Meet The
Synergy Therapists

James Hawes  MBACP Accred

Principle Psychotherapist. Adults | Couples | Families | Young People | Supervisor

James has been working as a counsellor and psychotherapist since 2004 and then established Synergy Counselling . He works with a broad range of clients as outlined on the front page. James takes clients from employee assistant programmes and health insurance companies. He works in partnership with several organisations including BUPA, Right Management, Sporting Chance, Catharsis, Emmanuel House and Men@work. Apart from working in his private practice he also works in Nottingham High School with teenagers for two days a week.  James runs several popular workshops for teachers, counsellors and youth workers. In addition to his Counselling and Psychotherapy work he is a trained mediator. James is also the author of The Secret Lives of Men book.

“Previously to training as a Counsellor I trained and qualified as a carpenter, worked as a senior youth worker, a mediator and have been involved in working with people in a variety of settings for several years. During my thirties I ‘burnt out’ and felt lost, emotionally exhausted and in constant physical pain. I began a difficult process of unlearning, seeking to understand myself and embrace my true self. Four years after this part of my journey began, I started training as a therapist and now count it a privilege to hear other’s stories and watch them develop and grow through a difficult stage in their life. I am passionate about creating a space for people to ‘be who they are’ and to move from merely surviving life to living fully and authentically.

I am committed to my own continuing development and have regular supervision and I’m insured for professional liability. I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and am bound by its Ethical Framework for good practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the professional conduct procedure therein.

Rachel Prosser

Counsellor – Adults | Couples | Families

I am Rachel Prosser and I am a fully qualified integrative therapeutic counsellor.   I offer counselling to young adults ages 12+, individuals, couples and family therapy (no more than 4 members). I am fully trained in offering counselling by the telephone, online (via zoom platform) and face to face.

I have many years of working and supporting individuals and families in both the private and volunteer sector. This has enabled me to gain a wealth of experience working with a wide range of many different issues. My specialist areas include substance misuse and addictions, bereavement, child loss, palliative care, anxiety and trauma and abuse.

I use the person centred approach which puts you at the centre of your work, making you the focus. My role as your counsellor is to get alongside you, explore and notice what you are sharing and use our relationship to offer a different perspective.

Susan Faulkner

Counsellor – Adults | Young People

I am a qualified Counselling Therapist based in Nottinghamshire (Kimberley), registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). My modality is Person-Centred; a talking therapy, geared towards supporting clients in making considered and autonomous decisions.

I work in an empathic and non-judgement manner in order to create a safe space for clients to explore and grow their sense of self by gaining a better understanding of their personal thoughts, feelings, and values, related to their unique core challenges and life setbacks. The essence of my work is to facilitate self-growth so that you can overcome these with confidence and achieve your desired goals alongside improved mental well-being.

I work with adults and young people.

As a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) my work adheres to their ethical framework. In addition, I hold a DBS certificate and have professional indemnity insurance.

Matt Dix BACP

Therapist

I am a qualified counsellor and registered member of the BACP, offering online and telephone counselling to people who would like help with their self-esteem and confidence. I have worked as a counsellor for organisations in Birmingham as well as in private practice, and am also a qualified coach and trainer with over 10 years of experience in helping people with confidence building, leadership skills, career progression and personal development.

As a gay man, I have a particular affinity and interest in working with the LGBTQ+ community and many people I work with feel that they have been held back from expressing who they truly are. My aim is to provide an environment where I can help people feel comfortable and safe to explore what is concerning them or need to understand about themselves, without fear of judgement or labelling.

When we work together, I will always be focussed on what is important to you and in helping you to uncover your own solutions, rather than giving advice or telling you what you “should” do. My intention is that you are then able to continue to build on what you have learnt about yourself independently and with greater levels of self-belief and focus.

On a personal note, I can identify many times in my life that I have felt challenged by life events – for example when coming out as a gay man to friends, family and in the workplace, dealing with loss, feeling the effects of “burnout” and stress at work and when experiencing the end of a long-term relationship.

As much as I have had my self-esteem and confidence knocked during these times, I can also genuinely say that I have also found learning and growth from these events, even when it didn’t feel like this was possible. This was through a combination of reaching out for help, talking honestly about what was going on for me and then gradually starting to appreciate and trust in my self-knowledge and instincts about what I needed to move forward. This is what has led me to my career in counselling, as I believe the experience of being given the space to talk and to be truly heard and valued can transform our lives.

I hope by reading this you now feel you know a little more about me and how I can help. If you would like to discover more about how counselling with me might work for you, then, please get in touch.

Richard (David) Goodall

Counsellor

I have the pleasure to work both as a Humanistic Counsellor and a Professional Gardener. The combination of these two passions bring both connection to humans and to Mother Nature.

During my training as a counsellor, I have worked with clients at Support After Adoption (NCC), Derby Rape Crisis, Treetops Hospice (end of life support and bereavement), Merrill Academy (school counsellor)

I offer Counselling and Supervision.

I am naturally curious about my clients as to who they are and what they want from life.I am happy to connect face to face, on zoom, with walking therapy and also gardening. I believe that you already know what you want and so by walking that journey along with you, you will be able to be the person you want to be, released from your past beliefs about who you are.

Nimisha Marrum BACP

CBT Counsellor and Psychotherapist

Nimisha is a BACP registered independent therapist with a special interest in women’s mental health.  She has worked with a broad spectrum of people over the last 25 years both privately and for the public sector including the NHS and higher education.  She has also volunteered at Rape Crisis and a Women’s Centre and retains a strong interest in women’s issues. Working in corporate and legal environments has also given her a unique insight into the demands corporate life places on people, both in terms of their physical and mental wellbeing.  Nimisha’s experience has enabled her to help people deal with situations where they feel hopeless or out of their depth.   She especially enjoys building close relationships with people by working with them intensively on a one to one basis to enabling them to find their own solutions to problems they had previously thought insurmountable.

“As a psychotherapist, I believe that therapy works because of the relationship between the therapist and the individual.  I can provide a warm, non-judgmental and trusting environment in which you can be heard and explore those feelings which you may be struggling with and to find ways forward for acceptance and change.”

In her spare time, Nimisha loves doing yoga and scuba diving and views both of these activities as a form of mindfulness.  Having come to motherhood later in life, she also loves spending time with her young son.

Andrew Cranham

Psychotherapist

I offer short or long term, face-to-face or remote counselling and am located in the Sherwood area of Nottingham, close to the city centre. I have immediate availability during the day time so you can see me quickly. I offer a completely confidential, non-judgemental, dignified service. I use a relational approach to get to know you and understand how we can work best together, creating tailored solutions to the problems faced and working at a pace set by you.

I am experienced in helping people overcoming addiction problems and have a particular interest in problem gambling. I have supported people who have been affected by childhood experiences resulting in shame, trauma, depression and anxiety.

I also have an interest in group work and in addition to private practise I work at Nottingham University on the Forensic Psychology Doctoral Programme facilitating personal development groups for trainees.

My personal life experiences led me to retrain and because relationships are important to me I decided to make them centre stage through counsellor training.

I have been practising for seven years having worked in a number of different settings with a wide range of different people. I am accredited with United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapists (UKCP), am fully supervised and insured. I adhere to the ethical practises of both the UKCP and The Sherwood Institute in Nottingham.

Ruth Shaw  BACP

Counsellor – Adults | Young people

Being a Humanistic Counsellor, I put the client at the heart of what I offer. I believe that you are the expert on your life and what your needs are. I will not tell you what to do, but will offer a facilitative space to help you understand more about yourself and the choices you have. It is important to me to offer a safe, confidential and supportive space for you to talk about what matters most to you and to work through the life struggles and personal issues you may be facing in a safe and ethical way.
I offer face-to-face or remote counselling to adults and young people. I am located in the Rushcliffe area of Nottingham.

I have experience working therapeutically with children and young people within Primary and Secondary School settings. I have experience working as a bereavement counsellor, and have personal and professional experience of supporting people on the autistic spectrum. I enjoy working with clients of all ages with a range of issues, from bereavement to anxiety and everything in between.

Before retraining as a counsellor, I worked in a secondary school for 10 years in a pastoral role, helping young people with issues such as; anxiety, self-harm, behaviour issues. I also volunteered for ChildLine as a counsellor.  

I use a variety of techniques within my counselling practice to suit my client’s individual needs. I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their ethical framework. I hold a DBS certificate and have professional indemnity insurance.

Rajan Rai BACP

Psychotherapist – Adults | Couples

Hello, my name is Raj, and I am a qualified and registered integrative psychotherapist & counsellor offering face-to-face sessions at two locations in Nottingham (The Park & Beeston). I also offer online sessions over Zoom, and I work both long-and short-term.

I provide warm, and non-judgemental counselling. I will also challenge you when needed, albeit respectfully. I am friendly and down-to-earth, and passionate about my work. Together, we can reflect on your situation and explore ways of moving forward from any concerns you may have around for example, depression & anxiety, relationship issues, low self-esteem, lack of fulfilment amongst other presenting issues. I also have a special interest and experience in working with cultural, racial, gender and sexual identity.

Although born a Geordie, I have lived and worked in numerous countries and am, therefore, used to working with people from diverse backgrounds. I believe that therapy is ‘for the likes of all of us’, regardless of who we are and our backgrounds

Helena Hodgson reg MBACP

Counsellor – Adults | Families

I offer short/long term counselling, currently via face to face, Zoom online or walk and talk therapy. I only work face to face with couples/families and children/young people. I work from 3 locations for my face-to-face counselling in Wilmslow and Mobberley, Cheshire.

I’ve been a counsellor for over ten years counselling clients experiencing life-threatening illness, loss, family difficulties and many other life challenges. I created a family counselling service within a charity working with families for over 5 years, also working with children and young people. I strongly believe in the value of healthy and safe connection and communication in relationships.

I feel you have inherent skills and strengths to help in your life whilst feeling lost in modern day life and the difficulties experienced. Simply having time out to focus on what is important to you, what is happening now, how you feel about your situation and how you might view and deal with your concerns in a different way can help you to realise what you’re capable of achieving.

I’m a member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), am insured and enhanced DBS checked.

I look forward to helping you in the future.