psychotherapy
and counselling
Psychotherapy and Counselling
Hello, I’m Paul Wolstenholme, a fully qualified integrative transpersonal psychotherapist. I offer psychotherapy and counselling to adult individuals online, in person in Chorlton (Manchester) and Saddleworth and also ecotherapy/walk and talk therapy in nature.
I offer soul-centred talking therapy to support adult individuals to come into compassionate relationship with their true self, qualities and purpose, access inner wisdom, navigate life’s challenges, heal past traumas, work towards goals, positive relationships, balance and wellness. I am trauma-informed and work in a holistic manner with mindfulness and compassion at the heart of my work. I work with clients at depth on an open-ended basis and I also offer short-term counselling. In addition, I offer group therapeutic workshops to explore deep themes and invite awareness, growth and healing.
I enjoy working creatively to facilitate clients accessing and integrating wisdom beyond the cognitive realm. Creative work can include dreamwork, visualisations, active imagination, art therapy, sand play, body work, breath work, use of myths and archetypal symbolism and more.
My experience and qualifications
I hold a postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy (CCPE), a deeply respected training college in London. During my rigorous, experiential, five-year training, I completed over 650 hours of voluntary client work with adult individuals across a range of charities. I have subsequently been working consistently in private practice and have also worked as a therapist for a large charity.
I am a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and expect to acquire accreditation with both organisations shortly.
How I can support you
Psychotherapy is not just about navigating life’s challenges. It is also an opportunity to build compassionate understanding and acceptance of ourselves, reconnect to our true soul nature, grow, heal, align our energies with our purpose and values, work towards goals and much more.
In psychotherapy, we can co-create a safe space to:
Reconnect to spirit, your authentic soul nature, qualities, values, passions, potential and purpose
Explore your inner thoughts and feelings, your unconscious drives, shadow and defences, build self-knowledge, self-compassion, self-acceptance and self-esteem
Process past experiences, uncover the root causes of your challenges and heal trauma
Develop strategies to navigate life’s challenges with mindfulness and
Foster positive relationships and achieve a healthy balance in mind, heart, body and soul
Access profound wisdom through creativity (e.g. dreamwork, visualisations, active imagination, art therapy, sand play, body work, breath work, use of myths and archetypal symbolism
Feel empowered to grow towards future goals, joy, peace, harmony, contentment, wholeness and a more fulfilling, authentic life
‘Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.’
Rumer Godden
I have experience of working with a wide range of issues with adults from diverse backgrounds. Issues I can support you with include: family and relationship challenges, self-confidence and self-esteem, anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, OCD, phobias, stress, work, finances, grief and loss, life and spiritual crises, meaning and purpose, spirituality, goals, eating disorders, self-sabotage, self-harm, neurodiversity, loneliness, suicidal thoughts/behaviours, addiction, holistic wellness, managing and expressing anger, emotional regulation, personal and spiritual development, life skills, illness, disability, pregnancy/fertility, menopause, abuse and neglect, bullying, cultural issues, racism, climate anxiety and issues related to sex, sexuality, gender and identity.
What is integrative transpersonal psychotherapy? How is it different to counselling?
Integrative means that I have been trained in many of the predominant therapeutic approaches – including person-centred, transpersonal, psychoanalytic, Transactional Analysis, CBT, Gestalt and existential modalities. I apply a holistic blend of these approaches according to each client’s evolving needs and goals.
The transpersonal aspect blends modern Western psychology with the spiritual traditions and wisdom of the East, which reach beyond the egoic sense of self to the collective wisdom, deeper meaning and transcendent aspects of the spiritual realm.
The word psychotherapy is often used interchangeably with ‘counselling’. Typically, psychotherapy involves deep exploration over an extended period of time, covering many aspects of a client’s past, present, future and their way of being in the world. Counselling is sometimes seen as a shorter-term form of support, perhaps dealing with a small number of specific issues or solution-focussed interventions. Both are forms of talking therapy that do not involve advice. Rather, as therapist and client, we co-create a safe space to explore what it is like to be you and work towards a place where you can feel more comfortable with yourself and the world around you.
‘As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.’
Rumi
Locations
I work online and in-person (Saddleworth and Chorlton, Manchester – in the room or ecotherapy/walk and talk).
Chorlton therapy room
Saddleworth therapy room
Ecotherapy
Online therapy
Ecotherapy
Ecotherapy or ‘walk and talk therapy’ is an increasingly popular way to engage in talking therapy. Studies show that there are numerous benefits of undertaking therapeutic sessions outside in nature, including:
- Reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and stress
- Enhanced emotional wellbeing and mindful awareness
- Reduced pain and/or need for medication
- May be a protective factor against mental ill health
- Boosts motivation to exercise and connect with natural environments
- Promotes improved sleep, concentration, creativity, clarity and sense of self
- Reconnecting with nature may remind us that we are part of ecosystems rather than separate from them, creating a deeper sense of connection
- Some clients find shoulder-to-shoulder talking less confronting than being opposite their therapist
- The opportunity to use metaphors, symbols and engage with natural objects in the therapeutic process
My practices in Saddleworth (West Yorkshire) and Chorlton (Manchester) afford the benefits of some beautiful natural surroundings.
Fees, assessment and availability
I offer weekly sessions of 50 minutes, usually at the same time each week, either online or in-person (Saddleworth and Chorlton, Manchester – in the room or ecotherapy/walk and talk). My standard fee is currently £65 per session.
I offer a limited number of reduced-fee spaces for clients on a low income. Please email me to enquire about availability and qualifying criteria.
I generally work Monday to Friday daytimes, with a limited number of evening appointments available by agreement.
Please contact me to arrange a free, 20-minute phone or video call if you have any questions about how we might work together:
Paul Wolstenholme (Pathlight Ltd)
Contact Pathlight
Please contact me to arrange a free, 20-minute phone or video call if you have any questions about how we might work together:
Paul Wolstenholme (Pathlight Ltd)