Supporting people through life changes, relationship difficulties, questions of identity, stress and overwhelm.
Life doesn’t always follow the path we expected. A relationship may end, work may change, illness can alter what feels possible, or you may find yourself questioning parts of your life or identity that once seemed settled. Sometimes you know exactly what has changed; at other times, you simply know that life no longer feels quite right.
William works with people who are navigating significant changes or trying to come to terms with experiences that have altered the way they see themselves and their future. This might include separation or divorce, bereavement, career change, health difficulties, questions around sexual identity or sexuality, or a period of stress and overwhelm that has left you wondering how to get your life back on track.
You may have tried talking things through with friends, reading self-help books or simply telling yourself that you should be able to cope. But being capable doesn’t mean everything has to be managed alone. Counselling can provide somewhere separate from the rest of your life where you don’t have to protect other people’s feelings, know the answers or pretend that you’re coping better than you are.
Major life changes can affect much more than the practical circumstances around us. They can change how we think about ourselves, our relationships and what we imagined our future would look like.
You might be grieving something you’ve lost, struggling with uncertainty about what comes next or feeling stuck in life, caught somewhere between the life you had and a future you haven’t yet worked out. Anxiety, worry, sadness, grief and isolation can all become part of that experience.
William offers space to slow things down and understand what the change means to you. Therapy isn’t about forcing yourself to “move on” or finding a quick solution. It can help you make sense of difficult emotions, understand what you need and gradually find a way forward that feels more manageable.
Relationship difficulties can leave you questioning not only the relationship but also yourself. When a relationship changes or ends, there may be grief, anger, anxiety, relief, uncertainty and practical upheaval happening at the same time.
William has a particular interest in working with people experiencing relationship difficulties, separation and divorce. Counselling can provide a confidential space to make sense of what has happened, understand what the relationship or its ending means for you, and explore what you want moving forward. If you’re questioning the future of your relationship or struggling with whether to stay or leave, counselling can give you space to explore your thoughts and feelings without pressure to make a particular decision.
His previous career as an employment lawyer means he is also accustomed to working alongside people during stressful periods when emotions, important decisions and practical realities are all competing for attention. He understands that sometimes you need somewhere to think clearly while a great deal is happening around you.
Periods of change can also raise deeper questions about identity: Who am I now? What do I actually want? Am I living in a way that feels right for me?
William welcomes clients exploring identity, sexual identity and sexuality, as well as those trying to understand themselves more generally. You don’t need to arrive with a clear question or know where the conversation will lead. Counselling can be an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and explore what feels important to you without pressure to reach a particular answer.
He also brings an understanding of neurodiversity to his work. For some people, recognising or exploring neurodivergence can provide a new way of understanding experiences, relationships or patterns that may previously have been confusing. Therapy can offer space to explore what this means for you without reducing everything you experience to a label or diagnosis.
Many people reach counselling after coping for a very long time.
You may be managing work, relationships, family responsibilities or health difficulties while privately feeling anxious, low or overwhelmed. Perhaps other people see you as resilient and capable, which makes it even harder to admit that things have become difficult. For some people, this experience can resemble high-functioning anxiety, where life may appear manageable from the outside while internally it feels very different.
William doesn’t see resilience as simply becoming better at tolerating more. Therapy can help you recognise what’s placing you under pressure, understand your emotional responses and consider what might need to change. Over time, the aim is not only to feel more able to cope, but to feel more connected to yourself and better equipped to face life’s challenges.
William is an integrative counsellor, drawing particularly on person-centred and psychodynamic approaches.
In everyday terms, this means he starts from the belief that you are the expert on your own experience. He pays close attention to what is happening for you now while also being curious about whether earlier experiences, relationships or patterns of behaviour may be influencing the way you feel and respond today.
William describes his style as calm, relaxed and straightforward. He listens carefully and asks questions rather than simply sitting back and expecting you to fill the silence. Clients often appreciate his ability to understand what they are saying, get to the point and bring humour into the room when it feels appropriate.
There may even be a dog in the room from time to time.
William also incorporates art and creativity into his practice for clients who may benefit from exploring things in a different way. There is no expectation that you need to be artistic; creative approaches can simply offer another way of expressing or understanding experiences that may be difficult to put into words.
The aim is to create a space that feels human rather than overly clinical, somewhere you can talk openly, feel understood, and begin to find some relief from what you have been carrying. The therapeutic relationship itself is an important part of creating that space.
Before training as a counsellor, William worked as an employment lawyer. Over time, he realised that he was often more interested in the people involved, their motivations and the circumstances that had brought them to that point than he was in the law itself.
He found that working directly with people and the difficulties they were experiencing felt more meaningful and rewarding, eventually leading him to begin his counselling training.
His legal career continues to influence his therapeutic work. Having worked with a diverse range of people in high-stress situations, William understands the pressures of business and corporate environments, career uncertainty and the challenge of remaining composed while dealing with difficult circumstances. He therefore also understands how anxiety in the workplace can affect people who may otherwise feel highly capable in their professional lives.
His wider life experience also gives him a personal understanding of neurodiversity, chronic illness, separation and divorce, alongside an interest in art and creativity.
William is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and holds a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.
He also holds a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry.
People come to counselling for many different reasons, and you don’t need to decide whether your problem is “serious enough” before getting in touch. William works with issues including anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties, separation and divorce, identity and sexuality, neurodiversity, stress and overwhelm, men’s issues and trauma.
An initial conversation can help you consider whether counselling with William feels appropriate for what you’re experiencing.
Counselling gives you a confidential space to explore what is happening in your life and how you feel about it. William works collaboratively rather than telling you what you should do. Together, you can explore what is happening now, the experiences that may have contributed to it and the patterns you would like to understand or change.
Not necessarily. The frequency of sessions can be discussed with William so that you can agree an arrangement that is appropriate for you.
Yes. William offers both in-person counselling in Henley-on-Thames and online counselling.
William offers counselling in person at Cherry Tree Therapy Centre in Henley-on-Thames and online.
He is available on Monday afternoons and throughout Tuesday and Thursday.
In-person sessions are £60 and online sessions are £55. Concessions may be available on a case-by-case basis.
You don’t need to have everything worked out before coming to counselling. You may know exactly what you want help with, or you may simply know that something needs to change.
If you’re interested in working with William, please complete the enquiry form below and he will be in touch to answer your questions or to book you in for your first counselling session.