About Chris Rudyard: Accredited Counsellor & Psychotherapist in Liverpool

Hi, I'm Chris. I'm an accredited counsellor and psychotherapist, and I've been doing this for over 20 years. I see people privately at my practice in Garston, south Liverpool, and online by Zoom. People usually come to me wanting someone experienced and adaptable, who's actively involved in the process and has done the training to back it up.

If you're not sure where to start, or can't quite put into words what's going on, that's fine. Lots of people begin that way.

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How I work:

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I'm a bit different to most clinicians because I don't fit neatly into one box. I'm not a psychologist or a psychiatrist. I was trained as a Person-Centred counsellor, and I've since trained in other approaches too, so these days I mostly just say "therapist".

I don't call myself an expert in any one area. The more I learn, the more I realise how complex people are, and I think a narrow view gets in the way of good therapy. Many of my clients have difficult, complex histories, and I've found that complex trauma needs a flexible approach. If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.

My work brings together psychotherapy, mindfulness and neuroscience. Mindfulness helps you notice what's happening inside you with curiosity rather than judgement, which is where much of the healing starts. I'm grounded, present and attuned to your process, and I use what I know about the nervous system to help you learn regulation and support your brain's own capacity to heal.

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I'm not tied to a protocol, though IFS Therapy is at the heart of what I do. I won't get critical if things don't follow "the therapist's way". We work it out together, at your pace, although I may gently challenge you now and then, because therapy is about doing something different.

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The therapies I use

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Most UK therapists are trained in Person-Centred Therapy, CBT, EMDR, Psychodynamic, Gestalt or Transactional Analysis. I trained in some of these, and they have their place, but I found they often don't reach the deeper healing that many people need. So I went on to train in a range of trauma and somatic therapies:

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• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Brainspotting

• Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR & DBR-S2)

• EMDR & EMDR 2.0

• Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

• Lifespan Integration

• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

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These are sometimes called somatic therapies or neurotherapies. They go beyond talking about a problem and involve doing something to support healing, working with the body and nervous system as well as the thinking mind. We'll still talk (your thinking brain deserves its say), but talking isn't all we do. I only use approaches I've been trained in and have experienced for myself.

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I help people through psychotherapy, mindfulness and the integration of neuroscience. This way of working has real substance and depth, and helps to promote individuality and self-awareness. It also helps the nervous system learn regulation and supports the brain's own capacity to heal.

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Who I work with

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People come to me for trauma and PTSD, anxiety, performance anxiety, addictions, binge behaviours, attachment difficulties, physical problems (including sexual ones), and for general wellbeing or personal growth. Whatever brings you, I'm glad to help.

My clients include artists, business owners, CEOs, chefs, engineers, GPs, lecturers, musicians, police officers, scientists, sportspeople, social workers, solicitors, students, teachers, tradespeople, writers and young people, and plenty of other therapists too.

I work short-term or long-term, and the length is always your choice. Many clients stay a year or more, and some check back in from time to time when something new comes up.

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My background

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I started out in 2005 and I work very differently now. Since then I've worked in NHS primary and secondary care, employee assistance programmes, private organisations including The Priory, and third-sector services. I've also worked with over 50 schools across the North West, delivered training and presentations to groups large and small, and helped counselling organisations gain BACP accredited status.

Before and alongside my counselling work, I supported children and adults with autism, severe epilepsy, dual diagnosis and profound learning difficulties, and young people in care who had experienced trauma, abuse and neglect.

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My practice has been audited and approved by both the BACP and NCPS. I'm fully self-employed now and work only with my private clients, and I review my work regularly in personal supervision. When I used outcome measures, the results showed my way of working was helpful and effective, and clients gave excellent feedback. You can see my full [experience, qualifications and training here].

I'd encourage you to research any therapist before you commit: look at their training, experience and ethical body membership.

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​A bit about me

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I'm non-religious, but I respect people's faith, and I'm open to spirituality within the context of IFS. Outside work I love travel, music, food, film and different cultures. I've picked up guitar again, I'm learning old-time banjo, and climbing is my favourite way to stay fit because it gives me mindfulness and a physical challenge in one.

I take pride in getting it right for my clients. I love seeing people get back on track and feel more in control again.

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Working with me

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I see clients at my practice in Garston, Liverpool, and online by Zoom through my service [Online Trauma Therapy, linked to onlinetraumatherapy.co.uk]. See [Session Fees], [FAQ], or [Book An Appointment] when you're ready.

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"You are not here to be measured,
you are here to be heard, understood, and supported to recover and heal"