Harrogate Counsellor, Alys Nightingale

Harrogate Counselling and Psychotherapy

I have been in the field of personal development and transformation for the past 25 years.

I have studied and trained in many different cutting edge approaches; from counselling, psychotherapy, energy psychology, spirituality, yoga, meditation, neuroscience and mindfulness to working with shamans, and Native Americans in Central America.

Whatever the immediate issue, I can offer the tools and insights to help you not only to resolve it, but also to discover who you are.

A mindfulness-based therapy places the emphasis upon being present with our emotions as they are felt in our body, and meeting them with an open, kind and friendly curiosity so that we can get to understand what is happening for you.

For all of us, the path of understanding and befriending our experience requires great gentleness and patience.

The deep and persistent tendency to think that something is wrong with us is a prison that prevents us from living and loving fully. Yet as we learn to meet whatever arises in our body, heart and mind with kind acceptance, and a friendly interest, we discover a precious freedom.

Rather than being identified as a defective and insufficient Self, we can come to trust what Buddhists call our Buddha nature—the awareness and love that are our true essence.

Connection Therapy

Would you love to wake up each day into a sense of being welcome? What would life be like if instead of self-criticism and trying hard, you experienced self-encouragement, balance, warmth and a little bit of tenderness, towards yourself and your experience?

Together we will build the tools you need to live a mindful, self balanced life, where you meet yourself with warmth, develop awareness that helps you to skilfully manage your life and to remain grounded in all situations that arise on a day-to-day basis.

Connection Therapy takes place at a slower pace over time; it will be grounded in effective tools, which will build awareness within you, and thus a sense of choice and freedom in your life. Much of the healing happens in the relationship shared between us; the understanding that this brings, and the transformation that happens through the depth of being really ‘known’ and gotten is magical, and deeply empowering. Being deeply known, accepted and understood is the path back to freedom of authentic expression, and this is where the pure gold of you lives.

The magic happens in the feeling of being ‘known’ and deeply understood. When we feel deeply understood this can bring a deep sense of relief and a return to our original authentic selves, that due to our life experiences we have lost connection with.

And should you wish, I would love to be your guide to accompany you on this journey back to self-connection and the freedom and magic that this brings to our lives.  This level of work may be for you if you want to make a serious commitment to your individuation, healing, and transformation.

Women’s Circles and Gatherings

Sitting in circle together with other women reminds us that its safe to be vulnerable, unapologetically ourselves, it helps us feel the power of listening with an open heart, giving and receiving support in healthy ways. It gives us opportunity to witness the inner beauty of all women, and this magic is priceless. We get to laugh and cry together, to share our essence and be known. When the bond of a circle deepens, we feel a sense of equality and support, which brings healing with a knowing that we experience a shared humanity, and are no longer isolated and alone anymore. We share the truth that is alive within us, and learn to stay open to love.

Gathering with women gives us the energy needed to return to our lives, we gain inspiration, strength and perspective and a reassurance that our experience is often one that others share. These gatherings give us opportunity to find and share our voice, discover our authenticity, dissolving any shame we may be carrying. Shame often simply needs to be shared, heard in another’s story so we can be reminded of our similarities, and this in itself creates a healing.

When women gather in circle with grounded openness, a container for healing and self-discovery is created. It gives us room to explore being free of habit energies, biases, filters and belief systems that drain our energy. This sacred space enables us to embrace our feminine natures – beautiful, empathic, intuitive, emotional, creative, reflective, wild, sensual, radiant and flowing – and can heal our relationship with ourselves and our relationships with other women by dissolving old outgrown judgment as we recognise ourselves in one another.

We give each other permission to be real, vulnerable, and authentic. We claim together our freedom of self expression and grow confidence to speak our truth. We will listen to one another with kindness, compassion, understanding and respect so we all feel seen and heard.