About | Ruth O'Connor, experienced person-centred counsellor

I’m an experienced person-centred counsellor working in the NHS. Counselling people referred by GPs has allowed me the privilege of working with a really broad range of clients. I’ve always loved engaging with the variety of material such a richly diverse sweep of people brings, both for short-term solution-focused work and, at times, over much longer periods.

I focus on person-centred counselling because it is fundamentally optimistic about people. However lost, confused, lonely, sad, hesitant or guilty you might currently feel, I believe all people do have the capacity to find a way through their current challenges to a brighter future, with the right support. In fact, I find people always bring great reserves of courage and determination to sessions, and this still thrills and impresses me every time. In counselling work I’m constantly reminded of the resilience and commitment to moving towards changes that I see in the people I meet. I start every therapeutic relationship holding respect and admiration towards a client who has already overcome as-yet-untold obstacles in order to be in the room with me that day, trying to make a new beginning.

A bit about person-centred counselling

My client work is shaped by the principles of Carl Rogers’ Six Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Therapeutic Personality Change. Of these six, congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard form the Core Conditions which are central to person-centred counselling. I discovered early in my training that they closely resemble how I as an individual have always tried to meet others as I move through the world. In the therapy room I hope to learn to stand alongside you, seeing what you see, listening to how you say you feel and developing a sense, through being present in our sessions, of what would count as success or improvement for you.

Clients have described working with me as everything from “life-changing” and “eye-opening” to “challenging” and “refreshing.” I always advise that to a certain extent, the work will go as deep as you want it to. You’re in charge of what material you bring to sessions and I’ll never push you to explore any subjects or experiences you prefer not to: you’re the expert on yourself, and I wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do or what to talk about.

I approach all client work with a spirit of curiosity and an open heart: I love to listen and to interact, and I’m prepared to reflect and adjust the ways in which we engage therapeutically based on anything you want to share. I’ll always tell you what I think, in the hope of offering as much transparency, honesty and empathy as I can.

I offer a free, no-obligation 30-minute session to new clients, to give us both a chance to explore anything that would help you decide whether you feel you want to work with me. Sessions are from £50 per hour, usually weekly though I am open to agreeing other intervals if that would suit you better.

A bit about me

Counselling is no-one’s first profession, and previously I worked in Higher Education as a lecturer (I hold a doctorate in English and Theatre), and also in student support and pastoral care. Alongside this life, I have been employed in all sorts of customer service and hospitality roles in shops, pubs and cafés across Greater Manchester. In many ways, all my previous roles involved listening to, spending time with and considering the needs of people, which made becoming a counsellor feel like a natural progression.