Counselling in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire & Online
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Welcome to
Louise B Merritt
Counselling
I genuinely know how difficult life can feel when you’re trying desperately to hold everything together, putting on a smile pretending you’re fine, yet inside you’re carrying so much - grief, trauma, or secrets you’ve never spoken aloud. Bottling things up may feel easier in the moment, but over time it can become overwhelming and pretending you’re fine all the time becomes so much harder.
I understand this not only as a counsellor, but as someone who has done exactly this and for so long. I know the courage it takes to finally reach out and admit you’re struggling, to be vulnerable, and to take off that mask and let yourself be truly seen.
I feel privileged each time a client trusts me with their story, and I deeply respect the bravery it takes to share it. My own journey with counselling has helped me make sense of my pain, and it’s now my privilege to help others begin to explore theirs — so that you too may be able to start to feel lighter, clearer, hopeful and happier.
Hi, I’m Louise.
I know how lonely and overwhelming life can feel when you’re carrying grief, heartbreak, secrets or painful experiences that you feel you can’t share with anyone else, or have tried but have just not been heard.
Maybe you’ve been through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, failed IVF, or you’re childless but not by choice. Perhaps you feel like you’ve failed as a woman, watching everyone around you have children while you’re left feeling like an outsider, with nothing to add to those baby conversations. That can feel like the loneliest place in the world…
You may be stuck in a toxic relationship, pretending everything is fine because that feels easier than admitting the truth — or you’ve found the courage to leave, but you’re terrified of facing life on your own. Or maybe it’s anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, or hopelessness that you can’t seem to shake.
I genuinely understand these feelings — not just as a counsellor, but as someone who has lived through my own painful experiences. And I know how much courage it takes to reach out for support and to admit you’re struggling.
Why Does The Therapeutic Relationship Matter?
I’ve also experienced what it’s like not to feel a connection with a counsellor. I left sessions feeling worse than when I went in, still feeling unheard, or that my feelings weren’t validated so gave up and continued to keep everything bottled up inside and try and manage alone. That’s why I believe the therapeutic relationship is the most important part of counselling. Without it, progress is hard or non-existent but with it, real change can happen within you.
When you’re with me, I hope you feel free to be 100% your authentic self — no masks, no pretence. If you swear, swear. If you’d rather sit on the floor than in a chair, let’s sit on floor. If you need to use your session to vent about something that upset you that day, you can or if you struggle to know where to start and we sit in silence for most of the session, we can. This time is for you and the agenda is completely yours.
At the same time, I’ll gently challenge you if I sense you’re avoiding something or holding back because of shame or embarrassment, because I used to do this. Not to judge you — but because honesty and transparency is what strengthens the therapeutic relationship, and that’s where the real healing can begin.
My Counselling Approach
I am an integrative counsellor. That means I can adapt my approach to you, rather than expecting you to fit into one model of therapy. At the core of my work is a Person-Centred approach — the belief that you are the expert on yourself, the counselling should reflect your needs and places importance in the strength of the therapeutic relationship.
Alongside this foundation, I also use:
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) – practical strategies for coping with anxiety, anger, or unhelpful negative thought patterns.
- TA (Transactional Analysis) – to explore relationship dynamics, past and present, and how they shape your patterns today.
- Creative Approaches – for when words feel too hard, or don’t fully capture what you want to or can’t express.
- SandStory Therapy – a creative way, using sand and symbols, to gently uncover hidden insights within your unconscious.
- Walk & Talk Therapy – for clients who would feel more comfortable being out in nature.
Counselling after baby loss, infertility, and childlessness.
Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, failed IVF, or childlessness that’s not by choice can feel devastating and leave you feeling so alone. Babies and pregnant women seem to be everywhere!. Friends talk about their child’s’ milestones you’ll never get to experience. You may feel like you’ve failed, or that you no longer have a place in certain friendship groups and your world is very different to how you once imagined it would be.
The strain on relationships can be immense too — arguments during IVF, a partner who isn’t there for you, or grieving in different ways, growing apart instead of coming together. Counselling gives you space to process the emptiness, the anger, and the grief and the loss of what isn’t, while supporting you to find new meaning and direction.
Counselling for narcissistic or toxic relationship.
Being in a narcissistic or toxic relationship often means living behind a mask. On the outside you smile and pretend things are fine, but inside there’s often shame, fear, and self-doubt.
Gaslighting and manipulation can make you question your own reality. Leaving takes enormous courage, but staying can destroy your sense of self-worth even further. And even when you do leave, the fear of managing alone after years of control can feel overwhelming.
Counselling offers you a place where you don’t need to pretend anymore. Together, we’ll work on rebuilding your confidence, your independence, and your belief in yourself and finding you again.
Counselling for anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, and hopelessness.
Anxiety can keep you awake at night. Anger can spill over in ways you regret. Low self-esteem whispers that you’re “not good enough.” Sometimes hopelessness creeps in and makes life feel too heavy.
These feelings often grow out of loss, trauma, or difficult relationships. In counselling, you’ll have the chance to explore and understand where they come from, and to adopt healthier ways of coping and moving forward.
Counselling for childhood and family issues.
Growing up with emotionally immature parents, or in a family where your needs weren’t met, where you were neglected, both emotionally and/or physically, can leave long-lasting scars. You may find yourself people-
pleasing, repeating unhealthy patterns, or never feeling good enough.
Counselling can help you make sense of those early experiences by exploring them together to begin to understand why you are like you are, and begin to build stronger boundaries, self-worth, and clarity for a happier future.
SandStory Therapy®
SandStory Therapy® has at its heart the therapist's ability to remain grounded in their own presence and be fully present each moment to their client. It allows them to attune to their client's needs and pace which enables empowerment and growth for the client.
What is SandStory Therapy®?
- SandStory Therapy® is a gentle and safe way of working therapeutically with sand and symbols within a contained sandtray that offers clients the opportunity to tell their 'story in the sand'.
- SandStory Therapy® encourages a respectful and sensitive dialogue between the unconscious and the conscious so that the wisdom from within is heard, seen and experienced. In turn, this is taken into daily life and natural, very organic shifts occur.
- SandStory Therapy® has its roots in the narrative tradition of Story-telling and Sandtray Therapy. This latter was developed by Margaret Lowenfeld in the early part of her work in the 1920's. Having trained in Sandplay Therapy and studied Sandtray Therapy as well as storytelling, SandStory Therapy® has been developed in a way that complements other therapeutic approaches.
Who can benefit from SandStory Therapy®?
SandStory Therapy® fits well with children from the age of 8 years onwards, teenagers/young adults and adults right through to senior adults. It can be used in multiple ways and for a spectrum of referral issues:
- Individual therapy/counselling
- Group work
- Family work
- Couples work
- Parent work
- Support groups such as bereavement or addiction groups
Practical Details
I’m based in Bletchley, near Milton Keynes and the surrounding villages, and currently offer face-to-face counselling for over 16’s in a private counselling room with free parking. For reassurance and confidentiality, one of rooms I work from also has external security cameras.
I also offer online counselling across the UK, telephone sessions, and — by prior arrangement — home visits. These are particularly valuable if you’re housebound, anxious about technology, or would just prefer face-to-face support in your own space.
Evening and weekend appointments are available to help counselling fit around your busy life.
Fees & Availability
Your first session will include a brief overview of the counselling agreement and a chance to explore together why you are choosing to have counselling now and what you hope to achieve from it. It’s also an opportunity for us both to see whether we feel we could work together and get the beginnings of a good connection, which is key for successful counselling.
If you feel that I’m not the right counsellor for you, or I feel that another counsellor may be more experienced in particular areas, then I’ll support you in finding a counsellor who may be a better fit for you in achieving your goals.
Appointments are available on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturday or Sunday morning, online or in person.
Sessions last 50 minutes and are ideally weekly or fortnightly.
- Evening and online sessions: £55.
- Weekend sessions: £65.
- Home visits: price dependent on location.
Payment & Cancellation Policy
Payment is by BACS transfer and must be received at least 24 hours before your session. Bank details are provided in the counselling contract.
If you are unable to attend, I kindly ask that you please give a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. Cancellations with less notice, or non-attendance, will still be charged at the full session fee.
Taking The First Step
If you feel you’re ready to begin counselling, please fill in the contact form below and I’ll be in touch to arrange the session.
This first meeting is simply to talk face-to-face and for me to understand your reasons for wanting counselling, and seeing whether working together feels comfortable and right for you.
And if you decide I’m not the right counsellor for you, I’ll always do my best to recommend or help you find someone who is more aligned with your needs.
