Hi, I'm David
I'm not here to fix you — because you're not broken. I'm a person-centred counsellor based in Anfield, Liverpool, and I work with people who are carrying things that feel too heavy to carry alone: anxiety, depression, trauma, bereavement, pregnancy loss, or simply the sense that something in life needs to change.
I offer both in-person sessions from my quiet, comfortable practice in Anfield, and online counselling via secure video to clients across the UK. Whatever brings you here, my aim is the same — a genuinely safe space where you can be exactly as you are, without judgment, without pressure, without being rushed.
What Brought Me to Counselling
My path into counselling didn't start in a lecture theatre. For years I worked in betting shops — the kind of environment where people come in and stay a while, and where conversations happen whether you plan them or not. I found myself genuinely interested in people's lives, their stories, their worries. I listened. Really listened. And people talked to me in ways they perhaps didn't talk to many others.
It was someone who noticed this who first suggested I should consider counselling as a career. They pointed out that I was already using counselling skills — warmth, genuine care, non-judgmental attention — just in a very different setting. That observation stayed with me. I wanted work that felt meaningful and fulfilling, work where what I gave actually mattered to someone. Counselling was the natural destination.
"I realised I'd been doing this informally for years. Formalising it — learning the theory, the ethics, the depth behind the practice — felt like coming home to something I already understood."
I went on to study at Staffordshire University, graduating with a BSc Hons in Counselling with a First Class degree. The academic work deepened what I'd already understood intuitively and gave me a rigorous foundation for the therapeutic relationship. I've since undertaken specialist training in baby loss bereavement and trauma-informed practice — areas that matter to me deeply both professionally and personally.
My Approach
I work from a person-centred foundation, which means I start from the belief that you are the expert on your own experience. My job isn't to diagnose you, tell you what to do, or push you towards outcomes you haven't chosen. My job is to create the conditions in which your own understanding can grow — a space of genuine warmth, acceptance, and honest reflection.
- You set the pace. There's nothing you have to say before you're ready, and nothing you have to achieve on any timeline.
- No judgment, ever. Whatever you bring — however you've been coping — I'm here to understand it, not evaluate it.
- Genuineness matters. I don't play a role in the room. I show up as a real person who is genuinely invested in how you're doing.
- Your insight, not mine. I trust that you have the answers. I'm here to help you find them, not to hand them to you.
Specialist Areas
Alongside general counselling for anxiety, depression, and life challenges, I have particular training and experience in:
Pregnancy & Infant Loss
I have specialist training in baby loss bereavement, and this area holds personal significance for me. I have direct experience of pregnancy loss, which I processed during my training and which informs the depth of understanding I bring to this work. I offer dedicated support for miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons, and neonatal death — including specific support for fathers, whose grief is so often invisible to others.
Trauma-Informed Counselling
I have trained in trauma-informed practice and work carefully and gently with people whose past experiences are still affecting their present. Trauma work is always done at your pace, with your safety as the priority. I won't push you to revisit anything before you're ready.
Men's Mental Health
I understand the particular pressures men face when it comes to seeking support — the cultural messages about strength, the difficulty finding the right words, the sense that asking for help is somehow a failure. It isn't. I work with men from all backgrounds in a way that feels straightforward, respectful, and free from expectation.
Qualifications & Registration
Degree
BSc Hons Counselling (First Class)
Staffordshire University
Professional Registration
BACP Registered Member
Membership No. 403880
Specialist Training
Baby Loss Bereavement
Specialist certification
Specialist Training
Trauma-Informed Practice
Specialist certification
Data Protection
ICO Registered
No. ZB660829
Practice
Insured & Supervised
Regular clinical supervision
As a BACP registered counsellor, I work within their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. I attend regular clinical supervision and engage in ongoing continuing professional development to ensure my practice remains current, evidence-informed, and safe.
Get to Know Me Before You Decide
The most important thing is whether we feel like a good fit. That's exactly what the free 20-minute consultation is for — a chance to talk, ask questions, and get a sense of how it feels to work with me. There's no pressure and no obligation.