Online counselling service for relationship counselling, abuse counselling, advice on substance use and much more.... Now entirely online
Kim Smith warmly welcomes you to    

Established 1988
The Fellow Traveller Online Counselling Service

 

About me

 

Bereavement & Grief

FREE COUNSELLING

As an online service you might imagine how many requests I get for free work. It's a lot. I wish I could respond but as one man supporting his family this way, unfortunately, I just cannot.

HOWEVER there are some options available.

www.counselling.ltd.uk is friendly and fair UK-only organisation for qualified counsellors.  Some of their many thousands of members offer their time for free TO THOSE ON LOW INCOMES. The counsellors are all qualified professionals.

In the UK your GP has the power to refer you to a counsellor for free.  Such counsellors are often top quality people with a big caseload.

If you need a friend fast you wont find a better one than a Sam. I've worked alongside these skilled and dedicated people and they're brilliant.  In the UK see www.samaritans.org or in other parts of the world at www.befrienders.org the UK service can also be used by email to jo@samaritans.org

But remember...

Not too long ago there were no counsellors. Somebody just applied some science to it all and professionalised a job that has been done successfully for thousands of years by relatives, friends, trusted elders and holy people from all religions.

It's better to talk to someone.  This has a lot of emotional uses believe me.

My name is Kim Smith and I'm a middle aged Englishman now working mostly online. I have the meaningless distinction of being the UK's longest serving online counsellor. Although initially trained in Person-Centred Therapy my style of working is now much more direct friendly and supportive, down to earth, sometimes advisory and usually quite informative. If you want your counsellor to be always asking you how you feel I suggest you try a different counsellor because although that style is fine, it's not mine. I often find that people are struggling to understand what is happening to them and why, so I try to help them understand. I don't profess to offer miracles. Because it's really important that I get to understand the people who contact me I encourage them to write a lot rather than vetting the number of words that they send me. I write back inside 3 working days after taking enough time to consider their story, usually in the same kind of detail irrespective of how long that takes.  I don't use the standard counselling "hour" (50 minutes ?!) when working live, but 60 - 90 minutes (I hate it when people are just getting into the swing of things and they have to stop).  My style is professional, friendly and ethical, but not aloof. I call my customers customers and not clients or patients, because they are paying my bills with their hard-earned cash and should expect value for money like any other consumer.

I've been in the helping professions for well over 25 years and counselling since the the early 80's. I have taught counselling and a range of therapies in Universities and Colleges in the North of England. I'm qualified to Advanced Diploma level (NWRAC) + an advanced certificate and further certificate, all in counselling. Also trained in Gestalt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, hypnosis and a variety of other disciplines, some fairly obscure. Luckily, the direction of my training has made it fairly easy for me to translate therapeutic work to an online medium.

I've worked in so many different settings (some of which I can't even tell you about), like drug & alcohol hostels and rehabs, hospitals, factories, boardrooms and offices - even on pop festival sites, and encountered so many different kinds of problems that I now think of myself as an "all-rounder". There's very little (in terms of problem categories) that I haven't experienced, but a more complete list can be found here

In private practise for the last 20+ years, my services have been used by the general public as well as by staff from all UK public services (Fire, Police, Ambulance/Paramedics/Civil Defence) and private employers, large and small. Periodically I am asked to take on more sensitive assignments.

As a person I'm not known to be a snappy dresser (though I can make an effort for that special occasion), I'm comfortable with anybody from the chimney sweep to the queen. I like Hi-Fi and other gadgets, terribly loud music, the great outdoors (nothing energetic - 4-wheel drive preferred), spicy food and star trek. If you have anything specific to ask about me, by all means ask away.

Kim Smith

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next couple of months I will be producing a small booklet about bereavement and grief.  This will be free and downloadable from this website.  The booklet is in response to the increasing numbers of people who visit here looking at how counselling can help during these sad times.  The booklet will look at the structure of grief in it's many forms and will include understandings of simple and complex grief.  If you would like me to notify you when this is complete just drop me an email and I will - Kim

Click  here for the best free UK self-help directory on the net.

 
An interesting rediscovered article by the UK Guardian newspaper reporter Sue Webster can be read here
Legal disclaimer - All the writings provided on my websites are to be used purely for "information" purposes only, like an opinion rather than a fact (though you are assured much thought and study has gone into all this). Because I am not "on-site" with you I cannot accept responsibility for any actions that you take yourself. Websites are constantly changing, being up-dated or for test purposes, and this means that, although offered in good faith, you should check all information with me before relying on it.
   

To see this site optimised for US English click http://www.online-counseling.co.uk