Some journeys are easier with company

Facing life challenges alone can sometimes seem impossible.  Having a companion alongside you to walk through those challenges is less lonely and can lighten the burden that you have been carrying.  It can also allow you to look at things from different perspectives and chart your direction forward.  At Willow Counselling and Psychotherapy, you will be provided with the space to explore your challenges at your own pace with unconditional acceptance of who you are. 

About me

My name is Nisih Freeman and I am based in Nottingham.  I am a person-centred counsellor who places the core of the therapy in your innate capacity to want to thrive and be who you are.  My role is to walk the journey with you, embracing the capacity within you with full acceptance, without judgement in a trusting, personal, and unique relationship.  

 

My journey into mental health support started after witnessing the devastating effect deteriorating mental health can have on young people as a person, their future, and the ripple effect it can have on their families and people around them.    Supporting and walking with people through their challenges is fulfilling and at the same time challenging at times.  It is something that I am passionate about and I aspire to be a trusting companion so that nobody has to walk alone in their difficult journeys.

 

Work with children, young people, and adults

I have been working mainly with children and young people (CYP) affected by bereavement at a Hospice in Derbyshire since 2023.  More recently, I have also started working alongside adults affected by bereavement.  During this period, my work has not only focused on their grief, but also on various presenting issues such as social and general anxiety, stress, anger, relationship with friends and family, gender issues, bullying, trauma, and depression as a direct and indirect effect from losing their loved ones.

 

Prior to this, I volunteered at Shout, a mental health support organisation.  During this period, I have had the privilege of supporting people across a wide range of ages who encountered mental health issues.  Suicide ideation and self-harm cases were particularly prominent along with other presenting issues including loneliness, long-term illnesses, abuse, gender issues, study or work-induced stresses, or relationships.

 

Over the past 20 years, I have worked with many CYPs and adults in different capacities as a maths intervention tutor working with many primary school children from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds as well as those having Special Educational Needs statements; a mentor for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds; an organiser and instructor for a dementia prevention project; and a university lecturer focusing on financial subjects at different universities.

 

Training and academic background

I am a trauma-informed practitioner.  I have an MA in Person-centred counselling and psychotherapy, an MSc in Psychology (Conversion), and a PhD in Finance.  I am a Registered member (411406) of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) as well as a Graduate member (571094) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).