Novella's story: steady, thoughtful, connected

I'm Becki, a BACP Accredited psychotherapist and clinical supervisor with over 14 years' experience working with adults and young people, as well as supporting counsellors at different stages of their professional journey.

Becoming a counsellor probably made sense long before I actually trained as one. From quite a young age, I seemed to be the person people came to when they needed someone to talk to. I was even nicknamed “Dear Deirdre” because I was always the one people talked to about whatever was going on for them. What mattered to me then, and still matters to me now, was being able to listen without judgement and trying to understand what life felt like from someone else's perspective.

My own experience of seeking support also influenced the therapist I wanted to become. I experienced first hand how important it is to feel genuinely heard and understood, and how difficult it can be when that connection isn't there. It shaped my belief that therapy isn't just about what we know as therapists. It's also about how someone experiences us and the relationship we create together.

As a neurodivergent therapist myself, I also bring lived experience to my neurodiversity affirming practice. I understand that neurodivergence isn't simply a collection of traits or something that can be understood from a textbook. It can shape how we experience relationships, expectations, overwhelm, identity and the world around us. That lived understanding sits alongside my professional experience and training and helps me offer a space where difference can be explored with curiosity rather than treated as something that needs to be fixed.

Over the years I've worked in private practice, organisations and schools, alongside providing clinical supervision. All of those experiences have shaped the way I work today. My approach is relational and neurodiversity affirming, but more than anything, I believe in getting to know the person sitting in front of me and understanding their experiences within the context of their life.

I'm a warm and engaged therapist and I'm very much myself in the therapy room. I don't believe therapy needs to feel overly clinical or distant, and I'm not someone who will sit silently while you try to work out what I'm thinking. I'll listen, be curious, reflect things back and sometimes gently challenge you, while making sure you feel safe enough to explore the things that aren't always easy to say out loud.

At the heart of my work is a belief that the way we think, feel and respond usually makes sense when we begin to understand where it came from. Whether I'm working with a counselling client or a supervisee, I'm interested in you as a person, not simply the issue that brought you through the door.

Sessions offer space to slow things down, reflect and explore what may be happening beneath the surface. You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about or having already made sense of how you're feeling. We can begin wherever you are.

There is space for uncertainty, difficult emotions and the things that can sometimes feel hard to put into words. Together, we can notice patterns, make connections and explore experiences with curiosity, while allowing understanding to develop at a pace that feels right for you.

Clients often describe feeling truly met rather than analysed, with their emotions understood rather than dismissed.

For supervisees, this same relational approach creates space for collaborative honesty, where uncertainty, complexity and the emotional impact of client work are welcome. You don't need to arrive with all the answers. Supervision is a space to think together, reflect openly and develop greater confidence and trust in your own clinical judgement.