Welcome to Safer Base Therapies, a holistic integrative approach to helping and supporting people through a process of healing. Safer Base Therapies offers a safe and confidential, non-judgemental environment to facilitate exploration of emotions and feelings.
Psychotherapy or counselling changes lives, it provides us with an opportunity to gain a new perspective on life. When we feel safe enough to explore how our unique experiences affect us, we can gain a new awareness of self and others. New knowledge is empowering and enables us to make better choices to reach our goals and aspirations.
When we attain the space and time to reflect, we can also begin to connect our body and mind. Once body-mind becomes more integrated we can better understand and regulate our emotions. Meaningful relationships within our personal lives begin to improve and life starts to feel less stressful, as we either create or solidify a safe and stable base within ourselves.
Safer Base Therapy is a modern unique and integrative holistic approach that is tailored to suit each client on an individual needs basis. If you have any further questions about Safer Base Therapies after navigating the website please contact Wen
There are many different reasons that can bring us to try Counselling & Psychotherapy, often more than one reason.
Relational trauma. Domestic abuse. Historical abuse. Grief and loss. Suicidal thoughts. Panic attacks. Self-esteem. Loneliness. Anger. Low fatigue. Anxiety. Mental health. Self-harming. Bullying. Depression. Eating disorders. Hyperarousal. Relationships. Separation or divorce. Family issues. Disability. Physical pain or illness. Exploring identity. Family planning. Teenage pregnancy. Unpredictable or inappropriate behaviours. Addiction. Work-related stress. OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Post-traumatic stress disorder.
I have pointed out some issues above but this is not a restrictive list. Safer Base Therapies is available to all, whatever their difficulties.
You may want to seek help when:
You notice that you struggle to be in close relationships and want to understand why.
You have been feeling extremely alone with your thoughts and emotions and would like to share your experiences in confidence.
You are a helper or a carer and you are suffering from exhaustion or burnout.
You or someone close to you has recently been diagnosed with a disability, long-term or terminal illness.
You have recently experienced dramatic changes in your life, whether it be work, health, family or financially related and you are finding these changes difficult.
You are struggling to handle intense feelings or body sensations.
You have been advised by friends, family or doctor to talk to someone professional.
Your breathing patterns are irregular and causing you to feel lightheaded or experience chest pains.
You suffer from anxiety, insomnia, poor sleep or regular nightmares.
You are experiencing anxiety attacks at home, in public places, school, college or the workplace.
Your work performance is suffering but you don’t understand why.
You struggle to say no to anyone or anything then suffer from exhaustion and have no time for yourself.
Your smoking drinking, drug taking or gambling is causing you and/or those around you problems.
You feel confused about your identity and/or sexual orientation.
You have been impacted by violence, sexual assault or abuse, either recently or in the past.
You are suffering from slight paranoia or hallucinations (this may need a referral to a GP).
You have suffered an injury, injustice, or witnessed the injury or death of others and are recovering from how this has affected you.
You have recently left supported living or an institution and are struggling to cope.
You were separated from your parents as a child and have a mixture of feelings and emotions that are hard to process and understand.
You are a parent who has been parted from their child or children and have mixed emotions and feelings that are difficult to process alone.
Your child is distressed and struggling to appropriately express how they feel.
I’d like to normalize this process, by affirming to you that because you’re considering therapy it does not mean that there is something wrong with you that needs to be fixed. You may just feel that your coping strategies are not as helpful as they used to be and so you’d like to try exploring better ways of managing them.
Therapy usually commences on a one to one basis but there are occasions when a couple (divorced or together), a parent with a child, or siblings may come in together to resolve disputes or work through painful issues with professional therapeutic mediation. We find a way to move forward together, which results in a positive outcome when everyone has had space and support to speak their mind.
I offer 50-minute sessions that give you the opportunity to discuss any personal issues in confidence.
Before making any final decisions regarding your brave steps towards entering into therapy, I invite you to contact me. We can talk via email, telephone, or virtually (at no cost). This may help you to feel at ease, or know whether it feels right to book an appointment for a counselling-psychotherapy consultation meeting.
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The private therapy space is discrete and quiet, away from the bustle of day to day life and there is free parking available onsite. The room is fully equipped for one to one or couples/family therapy. I also offer online therapy via a platform of your choice, such as Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp or Teams. Everything remains private and confidential, as I work from the private therapy space. In some circumstances I can offer home visits. My integrative flexible approach enables me to adjust, to suit the different needs and circumstances of each client.
If you decide to start your journey with me, your first initial 40-minute meeting will consist of an assessment combined with a ‘get to know each other’ session.I gather some information about you and your life up to this point and invite you to share what has brought you into therapy. Whilst discussing this, I do a risk assessment to inform my ethical decision as to whether I believe you are psychologically able to manage and cope with counselling or psychotherapy at this time. The assessment process also gives you the opportunity to decide whether you feel this is right for you at this time in your life, and to see how comfortable you feel working with me as your therapist. We can then collaboratively decide together how I might be able to assist, in a way that will be beneficial for you. After hearing feedback from clients whom I have assessed, I can share that they often say things along the lines of ‘feeling lighter and more grounded’, after their first consultation meeting.
The length of your journey in therapy is decided between us and can be renegotiated at any time. At the beginning of our therapeutic relationship, an initial contract or agreement is signed by both of us, to clarify confidentiality and professional boundaries. This is part of the ethical guidelines that I abide by.
Fees are:
Initial 15 minute meeting or phone call > Free
Initial assessment session (40 minute consultation) > £10 –towards the cost of the room hire
Weekly or fortnightly sessions > £40-£60 per session- (depending on income- there is a sliding scale. Fees can be reduced with evidence of low income)
Block bookings: (5 sessions) > £200 (depending on income, block bookings can be reduced)
Couples/family sessions > £70 per session (depending on income, couple or family sessions can be reduced)
Couples/family block bookings: (5 sessions) > £350 (depending on income, couple or family block bookings can be reduced)
There is no charge for the consultation meeting if you book and pay for a block booking at your first appointment.
Supervision for student or qualified Counsellors and Psychotherapists > £50 –£60per session (please make enquiries regarding sliding scale for supervision)
The sliding scale of fees is to make counselling and psychotherapy available to men, women and children from all different walks of life. To charge all clients the same regardless of their circumstances would conflict with my humanistic beliefs and values. Years ago my motivation to begin training in counselling and psychotherapy was to help people, rather than to ‘get rich’. Please get in touch if you require further information about concessionary prices.
My humanistic and integrative approach as a therapist enables us to create a safe base. A place to begin building a solid and ‘real’ therapeutic relationship. We discuss together what feels right for you and structure your sessions to suit your needs.
‘We all have the potential to become all that we can be’
Hi, my name is Wendy Joan Duro, people call me ‘Wen’. I have been practising as a counsellor and psychotherapist since 2014. I have counselled young people when working at Billborough College, and in addition to my private practice I also supervise other students and qualified counsellors.
I hold a Masters in Psychotherapy and Diploma for Supervision. As well as a BSc (Hons) Degree in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling. I voluntarily support vulnerable adults accessing support to rebuild their lives after relational abuse and facilitate a women’s support group and training program. I have extensive experience of working in mental health and domestic abuse organisations, and I am passionate about empowering people to believe in themselves and work towards reaching their potential.
My non-judgemental approach respects and values ‘everyone’s’ born right, to grow and develop. I strongly believe that we all need a safe space to ‘just be’ in order to achieve effective change.
I am a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy(UKCP). Being a member of the UKCP means that I abide by their Ethical Framework for good practice. This involves attending regular supervision and abiding by confidentiality guidelines as well as keeping up to date with ongoing training and personal development. I am insured and I am also on the update DBS System.
After reading through my website, or during assessment, you may feel that you would prefer to work with someone else. Some clients might feel more comfortable with a male, or someone older for example. Or there may be a boundary issue where we realize we are in a dual relationship. After considering these complexities it may become unethical to continue on developing a therapeutic relationship.
Another reason for referral is if we conclude together that this is not the right time or place for you to start psychotherapy (it may be too soon after a trauma, or emotions are too raw to start exploring in more depth, especially if there isn’t a good support network in place). In this situation I would invite you to experience the pleasure of holistic therapies at Leen Valley House with either myself or the other women who practice there, such as Tanya’s flawless hair and beauty, Bella Nails and Beauty or Retreat Therapies. These women both offer some invigorating and relaxing five star treatments, you will be pampered and looked after. Safer Base Counselling and Psychotherapy will still be there, for whenever you do feel ready to begin exploring things on a deeper level.
“The butterfly emerges from his cocoon, when he feels safe enough to do so”
I have links to other qualified Humanistic and Integrative Counsellors/ Psychotherapist which I can pass on to you. I also have extensive knowledge of organizations which I can signpost you towards, who may be able to offer you the support and guidance you need.
Safer Base Counselling & Psychotherapy 