Welcome to The Restoration Hut in Braydon, North Wiltshire
A confidential space to explore the thoughts, feelings & challenges in your life
Welcome, and thank you for visiting The Restoration Hut website. My name is Maria Farrall and I am a counsellor providing both individual and relationship therapy in Braydon, North Wiltshire.
Experienced Counsellor, Therapist & Supervisor
I am trained to provide both individual and relationship therapy, I am a qualified supervisor and an accredited member of the BACP, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I originally qualified with Relate in 2009 and completed an additional qualification in 2018 in integrative therapy. This means that I have studied various psychological models and approaches of therapy which I can draw upon to suit individual needs.
In 2020 I completed a further qualification in working with Children and Adolescents and have completed various additional trainings including Trauma Informed Approaches, Inner Child / Reparenting work, understanding the effects of vicarious trauma, Polyvagal Approaches, Understanding the effect of Shame and working with Anxiety.
I have worked for the NHS, in Private Practice, for a crisis pregnancy centre, for a sexual trauma and recovery service and for 3 years I trained and supported staff who work with Children in Care
to understand developmental trauma and how to promote safety and containment within relationships.
I offer supervision for counsellors, anyone working in a stressful environment and have experience supporting carers and those working in the care industry.
Counselling Services for Individuals & Professionals
Relationship Counselling
£70 – 50 minute session
My training and personal experience has helped me understand that relationships can be complicated and change over time. They come in all shapes and sizes, and we have different types of relationships in our lives – they are not all romantic.
Relationship counselling can be useful to many different people in many different situations. I seek to offer a neutral place to explore your current situation and what each person would like to achieve from the sessions.
In Couples Therapy, particularly, I find it useful to offer an initial joint session followed by an individual session each, and then bring the couple back together for further joint sessions to plan a way forward. This gives me an opportunity to observe interactions and communication styles as well as giving each person a chance to speak freely.
Individual Therapy
(Aged 11+)
£60 – 50 minute session
Life can bring many challenges, and at times it can be helpful to explore past, present, or future situations in a safe environment where you can be honest and open without judgment. Sometimes a few sessions to work through a specific issue are helpful, but other times, more sessions to help you understand yourself better and help you heal are needed.
We form our view of ourselves and the world through past experiences, which can leave us feeling confused, believing lies about ourselves, developing unhealthy coping strategies, and finding it difficult to make the changes we would like. If you feel ready for change but feel stuck, together we can start to understand past experiences, how they have affected you, and help you make the changes that you would like.
Trauma-Informed Approaches (Including Sexual Trauma)
Single-event, long-term, and developmental trauma affect more than just our memories. It is held in the body and can impact our physical and mental health day and night. Flashbacks, nightmares, not feeling safe, confusion, self blame and feeling lost or damaged are common experiences people have. If you are experiencing these you are not alone and you are not abnormal.
Trauma work happens in phases and can be done a little at a time:
- Phase 1: Stabilising symptoms by understanding biologically what is happening and exploring ways to counteract some of the chaos and confusion this often brings. Some people like to complete this phase and have a break before thinking about past events and some want to only complete this phase. This is ok.
- Phase 2: Understanding what has happened and beginning to come to terms with it. This is different for different people, although I can guide you through this phase you will be in control of what you bring when. Although this is not an easy process it can help improve day to day life and help claim back some parts of you that you feel are lost. This phase inspired me to call my working space ‘The Restoration Hut.’
- Phase 3: Moving forward – not forgetting the past but not living under it’s shadow continuingly. Being better able to understand what is happening when and having strategies to draw from to help live in the here and now. The aim is to promote self worth and find some enjoyment in life.
Supervision
£90 – 90 minute session
I am a qualified supervisor and can offer supervision to counsellors and anyone working in a stressful environment. I myself have had experience with vicarious trauma and although I don’t warm to the phrase ‘self care’ it is important to treat it seriously. I take a holistic approach and although I enjoy discussing client work I also consider unconscious processes that may be being enacted and general wellbeing.
Supervision & Support for Those Living & Working with Looked-After Children
group – £180 – 2 hour session dependant on travel time.
Individual – £60 – 50 minutes
Working with and within the care sector can be rewarding but certainly has it’s challenges. Developmental trauma is healed through relationship and containing the impact this has on young people can leave us feeling exhausted and at times a bit lost. The line between therapeutic practice yet holding consistent boundaries is not an easy one to hold.
I offer a mix of developing understanding of developmental trauma thus explaining some of what is seen, exploring possible strategies that may help and understanding your own triggers and responses. This can be on an individual basis for carers or foster/adoptive parents or facilitating group child
focused meetings in care homes.
Mentoring Trainee Counsellors
£60 – 50 minute session
The training to become a counsellor is more than learning about theories and interventions. At times, for me, it felt overwhelming. I was a mature student fresh from divorce, trying to juggle study, therapy, placements and work while looking after three children. Although I had a great tutor and was in personal therapy, at times I didn’t think I would make it to the end of the course. I have learned that mine was not an isolated experience and that sometimes some extra support is useful. I offer both short term and longer term support, this looks different for different people so if you are thinking that this might be helpful for you then we can chat about what you feel you need and if I am the right person to support with this.
Training & Workshops
Dependant on need and location.
I have provided training to both care and education staff but am also available to work in other settings. Some topics available are attachment, an overview of the impact of trauma on the nervous system and some strategies to support calming the body which can incorporate anxiety, developmental trauma and window of tolerance, Please contact me with your requirements as trainings can be bespoke and I will be able to let you know if I am able to help.
My location
I work from a shepherd's hut in my garden. It is a peaceful, safe and welcoming environment with free parking onsite. I appreciate that not everyone is able to attend sessions in person so if you would prefer to work online this is something that can be discussed.
Fees & availability
I am available Monday and Tuesday day/evening and Friday mornings.
Sessions
Timings:
Therapy Sessions - 50 minutes.
Supervision – 90 minutes unless agreed otherwise.
Child Focused Reflective Sessions for looked after children – 60 minutes per child, sessions work well if no more than 2 children are discussed each session as focus is often lost after 120 minutes.
Mentoring – 50 minutes.
Training – Dependant on need.
Costing per Session
Individual Counselling - £60
Relationship Counselling - £70
Supervision - £90 for a 90 minute session
Child Focused Reflective Work - £180 for a 2 hour session dependant on travel time.
Mentoring - £60
Training – Dependant on need and location.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange free 1/2 hr conversation to assess compatibility. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on +44 07854953944 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
Enquiries will be responded to as soon as I am able. This is not an
emergency service, if you need immediate assistance please call 999 or the Samaritans if you need to talk: 116 123.
This is a poem that I wrote some time ago which seemed to reflect the experience of living in an unhealthy or damaging environment and how counselling may help.
The Whirlwind
The whirlwind is coming, I can sense it
The slight change in the atmosphere
The distant rumblings
A heightened sense of danger.
I always feel it, the threat of the whirlwind
I don’t know when it will visit
Or when it will leave
Terror fills me that it may decide to stay.
The whirlwind came and I couldn’t stop it
It was too big, too powerful, too violent
Everything shook and some things were ripped away
Other things, some precious things, they were broken.
The whirlwind has gone but left its mark
Even if things look the same, they are not
Maybe some things can be mended
But others things, precious things, they seem too damaged.
I try to look at them but they are distorted
I can’t focus, I don’t recognise them
Some I don’t remember ever belonging to me at all
I feel confused, lost, untethered.
I pick through the remnants of my world
I gather the quiet, frightened parts gently
I wrap them up and carefully store them somewhere inside me
I will keep them there so they will never be harmed again.
Some things, though, seem ugly and dirty
They make me feel sick and repulse me
They are precious no more, maybe they never were
They create a dark space and settle there.
They are quiet for a long time
But then begin to moan, then cry and then scream
Becoming louder and louder
Until I can ignore them no more.
Then a helper comes to sit with me
Together we listen to the moans, the cries, the screams
They hold them, they hold me
And then they help me hold them
Together we begin to find a way through, through to a different place
Where the whirlwind has lost its power.
By Maria Farrall