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About me

Hello, and welcome. I'm Nicola Jeffery — a counsellor, coach, and trainer. I work online across the UK and in person in Exeter.

 

​How I work and how I can help.

 

My counselling is grounded in person-centred therapy — a warm, collaborative, and non-judgemental way of working that is led by you.

Alongside this, I draw on a range of other approaches:

  • Gestalt therapy

  • Psychodynamic therapy

  • Creative and reflective approaches

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

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This means the work can be shaped around you as an individual, rather than fitting you into a single model.
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What makes my work distinctive.

 

I bring together professional training and lived experience.

Academically, my background is in psychology, medical research, and counselling, with many years in research, teaching, and reflective practice. I am informed by evidence and theory — but always grounded in the realities of everyday life.

Alongside my professional roles, I am a parent and long-term carer to neurodivergent and learning-disabled family members. This experience has shaped how I understand resilience, identity, and what it means to live meaningfully under sustained pressure. It has also taught me that growth rarely comes from quick fixes. More often, it comes from being met with understanding, respect, and patience.

My practice is:

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  • Trauma-informed

  • Relational and reflective

  • Neurodiversity-affirming

  • Grounded in evidence, led by real life

 

Clients often tell me they value the way I can hold depth without heaviness, and support exploration without rushing to solutions.
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Counselling or coaching — or both
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Many clients find that counselling and coaching work naturally together.

Counselling makes space to explore feelings, experiences, and what shaped them. Coaching supports clarity, confidence, and practical change. Together, they help you both understand yourself and move forward.

Our work might involve talking, reflection, emotional processing, creative or practical tools, goal clarification, or life review. Whatever we do, it is always shaped around your pace and your priorities. We check in regularly, and adapt as your understanding changes.

My story

For many years I have worked alongside people navigating complexity — as a researcher, therapist, coach, educator, and carer.

What brings these strands together is a belief that change begins quietly — through reflection, relationship, and awareness — before it shows itself in how we meet the world.

I am particularly drawn to work that honours lived experience, supports personal growth, and recognises the importance of family, community, and connection to the wider world, including nature and place. I believe people already carry much of what they need within them. Often, the role of counselling, coaching, or training is simply to help make space for that to emerge.
 

Qualifications and memberships

  • CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling - Astranti Connect

  • ICF accredited Life Coaching Diploma - The Coaching Academy

  • PhD. Medical Studies - University of Exeter

  • BPS accredited  M.Sc. In Psychology - University of Portsmouth

  • Registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) 

  • GMBPsS Graduate member of the British Psychological Society

I work within the BACP Ethical Framework and receive regular clinical supervision.
 

Counselling • Coaching • Training

 

Work with me:

Counselling and coaching for individuals

Training and facilitation for organisations

Accessibility

This site aims to be accessible and inclusive.

If you have access needs or questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Privacy Policy

 

Contact

Email: Nicola@discoveringself.co.uk

Based in Exeter, Devon, UK | Online sessions available

 

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