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David Ward
Psychotherapeutic Counselling
& Coaching Psychology

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What’s it all about?

Talking therapy, also known as psychotherapy, counselling, or psychological therapy, is a form of psychological intervention that involves speaking with a trained professional about your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. It is designed to help individuals manage a variety of emotional, psychological, and life-related challenges, promoting improved mental well-being to promote personal growth.

Talking therapy often encompasses a wide range of clinical approaches, yet at its core, it serves to create a safe, non-judgmental space in which individuals can openly explore their thoughts and beliefs. This therapeutic environment fosters self-awareness and psychological insight, allowing clients to develop greater objectivity in understanding their needs. Through guided reflection and dialogue, individuals are supported in cultivating both cognitive and behavioral coping strategies that facilitate meaningful, lasting change and emotional resilience.


My clinical model is rooted in the principles of person-centred therapy to support clients to access their own potential for self-healing and personal development through the exploration of their life experience.

Person-Centred Therapy is a humanistic approach that emphasises empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard to support the clients own resources for self-healing. The therapeutic relationship between therapist and client is also viewed as an important component of effective therapy. The alliance between therapist and client is characterised by a mutual respect, open communication, and a shared understanding of mutually agreed aims to promote better outcomes.

My Therapeutic Approach.

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Integrative Therapy.

Integrative therapy is a holistic approach to clinical practice that combines various therapeutic concepts to address the unique needs of each individual. While person-centred therapy forms the foundation of my clinical orientation, my approach is also significantly informed by psychodynamic theory—a therapeutic framework that explores and seeks to understand the origins of emotional and psychological distress.

Central to psychodynamic theory is the belief that early life experiences and unresolved conflicts, particularly those rooted in childhood, can have a lasting impact on how we relate to ourselves and others in our environment. Psychodynamic therapy provides a framework for exploring how early unconscious processes of historical trauma can manifest as ongoing behaviours, emotions, and relational patterns. The therapeutic aim is to bring these unconscious influences into conscious awareness to foster insight, objectivity to support meaningful psychological change.

Integration of Coaching
Psychology

Coaching psychology is a field of psychology that applies evidence-based research to enhance personal development. It is scientific study of how to help individuals flourish and thrive by optimising their awareness to their own strengths and resources to enable personal growth.

Coaching psychology is future-focused and grounded in the application of scientifically informed interventions to support personal development and goal attainment. By integrating this approach with traditional therapeutic perspectives, I offer a clinical model that seeks to address the lasting impact of past experiences and the transformative potential of future change. This integration of therapy and coaching psychology reflects a contemporary, holistic view of mental health—one that is particularly effective for addressing trauma-related psychopathologies while also supporting ongoing personal change through behaviour.

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Qualifications.

I am a fully qualified therapist and a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists). I completed my professional training at CPPD in London, gaining a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) and an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma (AdvPGDip) in Humanistic Integrative Counselling. In addition to acquiring the relevant qualifications needed for clinical practice I have also completed a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, which has deepened my understanding of the concept of human flourishing and personal development.

I adhere to the ethical frameworks of both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I have appropriate insurance for my clinical work and any documentation relating to any of my qualifications can be provided.

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Clinical Experience.

I have extensive experience working within substance misuse organisations including Equinox, Change Grow Live (CGL), and Westminster Drug Project. My background also includes roles within the NHS and the education sector, notably as an associate therapist at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

I currently lead a clinical practice at Nacro, a national criminal justice service, working in relationship with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) providing support for individuals facing a range of complex mental health challenges that include depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, historical sexual abuse. However, my work can also encompasses working with individuals who might just be stuck in a rut and lack a clear sense of direction in life.

Whatever your reasons for seeking therapy, our work will focus on what matters most to you and I offer both short- and long-term appointments.

Beginning a therapeutic journey can feel daunting. Therapy and the connection between therapist and client plays a central role in all areas of therapeutic practice.

Next Steps.

Finding the right therapist—someone whose approach truly aligns with your needs and personality—is a vital part of the therapeutic process. While this website offers a brief overview of how I work, many of the most meaningful aspects of therapy can’t fully be captured here.

To support you in making an informed decision, I offer a free and confidential 30-minute face-to-face consultation. This will give you the chance to share a bit about yourself and ask any questions you may have to get a sense of whether my therapeutic approach feels like the right fit for your needs. If you’d like to arrange a free consultation, you can contact me via the form below, or feel free to phone or email directly.

Contact/Fees.

30 minute consultation – Free
60 minute consultation – £80
80 minute consultation – £120

Face to face and online appointments available.

Stotfold, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.

Strictly by Appointment Only

Phone 07870 601374
Email david@themetacognitionspace.com

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BACP collective mark with purple text, indicating an accredited member with registration number 117129, and a purple symbol representing professional standards authority.