Trauma-Informed, Addiction and
Relationship Counselling Services
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Trauma-Informed Therapy & LGBTQ+ Counseling in Brighton and Worldwide Online
As a Brighton therapist specializing in trauma-informed therapy, I support individuals impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Together, we explore how coping mechanisms—such as substance misuse, compulsive behaviors, or emotional avoidance—can be as harmful as the original trauma. My approach is LGBTQ+ Affirmative, offering safe, non-judgmental support for sensitive issues like pornography, Chemsex, and the ways personal needs influence intimacy and relationships.
Early-life trauma, interpersonal conflict, and societal pressures often lead people into roles that conflict with their authentic self—especially around gender identity and sexual orientation. My therapeutic work, grounded in psychodynamic principles, focuses on trauma recovery, addiction treatment, and improving relationship dynamics.
Integrated Approach for Healing and Growth
To support lasting change, I combine:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for practical coping strategies
Couples counseling to rebuild trust and improve communication
Flexible options: in-person therapy in Brighton at the Somatic Therapies Centre or global online therapy sessions
My goal is to provide solution-focused therapy that helps you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Relationship Support with a Specialist Focus
Drawing on my early training in couples therapy, I now specialize in supporting relationships in all their forms. At Thinkstrong, I limit my client base to ensure personalized, high-quality care tailored to each individual or couple. My approach blends psychodynamic insight, CBT techniques, and a compassionate, collaborative style to help clients overcome challenges, rebuild trust, and create meaningful connections.
About Me:
Previously an accredited Sport Psychologist working with Olympic athletes, I retrained as a relationship counsellor at the prestigious Tavistock Institute, leading onto a postgraduate qualification in psychodynamic therapy at Brighton University. To enhance my practice, I have undertaken advanced training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), earned a Diploma in Supervision, and completed the ASIST Suicide Intervention Training.
As a former Clinical Lead for a national addiction charity, my work has focused on the impact of trauma and maladaptive coping mechanisms that often lead to addiction. This experience deepened my understanding of how these issues affect not only individuals but also their partners and families—the “affected other.”
CLINICAL SESSIONS:
ONLINE / FACE-TO-FACE INDIVIDUAL / COUPLES
Call / email / text to arrange
50 min Sessions: by appointment
HOW TO BOOK:
PHONE
07973 751462
paul@thinkstrong.solutions
“Paul is has been extremely helpful. A keen listener and a good sounding-board with an excellent grasp of the issues that I concern me, I recommend him highly”
“Paul has helped me so much! Every time I finish a session I feel so much more confident. I am still a work in progress but I am learning to take it one day at a time!”
“Paul is one of the best therapists I have seen. He understands my issues and knows when to challenge my thinking without being invalidating”
Approaches
Trauma can result in depression and anxiety as well as a loss of confidence and low self-esteem. We can begin to question who you are as a person and indeed what is the purpose of life. We may even think about ending our lives. The physical side of us can be put back together but the mental aspects of “feeling broken” are often ignored. Recovery has many facets from personal loss of control to management of medication and that general feeling of helplessness. These can be all actively managed and with a refocusing on your direction in life.
Addiction can be defined as "not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you". Most commonly associated with gambling, drugs (including prescribed), alcohol and nicotine, but it's possible to be addicted to just about anything, including that which can be purchased, viewed or interacted with online. As our lives are more and more reliant on electronic portals we find ourselves “addicted” to the pleasures and escapes on offer until we believe we cannot live without them.
People can interpret events in many different ways leading to a variety of emotional and behavioural responses. CBT examines current unhelpful thought patterns, exploring how they can affect your emotions and actions in the here and now. This helps you to change how you think, focusing on ways to improve your psychological wellbeing. Negative thoughts and beliefs play a significant role in the development and maintenance of conditions such as depression, anxiety or low self-esteem.
Psychodynamic counselling provides a broad range of therapeutic approaches helping you to understand the cause of your problems and issues. With a strong emphasis on the trust between a client and counsellor, psychodynamic therapy provides the tools required to make progress with issues that may have roots deeply buried in the past. It also helps equip you with knowledge and suggestions to enable you to cope with further difficulties.
Types of Issues I Deal With
Things can seem better when shared…
Narrative we bring…
Everybody brings their own unique narrative to counselling which has been formed from previous experiences. My role often is to help people understand this narrative and what affect is has on their current lives. This may have been formed through loss, trauma or a series of life events that it may seem there is little control.
The Therapeutic Relationship
Successful therapy is often the result of the trust between the client and their therapist based on emotional connection, insight, and appropriate boundaries. The therapeutic relationship should create and provide an environment whereby you can start to remove some layers that have either defined or protected you. This will hopefully allow you to explore the different ways you have existed in the world and related to people, thereby causing change in a positive way.
Costs per session
INITIAL ASSESSMENT:
30min Initial Online / Phone/ E-mail Consultation: Free
FACE TO FACE SESSIONS:
Individual (50 Mins): £70
Block of 6 sessions £350
Couples (50 Mins): £80
Block of 6 sessions £400
Please ensure payment is made 24 hours prior to commencement of session
ONLINE CLINICAL SESSIONS: (Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp, FaceTime)
Individual Online (50 Mins): £60
Block of 6 sessions £300
Couples Online (50 - 60 Mins): £70
Block of 6 sessions £350
Please ensure payment is made 24 hours prior to commencement of session
Ensure connection is secure before commencing session as payment will still be due
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
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