monique Howie
Integrative Counsellor
BACP Individual member
Reflecting on my last two decades as a therapist, one universal requirement for healing has stood out; to be seen. Whether working with adults, teenagers or children, it's this understanding that lies at the core of my practice. Maintaining my focus on the client’s experience without judgement, it’s with time and self-care, along with renewed self-awareness, that life begins to work itself out.
I offer a range of services, from long and short term therapy with adults, children and teenagers, to phone and online consultations supporting parents who are facing specific struggles with their children, such as behavioural issues, phobias, anxiety, or the ramifications of divorce.
As the use of online therapy has become essential in order to reach people experiencing a range of challenging upheavals leading to isolation, depression and anxiety, I have firsthand seen the benefit and value of being able to connect with clients in this way.
More recently I devised and run a five week group therapy workshop in Primary schools, for children coping with anxiety around COVID19 issues.
Monique is very experienced in the treatment of;
Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Low Self-Esteem
Panic
Social Anxiety
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Sleep Problems
Insomnia
Anger
Work related stress
Career counselling
Relationship problems
Family Issues
Seperation & Divorce
Infidelity, affairs & betrayals
Attachment problems
Fears of abandonment
Codependency
Trauma
Grief / bereavement
Body Image Problems
Eating Disorders
Parenting Issues
Infertility
Miscarriage
Post Natal anxiety /depression
Pregnancy & Birth
Monique can also treat:
Perfectionism
Health Anxiety
Redundancy
Self Harm
Hoarding
Types of therapy Monique can offer:
Integrative
Psychodynamic therapy
Person-centred therapy
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Monique works with:
Monique is experienced in the treatment of Children (Under age 10)
Adolescents (10-19 Years),
All adults, across the whole age range from 18 years +
Training, Qualifications & Experience
BACP Member
Diploma in Counselling Skills 2002
Postgraduate Diploma Integrative Counselling 2007
Team Leader Kids Company children and young peoples Charity 2002- 20012
Group Therapy facilitator Primary school September 2020
Testimonials about therapy with Monique
Creating Safe and Engaging Spaces for Children: Monique's Expert Use of Play Therapy
“Monique is incredible with children (and adults!), immediately finding ways to connect and create safe and secure spaces to share. Monique uses play to ensure children are engaged and present. Through working with our daughter, Monique has helped her both open up but also to help her develop the tools and techniques needed throughout life and has done an amazing job building her confidence and resilience. Monique has also been accessible and clear with us as parents and helped us understand how best to support our daughter. I have nothing but praise and highly recommend Monique. “ Mr and Ms Tait
Compassionate Support for Neurodivergent Clients: Monique's Role in Overcoming Anxiety and Depression
“During the pandemic, my daughter began to struggle immensely with anxiety and depression. She was experiencing regular panic attacks and found it hard to leave the house. She had undiagnosed ADHD and ASD, and when school reopened, she was unable to go back full time. Finding the right psychotherapist was crucial, and we were fortunate to have found Monique. Her compassionate and gentle approach has been a cornerstone of my daughter's recovery.
When my daughter was diagnosed with ASD, Monique's experience with neurodivergent clients meant she was able to recognise the impact on my daughter's mental health. Her work with Monique has been a central part of her recovery, especially in terms of self-awareness and confidence: she is now able to attend sixth-form college full-time, having completed her GCSEs, has a weekend job she enjoys, and is able to socialise and plan for the future.
We are deeply grateful for the positive impact Monique has had on my daughter's life.” Anonymous
Nurturing Growth Through Challenging Times: Monique's Skilled Approach to Adolescent Therapy
“My son has seen Monique for over 2 years and their relationship and work together has been at the heart of his growth through the tough teenage years, characterised by school absence, bullying, anxiety and depression. Monique creates a space that is open, safe and warm, enabling my son to explore the challenges he experienced and feel fully accepted and validated. Monique’s approach and support has been invaluable in allowing exploration of alternative perspectives in a nurturing and non judgemental space. The strength of therapeutic relationship and compassionate, skilled approach to the therapy has supported him to emerge from mental health difficulties and find his identity, strength, humour and ability to navigate his place in the world, on his terms. “ Anonymous
Monique's Compassion and Understanding Make Online Therapy Seamless
“Monique is amazing. She is non-judgemental, understanding, encouraging, supportive, and compassionate. She helps me navigate my feelings and experiences without putting blame onto myself or other people and without judgement of my actions or others. She is great at providing me with extra resources and coping mechanisms so I can better understand myself and help myself in my every day life. She has made the "online" aspect of therapy feel seamless and as if we are in a room together, I feel more connected to her than I have done other therapists who I've met with in person.” Annie
Incredible Support for Mental Well-being
“Monique has been so incredibly helpful to my mental health these past few years working with her. I look forward to every session and have really noticed progress in my mental well being as a result of working with her. I could not recommend her enough as a therapist, I never feel judged and she is always very kind and helpful.” Anna
Monique Helped Me Recognise and Manage My Issues
“Monique is a fantastic therapist. She has really helped me through my issues and helped me to not only recognise them but better deal with them when they arise. She is extremely good.” Joseph
Compassionate and Reassuring: A Journey of Trust and Healing
“I started working with Monique a little over 2 years ago, after the death of my mom. Our initial work was focused on this.
Monique is so compassionate and reassuring that I was really able to build up trust with her. This led to me being able to share more of my mental health struggles. This was a real learning curve for both of us, as I was able to open up more, and we had to adapt our way of working to this. I also sought some extra support from psychiatrists and other doctors around this time.
Monique is always so supportive. She helped me to tackle these challenges with a mixture of practical support, such as writing referral letters to different opportunities, and emotional support, through helping me to explore how I was feeling during this time. She has the perfect balance of lightness when we need to laugh about something, and also to feel with me when things are heavier. When she gives me advice, I really trust her opinion.
In the other direction, by trusting me, she has also given me a trust in my own decision making, and that I know what is right for me. Thanks to Monique I learned that art really helps me to be able to explore my feelings, and I'm so grateful to her for encouraging me to work in this way. She is always learning new things to help support me, and engages in everything I bring to her with such care. Our relationship is so special to me. It really gave me hope to have someone really listen to me, and have someone on my side through the last two years.
Monique has really given me the courage to explore different treatments and advocate for myself. She has also given me hope that I will be able to recover.” Erin
Bringing My Daughter from Darkness to Light
“Monique has brought out a positive mindset in my daughter. She came from quite a dark place, having dropped out of school and was suffering from fairly extreme anxiety and never leaving the house. Now she is happy and smiling, has a part time job, a boyfriend and is doing 6 GCSEs and should get reasonable to good grades in all of them.” Colin
Building Trust and Gaining Clarity with Online Therapy
“I think online therapy only works when you’re able to form a trusting relationship between yourself and your therapist. Monique has been so caring in her support, which gave me the tools and self belief to tackle my personal struggles. It’s not to say I’m perfect now, but after a year of working with Monique, I can honestly say that I feel so much balanced as a person. The thoughts and feelings which were detrimental to my self confidence, I feel as though I can handle.
I should say most importantly Monique has helped though one of the more sensitive parts of my life which has been my ADHD diagnosis. I still struggle a lot with my ADHD but it feels good to be able to share my day to day struggles with someone who is nonjudgmental and can provide clarity on things I may feel uncomfortable to share with friends and family at the moment .
I should also say that Monique provides that individual care such as alerting me multiple times before my therapy sessions to ensure I don’t forget, which was happening on a few prior occasions. I am and will always be grateful for the help and support from Monique and I am grateful for the trusting relationship we have been able to build.” Anonymous
Essential Support During Turbulent Teenage Years
“Monique has been an amazing support for our son. He has felt very comfortable to explore his feelings and felt listened to and validated. He was able to explore his life options and understand his feelings. Seeing Monique was an essential part of his emotional development and helped him to keep happy in the turbulence of his teenage years.” PG
Regaining Strength and Joy for Life
“Monique has a warm, friendly and professional approach. I felt safe instantly and over the period of time Monique helped me regain my strength, self belief and joy for life. I have learnt a lot about myself and my family, and developed ways to deal with the struggles I have been experiencing.” Anonymous
A Flexible and Compassionate Approach to Therapy
“I found Monique looking for a different approach to therapy, and immediately found her sessions to be open, kind and friendly.
I felt I was able to take work I had done in the past few years, and not only cement applying it, but build on it in different areas of my life. Particularly regarding the first stages of discussing ADHD, I found Monique's approach a really good mixture of practical solutions and compassionate reframing. I feel in a much better place to apply them myself, going forward.'
Zoom sessions worked really well for me - Monique was really flexible and understood that often technology and circumstance weren't always perfect!" I.S.
“Amazing 10/10” - Annonymous
"Monique’s weekly sessions have been invaluable and (my daughter) and I are both extremely thankful we were put in touch with her." - S.H.
"To say that Monique was a life-line to our daughter and our family is an understatement." - H.W.
"Monique gave me confidence in my own parenting and I was able to trust in what I felt was best for my child." - L.B.