Supporting Change Through Psychotherapy in Lytham & Burscough
A safe and compassionate space to work through difficulties, build resilience, and nurture emotional wellbeing — helping you move forward with confidence.
With extensive experience and a background in social work, I offer psychotherapy grounded in empathy and understanding — creating a safe space to explore difficulties and nurture personal growth.
What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is an umbrella term for a wide range of ‘talk therapies’, all designed to support you in working through the challenges and personal issues you face. At its heart, psychotherapy is about meaningful interaction between therapist and client, with the aim of fostering understanding, resilience, and positive change. Sometimes this involves focusing on your individual experiences, and sometimes it can extend to exploring the relationships you have with others.
My approach to psychotherapy is always individual and tailored to you. I place great emphasis on building a strong rapport, ensuring you feel comfortable and safe throughout our work together. In the early sessions, we develop an initial sense of direction and a formulation of how to move forward. From there, I draw on a broad range of therapeutic tools and traditions. This may include techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Approaches, concepts from Humanistic Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, or more traditional Psychoanalytic insights that explore unconscious thoughts and past experiences, often from childhood. Counselling skills also form a backdrop to this work, supporting and strengthening the process.
With nearly 40 years of experience in the field, I bring a depth of knowledge and adaptability that allows me to respond to your unique circumstances. No two clients are the same, and no two therapeutic journeys are identical. By tailoring psychotherapy to your needs, I can help you explore the issues most relevant to you and support meaningful change.
I provide psychotherapy to clients across Lytham, Burscough, and the wider Lancashire area, offering both in-person and online sessions to ensure the process is accessible and flexible to your situation.
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What to Expect from Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy can be helpful in a wide range of situations, from everyday stress through to more complex mental health concerns. It provides the time and space to explore experiences and emotions in depth, and to begin developing new ways of coping and responding.
Experiencing Mental Health Symptoms
Psychotherapy is often sought for conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma, or obsessive-compulsive behaviours. It offers a safe place to work through persistent feelings of sadness, constant worry, intrusive memories, or compulsions that disrupt daily life.
Coping with Major Life Changes or Loss
Life transitions such as bereavement, relationship breakdown, career changes, or facing illness can feel overwhelming. Psychotherapy provides support and guidance during these times, helping you process events and adapt to new realities.
Addressing Relationship Difficulties
Conflicts with partners, family, or friends can be a source of distress. Therapy can help you explore these patterns, develop healthier ways of relating, and build stronger, more fulfilling connections.
When Behaviour Becomes Harmful
Some people turn to unhealthy behaviours such as addiction, eating disorders, or self-harm as a way of coping. Psychotherapy works with you to understand these patterns, uncover underlying causes, and find safer, more supportive ways forward.
When You Feel Stuck
Many people seek therapy not because of a single crisis, but due to a sense of being trapped — feeling numb, disconnected, or lacking motivation. Talking these feelings through can bring clarity, self-understanding, and a renewed sense of direction.
Personal Growth and Development
Psychotherapy is not only about managing difficulties; it can also be a route to self-discovery. Many clients use therapy to increase self-awareness, build coping strategies, and learn to manage stress and emotions more effectively.
Signs You Might Benefit from Psychotherapy
If emotional distress is affecting your work, relationships, or day-to-day life, psychotherapy may help. It is also worth considering if you feel overwhelmed and unable to manage alone, if attempts to solve problems yourself have not worked, or if others have noticed changes in your mood or behaviour.
Session Format & Availability
- 1:1 sessions (60 minutes) — in Lytham or Burscough; phone/video available if needed.
- Flexible programme — no set length; we agree the pace together.
- Between-session support — brief contact via email, message, or call.
- Booking options — start with a phone chat or one-off consultation.
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Psychotherapy in Lytham & Burscough: My Approach
I much prefer to work face to face with my clients, and I practise from prestigious clinic locations in Lytham and Burscough where confidentiality, comfort, and safety are central. Most people see me on a one-to-one basis, but I remain flexible. Some clients bring a relative along to certain sessions, while others wish to attend as a couple. My mantra has always been: these are your sessions, and they can look the way you wish.
Sessions are usually delivered within a programme framework. Typically, this means six face-to-face appointments, with support in between through phone, email, or other forms of contact. This structure allows for continuity and helps you feel supported between meetings.
My delivery style is compassionate and empathetic, but also purposeful. While I use the traditional counselling skills of active listening, I also lean towards a more proactive, guided approach. This may include elements of goal setting, structured reflection, and strategies for moving forward. The aim is to give you both the space to be heard and the guidance to make meaningful change.
I am always happy to offer an initial discussion by phone, or we can arrange a one-off consultation at my clinics in Lytham or Burscough to explore the best way forward.
Feedback from Local Clients
The help care and understanding shown by Russell was a great help to us both throughout a very difficult period in which my wife was suffering with a chronic illness.
After a first consultation at our home, we felt comfortable to engage in a number of sessions over the coming month’s. We commend Russell for his experience and knowledge together with an engaging empathetic and honest approach to his work.
I feel he is a man of his word and someone I would recommend to my friends should ever they be experiencing a difficult time in their life.
Steve
I I’ve been doing well recently only a few days where I have felt off, but straight away referred to that attachment you sent me about thoughts and the work we have dome together. It really helps to gain a positive perspective about what’s going on. Going through a fairly stressful time with my planned move abroad and being worked hard isn’t an ideal scenario but I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn’t have been able to gain this perspective back without your help.
Basically I’m just writing a thank you to you. I really appreciate all you’ve done for me it really has been life changing.
Robert
I was in a dark place. I couldn’t understand why I had let myself be so badly treated and how I was blaming myself feeling I should have done more. I was having panic attacks and constant anxiety. Russell listened and told me about recent research that suggest medication and talk therapies together were most effective. I went to see the GP who agreed and I started on something for my anxiety. Russell also gave me some techniques and ways to manage panic and anxiety attacks and I am now feeling so much better.
Kelly
You can read more feedback over on my client reviews page…
Considering Psychotherapy? Common Questions
If you’re considering psychotherapy in Lytham or Burscough, it’s natural to have questions — here are some of the most common ones clients ask before starting.
What is psychotherapy and how does it differ from counselling?
Psychotherapy often goes deeper than counselling. While counselling can help you manage immediate challenges, psychotherapy explores underlying patterns, past experiences, and unconscious processes to create lasting change.
What kinds of issues can psychotherapy help with?
People come to psychotherapy for many reasons, including depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, or feeling stuck. It can also support you during major life transitions or when you want to understand yourself more deeply.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions depends on your individual goals. Some people find a short, structured programme helpful, while others benefit from longer-term work. We’ll agree together what feels right for you.
Do you only offer face-to-face sessions?
I prefer to work face-to-face at my clinic locations in Lytham and Burscough, where confidentiality and comfort are prioritised. However, online or telephone sessions can also be arranged to suit your needs.
What happens in a typical psychotherapy session?
Each session lasts about 60 minutes. You’ll have a safe and confidential space to talk through your experiences, and I’ll draw on different therapeutic approaches to suit your needs, helping you work towards meaningful change.
Is psychotherapy confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of psychotherapy. Everything shared in sessions is treated with the utmost respect and privacy, except in very rare situations where safety is at risk.
Can I bring a partner or family member to sessions?
Most clients attend on their own, but I am flexible. Some bring a relative occasionally, and some wish to attend as a couple. These are your sessions and we can shape them around your needs.
What if I feel nervous about starting psychotherapy?
It’s normal to feel unsure at first. That’s why I offer an initial phone discussion or one-off consultation at my clinics in Lytham or Burscough, so you can ask questions and get a sense of whether psychotherapy feels right for you.