Catherine Giles | Counsellor York

Catherine Giles (Adult, Young People & Child Counsellor for York Therapy Clinic)

Qualifications & Training

Graduate Diploma (Distinction) in Humanistic Counselling (York St John University, 2024)
Certificate in Therapeutic Skills and Studies (Metanoia Institute, London, 1997)
PGCE (11-18 years) (1994)
BA (Hons) English, Theology and Religious Studies (1994)

About Catherine Giles (Counsellor for York Therapy Clinic)

Catherine is a warm and compassionate humanistic counsellor at York Therapy Clinic, offering a person-centred, integrative approach to counselling for adults, young people, and children.

Catherine specialises in working with distress and trauma, identity challenges, loss, family and relationship issues, and experiences of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. She is skilled at helping clients cope with painful memories, unwanted thoughts, panic attacks, relational difficulties, loneliness, and the complexities of life transitions.

With expertise in mindfulness, creative therapies, play therapy, and sand tray therapy, Catherine offers a range of therapeutic modalities tailored to meet the individual needs of her clients. Her goal is to create a nurturing, non-judgmental space where clients feel safe to explore their emotions and experiences at their own pace.

Experienced Counsellor in York

Catherine’s professional journey has taken her through a rich and diverse landscape. Before becoming a counsellor, she spent over two decades as a secondary school teacher and mentor, providing sensitive and trusted support to young people facing issues around self-esteem, anxiety, friendships, identity, and motivation.

Her counselling experience includes working with well-known organisations such as Off The Record, 1-2-1 Counselling, and MIND. Catherine has successfully supported individuals dealing with bereavement, trauma, relationship breakdown, parental alienation, depression, low mood, and neurodivergence, including ADHD.

Her experience across education, the creative industries, and mental health sectors gives her a real-world understanding that she brings into her counselling work, enabling her to connect with a wide range of clients authentically.

Counsellor for Children, Young People, and Adults

Catherine has a particular passion for working with children, teenagers, students, and young adults. Drawing on her 24 years of experience in education, she understands the specific pressures young people face and the importance of finding a counsellor who can truly fit their needs.

She integrates creative methods into her practice, recognising that sometimes words are not enough. Techniques such as drawing, working with nesting dolls, sand tray therapy, and emotion cards are available to support clients in expressing complex or overwhelming feelings.

Mindfulness also plays a central role in Catherine’s approach, helping clients to cultivate greater self-awareness, reduce self-criticism, and encourage a quieter, more centred mind.

Personal Experience & Journey to Counselling

Catherine’s path to becoming a counsellor was inspired by her experiences supporting vulnerable young people during her teaching career. Recognising the deep need for emotional support among students, she trained as a therapist to be able to offer a more dedicated space for healing and growth.

She has since volunteered with 12+ age groups, run a national anti-bullying helpline for Kidscape, and introduced mindfulness practices into school environments to promote mental wellbeing.

A lover of nature, Catherine finds restoration in walking, cycling, and wild swimming, and enjoys curling up with a good book or a film in the evenings. She brings this balance and connection with life into her counselling room, offering warmth, humanity, and hope to every client she works with.

Registered with Professional Bodies

Catherine Giles (Counsellor) is registered with the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

She offers face-to-face counselling in York, as well as online counselling via Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Google Meet, and WhatsApp Video.

If you wish to discuss working with Catherine or any of our therapists, psychologists or counsellors in York, please contact us using the form below or call us on 07788 129245.