Jim Collier
Counselling & Psychotherapy for Individuals
(online and face-to-face)
A very warm welcome!
My name is Jim Collier and I am a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist in central Norwich providing short- and long-term therapy (both online and in person).
I’m a person-centred therapist who specializes in offering a mindfulness-based approach to psychotherapy. With over six years of experience in the field, and nearly five years in private
practice, I’m passionate about helping my clients achieve greater
self-awareness, emotional resilience, and inner peace.
I believe each client is unique, and that the therapeutic process should be tailored to meet their specific needs and goals. I take a warm, empathetic, and non-judgmental approach to therapy, creating a safe and supportive space where clients can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
I work with individuals aged 18 and older on an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period, with the aim of enabling them to enhance their lives and to live them more fully.
In addition to my private work with clients, I have worked as a volunteer counsellor at the University of East Anglia Counselling Service and at the Norwich Centre. I have served as a listening volunteer for Samaritans.
Get In Touch
If you're looking for an experienced counsellor or psychotherapist in central Norwich, please use the contact form below or give me a call to arrange a session. I will respond to your enquiry within 24 hours.
Initial Session
In our first session, we'll meet to discuss what brings you to therapy, address any questions or concerns you might have, and see whether it feels right for us to work together. If you decide to continue, we can then arrange a regular time and day of the week that works for you.
Location
My counselling practice is located in the heart of the Norwich Lanes just off the Market Square. See the FAQs below for the address. If you are looking for a therapist who can provide a warm and inviting space to explore whatever is troubling you, feel free to get in touch today.
My Approach to Therapy
My core training is person-centred therapy, an approach pioneered by Carl Rogers in the 1940s as an alternative to traditional psychotherapy. I have also completed training in mindfulness for therapists through Matrix college. I describe my way of working as a mindfulness-based approach to person-centred therapy.
Person-centred therapy is a humanistic approach to psychotherapy that places the individual at the centre of the therapeutic process. It emphasizes the importance of creating a non-judgmental, empathic and supportive environment, in which the client can feel safe to explore and express their thoughts, feelings and experiences. The therapist aims to facilitate the client's self-discovery and personal growth by focusing on their unique perspectives, values and strengths. The client is seen as the expert on their own life and the therapist's role is to provide a warm and respectful atmosphere that empowers the client to find their own solutions to the challenges they face.
Mindfulness-based therapy is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes the practice of mindfulness techniques (such as meditation and breathing practices) to help individuals become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations in the present moment. This therapy aims to cultivate a non-judgmental and compassionate attitude towards oneself, increase self-awareness, and develop skills for coping with difficult thoughts and emotions.
While person-centred therapy and mindfulness-based therapy may seem quite different at first glance, they can actually be combined to create a powerful therapeutic approach. One of the main reasons these two approaches work so well together is because they share a similar focus on the individual's subjective experience. In both approaches, the therapist creates a safe, non-judgmental space for the individual to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who have a hard time expressing themselves, as it can help them to feel more comfortable and open.
A mindfulness-based approach to person-centred therapy can be particularly effective in working with trauma because it encourages individuals to focus on the present moment, rather than getting caught up in past traumatic experiences. By using mindfulness techniques, such as breathing, awareness and acceptance, individuals can learn to manage their reactions to triggers and develop a greater sense of control over their thoughts and emotions. This can help them to feel more grounded and less reactive, making it easier to process
and work through past traumas. Additionally, the person-centred approach allows individuals to feel heard and understood, which can be particularly important for those who have experienced trauma.
In conclusion, a mindfulness-based approach to person-centred therapy integrates principles of mindfulness, such as non-judgmental awareness and acceptance, into the person-centred therapeutic process. The therapist facilitates a non-judgmental, empathic and accepting relationship with the client, and encourages the client to focus on their present-moment experiences. The therapist also helps the client to develop self-compassion and
self-awareness, and to relate to their thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way. Through this process, the client is able to gain insight into their inner experiences, and make positive changes in their life.
Trauma
Dissociation
Personality disorders
Relationships
Panic Attacks
Anxiety (including health anxiety)
Bereavement
Suicidal Thoughts
Self-harm
Bullying
Depression
Addiction
Sexual Abuse
Emotional Abuse
Physical Abuse
Gender Dysphoria
Body Dysmorphia
"The body is the container for our psyche, and trauma is often trapped
in the body." ~Peter Levine
This quote emphasizes the connection between the mind and the body, and how traumatic experiences can be stored and held in the body, leading to physical and emotional symptoms. My approach to healing trauma involves working mindfully with the body and its sensations, in order to release and process these stored experiences.
About Me
I grew up in a small town in western Oregon, a state on the West Coast of the United States, and graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in English literature in 1994. Since then, I’ve worked in a
number of different fields, including tax preparation and business insurance, before finally arriving at what feels like my true vocation as a counsellor and psychotherapist.
Prior to attending university, I worked at a paper mill for a couple of years and spent three years in the US Army stationed in Germany. I also spent a year living in a yogic community in Northern California and taught
English as a second language in Mexico. It was in Guadalajara, Mexico, that I met my future wife, who is British. We eventually got married and lived together in California for a few years before moving to Norfolk in 2011 to start raising a family.
After moving to the UK, I continued to work in the insurance industry for several years. Then in 2014, I decided to take an Introduction to Counselling course at the Norwich Centre, which would start me on my path towards becoming a qualified therapist. I went on to complete a postgraduate certificate in person-centred counselling skills at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2016 and earned a master’s degree in counselling at the UEA in 2018.
I have studied and explored spirituality throughout my life, and I practice meditation regularly. I completed a 10-day silent meditation retreat in Northern California to learn Vipassana (or insight) meditation. My practice of ‘sitting’ has assisted my own exploration of emotions and bodily experiences through self-reflection, which I believe adds a quality of mindfulness to the therapy that I offer. More recently, I completed a 30-hour mindfulness training course for therapists focused on working mindfully with feelings and emotions as they arise for the client during therapy.
I love my work and consider it a privilege to help people on their journey. My respect and appreciation for counselling comes from my own experience as a client, trying to learn from the challenges life has thrown my way.
I look forward to sharing the power of this healing process with you.
Training & Education:
Master of Arts in Counselling - University of East Anglia
Certificate in Person-Centred Counselling Skills - University of East Anglia
Minfulness Training for Therapists - Matrix College
Bachelor of Arts in English - University of Oregon
Memberships:
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
Association for the Development of the Person-Centred Approach (ADPCA)
World Association for Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling (WAPCEPC)
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how therapy works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to therapy, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07557871103 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.
Please click here to read my Privacy Notice.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Some frequently asked questions
My standard fee for all face-to-face and online sessions is £55.
Generally, we meet for 50 minutes once a week. In the early stages, frequency and consistency are important for building a strong foundation, so I recommend weekly sessions for at least the first six weeks; however, I am open to discussing alternative arrangements.
Everything you share with me will be treated as highly confidential; however, there are a few limits to confidentiality which you should be aware of. As a requirement of professional practice, I undertake regular supervision where issues from our sessions may be discussed. I would consider widening confidentiality if I consider you or others to be at risk of serious harm or when compliance with the law requires it. Wherever possible, I would discuss this with you first.
My goal is for therapy to be as brief as possible; however, the length of our work together can sometimes depend on the problem we are working with and your commitment to the process. I initially recommend coming in for at least four sessions to explore and define our goals. Many clients continue for six months or longer.
I require a minimum of 24 hours' notice if you are unable to attend a session. The full fee is payable if a session is missed without sufficient prior notice. I will aim to provide you as much notice as possible if I am unable to attend our scheduled session. In such cases, I will endeavour to offer an alternative arrangement.
Face-to-face sessions are held at The Practice Rooms in central Norwich. The address is 9/11 Lower Goat Lane, Norwich, NR2 1EL.
When the time comes to end therapy, it is preferable for the decision to be arrived at by mutual prior agreement; however, you have the right to end your therapy at any time. I would appreciate a minimum of 24 hours’ notice if you decide not to come back.
My current policy is that I only work with people who are 18 or over.
I am not currently working with couples.
Please give me a call/text on 07557 871103 or shoot me an email at jc-therapy(at)pm.me.