offer EMDR as a stand-alone therapy).
Relational or attachment trauma.
Bereavement support, and other loss issues including divorce, separation, redundancy, and pet bereavement support.
Repeating patterns of behaviour, or a feeling of being 'stuck' (this might be a behavioural stuckness or within a relationship with another person).
Understanding and learning skills to managing difficult feelings - anxiety, stress, anger, sadness, depression, isolation and loneliness. This might include developing skills and knowledge about resilience in the face of adversity or trauma.
Identity issues: self-esteem, confidence, sexuality, race, spirituality, and experiences of oppression and marginalisation that arise for peoples from these communities.
Somatic disorders.
Feeling a lack of purpose or direction in life, or of 'not feeling quite right'.

You can read testimonials from people I have worked with in the past at the bottom of this page and read longer versions on my testimonials page.

Testimonials

Over 18 months Shelley ‘held my hand’ as she helped me to remember, to express what I felt, to understand what had happened and to allow time to make sense of the experiences I have had. Also, to help alleviate the distress I felt with my traumatic memories, Shelley used EMDR therapy. This did help me to feel less distress.

Shelley provided a safe space to talk about the issues I was struggling with. She helped me to work through problems, unpack what I was feeling, and think about solutions where necessary.

Shelley was always kind, accepting, and understanding.

My friends tell me I'm brighter and happier than I've been in a long time.

Shelley supported me to go to places that held the key for me that I would never have went to without her, or even know to look at. I cannot speak highly enough of the whole process and the results which it has given me.

I would really recommend Shelley, I felt that I could really open up to her. She was able to challenge and support when needed.

I realised that it was worth spending money on my emotional well-being just as I would budget for haircuts, clothes etc.

“Thank you for your kindness and your sharp sense of humour, and for your incredible attention to detail (remembering names and stories) that made me feel very seen and heard. I'm grateful for the ways you encouraged me to find choices in every situation. I had lots of laughs and many tears in our sessions and always felt so safe to do the work with you. Thank you for eventually teaching me that I don't always need to do the work!”

“This has honestly changed my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s true. You’ve helped me to understand myself and my relationships with others in a way I didn’t believe possible.”

“Shelley, thank you for your patience and understanding. My only regret is that I didn’t come to counselling sooner.”

“I’ve really learnt a lot about myself through our sessions, and now think about myself differently. I no longer feel sorry for myself. I feel strong and capable.”

“Thank you for helping me with my relationship troubles. I have felt so empowered by the experience.”

“I have benefited hugely from our sessions. I now know there was more going on for me than I realised. I’m now in a better place.”

“Thank you so much for being a fantastic counsellor. I will miss our sessions.”

I think everyone should get counselling, if only to get a deeper insight into themselves and how they communicate and manage their relationships with others. I think it would make us all better people.

I found Shelley's presence very calming and I liked her active listening and the questions she posed that helped me reflect more deeply.

“Counselling has helped me a lot and taught me a lot about myself. It’s allowed me to continue my normal life and look forward to the future again.”

Shelley helped me to step back and take a broader look beyond my own projections of events, and to understand patterns of behaviour which had become problematic. She helped me to reach a greater understanding of why I react in certain ways to certain situations, based on childhood or other factors.

“Time was not helping me to cope or understand. Counselling helped me to accept I don't need to understand I need to learn to accept and move forward. Much of what I experienced is still sinking in, with discoveries about myself that were both helpful and insightful.”

No matter how I felt or what I said in the session, Shelley was always kind, accepting, and understanding. If I struggled to find the words, she was patient and encouraging; whatever I shared, she never judged me, and she responded in a thoughtful and empathetic way. She always checked she had understood what I was saying and helped me make sense of what I was going through. I felt heard and understood by Shelley.

“I would really recommend Shelley, I felt that I could really open up to her. She was able to challenge and support when needed. She supported me to go to places that held the key for me that I would never have went to without her, or even know to look at. I cannot speak highly enough of the whole process and the results which it has given me.”

“I am in a much better place now, counselling helped me to accept and deal with my relationship issues and taught me to be kinder to myself.”

See more testimonials

Contact me via email or phone

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