Jeff Smith

Hi, I’m Jeff. 

I am a qualified integrative, trauma-informed counsellor working with individuals and couples. I offer face-to-face counselling from my therapy room in Buckingham, as well as online counselling for clients who prefer to work remotely. 

Hope is perhaps the most precious thing we have. Sometimes, it is a joy in life’s possibilities; at other times, it is small and hidden deep inside, wary of another disappointment. 

Hope is often linked to the reason people come to counselling. It’s a desire to change present circumstances in the belief that things can be different and possibly better. It might be that you hope to find a way through loss and grief and an acceptance of a different life, that you hold a wish to overcome anxiety, or that you hope to feel less separated or alone. You might also be struggling within a relationship and hoping to find a different way forward together. Hope is there to help us find meaning and purpose. 

It’s been quite a journey to get here. Hope played a part in enabling me to tie all the strings together, so to speak, and I feel it is something that I bring to my counselling. 

My role as a counsellor is to work with you in developing a deeper understanding and acceptance of yourself, at your own pace and with whatever you bring to the sessions. Our time together will offer a confidential, non-judgemental space for you to explore your thoughts and feelings. We may look at patterns of behaviour and communication that no longer serve you and that can leave you feeling ‘stuck’ in your connection to others, or in life generally. 

Working in a trauma-informed way also means recognising that our experiences can shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to other people and how we respond to the world around us. Sometimes ways of coping that were once needed can become less helpful over time. I believe it is important that therapy takes place at a pace that feels right for you, rather than feeling that you have to go somewhere you are not yet ready to go. 

Relationships and couples therapy

Relationships can be a great source of connection and meaning in our lives, but they can also become places where we feel hurt, misunderstood, lonely or stuck. 

Couples may come to therapy for many different reasons. Perhaps communication has become difficult, the same arguments seem to happen again and again, or you have found yourselves becoming more distant from each other. There may have been a significant event or change in the relationship, or perhaps it is simply difficult to put your finger on what has changed. 

Couples therapy offers a space to explore what is happening between you, to understand each other more deeply and to look at the patterns of communication and behaviour that may have developed within the relationship. My role is not to take sides or decide who is right or wrong, but to work alongside you both in understanding what is happening and what you would like to be different. 

I hold a Level 5 Certificate in Relationships and Couples Therapy, which informs this part of my work. 

My therapeutic approach

I have training in the Person-Centred, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt approaches. Being an integrative counsellor allows me to draw upon these different ways of working depending on the person in front of me, rather than expecting everyone to fit one particular way of doing therapy. 

I also have some experience in art therapy and can incorporate artistic expression and the use of imagery into sessions. Words can sometimes be tricky to find, and creativity can help with this. 

I believe the quality and strength of the relationship between counsellor and client forms a strong foundation for therapeutic change. 

My experience 

I have worked in mental health services for over 14 years, both within the NHS and the charity sector, in a variety of roles, including as a Nursing Assistant and Recovery Worker. During this time, I have met a wide range of people, each with their own unique life experiences. 

I have also been a volunteer counsellor for the cancer support charity The Hummingbird Centre, and have worked as a volunteer counsellor at West Bletchley Well-Being Service. 

I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), registration number 401715, and follow their ethical framework. I am currently working towards BACP accreditation. 

Counselling in Buckingham and online

I offer individual counselling and couples therapy from my therapy room in Buckingham, as well as online counselling and relationship therapy for those who would prefer to meet remotely. 

Whether you are coming to counselling on your own or with your partner, you do not need to know exactly where to begin. Sometimes the hope that something could be different is enough of a place to start.