Stronger Relationships -

Sam James Coaching

I have been working with Andrea for a number of years for coaching supervision. Andrea creates a safe, reflective space that enables me to grow and reflect, personally and professionally. She brings a wonderful blend of person-centred, compassionate, wisdom and challenge, to every session.

Emma Davey

Inspirational, challenging and connecting.

I attended the Introduction to Counselling Skills initially for professional development with the role I work in with young people and adults around mental health and well being. I never expected to go on such a personal journey of growth and development. Andrea was inspiring and created a safe and comforting environment for us to share openly. It was a challenge to look as some personal aspects that I needed to deal with and understand to become a better listener as well as congruent with myself. Lastly, the opportunity to connect with new people as a group, with Andrea and her experience and wisdom, connecting with myself and most importantly connecting with the speaker/ client. Understanding and experiencing what it means to have some one to be there with you in the moment - listening to you. I highly recommend this course from personal and professional benefits.

Annette James

I took Andrea's One Day Counselling Skills Course on-line on Zoom.

Andrea is clear, approachable and knowledgeable. There are plenty of small group discussions between attendees in ‘break out rooms’ where you find the answers to questions together. Then there are many useful exercises to cement the theory and practice your listening skills effectively. You learn about ‘active listening’ and how important it is when a client is turning to you.

On this course Andrea gives you the basic psychology theory you need, the active listening skills to use and the ability to know when you have reached your professional limits. I am very happy to recommend the course and her.

Laura Garcka

I attended the five Parenting KnowHow2 course workshops with Andrea and can't recommend them enough. It made me look at things in a whole new way and think about things that I didn't even realise would effect my parenting. Andrea creates a friendly, welcoming place to discuss some hard topics and I came away with very useful and practical strategies on how to deal with different parenting struggles.

Kate Moyse

The workshops Andrea runs stand alone as really enlightening and informative sessions, but together provide parents with the tools and awareness to build strong connections with confidence.
Each session left me feeling capable and empowered. Andrea has created coherent and relatable content, in an environment that brings you together as a group, to share experiences and solidarity.
A really worthwhile investment, thankyou Andrea!

Freya Hanna

I would 100% recommend the parenting know how course. Andrea has helped me clarify our family values and a more authentic way of talking to each other which will hopefully stand us in good stead for the teenage years. I wasn't sure how much benefit I would get having done a lot of reading of parenting books. However I feel like I've learnt so much and come out of this with a clear consistent parenting approach. I might not always get it right, but I've learnt that's okay too.

STEPHEN BAKER

Straightening my head out
I was recommended Andrea by a very close friend who had seen me lose my self esteem and confidence , I had hit an almighty low. My marriage of 34 years had collapsed, I had various difficult relationships to deal with inside and outside of my marriage including by business. After much self analysis I was getting nowhere, an emotional wreck and dare I say it had lost the will for life. Over a period of 4 months and 10? sessions Andrea has shown me, coached me , to a state of new found confidence and ability to look positively to the future. I can't recommend her highly enough. She is kind, understanding, can't be phased (really) and has the ability to make what seemed so complex understandable and in fact simple to navigate. I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

Jane Campbell

“Don't think or judge, just listen” (Sarah Dessen, Just Listen)

As a Complementary Therapist specialising in Reflexology, Massage and Reiki I have clients wanting to open up and share their innermost thoughts and worries, with my first instinct being to ‘fix’ them or their situation. As time went on I realised this was not the best solution for them, nor me, but I didn’t have the skills to know how to change. I knew that I wasn’t always a good listener as I was usually formulating my response before the other person had finished speaking, and I would quite often interrupt and speak over them.

So, I looked into the Introduction to Counselling Skills course and thought it was just what I was looking for, however wanted to make sure and spoke with the tutor Andrea Rippon. Andrea immediately put me at ease and as she described the eight week course I knew this was what I was looking for.

The course “will develop your understanding and use of effective listening skills so that you can improve your relationships at home, work and in helping/supporting relationships”.

We had plenty of time to practice what we were learning, and quickly developed an open and trusting relationship within the group, in line with the confidentiality contract we drew up. We learnt to “recognise and communicate empathy and unconditional positive regard for the other person within their internal frame of reference”. We took turns at being the listener, the speaker and the observer - all of which equally had their own challenges but were an incredibly valuable part of the process.

I learnt it’s about truly listening to another person without any judgment, accepting them as they are, not getting caught up in their story, but staying genuinely present with them. To be truly listened to is a fantastic experience and unfortunately in today’s world this is not something that happens often.

After doing this course you can progress further and study to become a counsellor, however for me this course was about personal development, allowing me to listen better and accept people and their situations without having the need to ‘fix’ them. It has given me clarity of who I am and how I relate to others, of being genuine, accepting and deeply understanding.

I realise I am a work in progress and I am looking forward to continuing to improve on my new found skills and self awareness in every day life, in all my interactions not just those I see in the treatment room.