Markwick Counselling & Veronique Briant

Markwick Counselling offers couple counselling, relationship therapy and individual therapy to adults all over the UK via Zoom and phone.

Veronique Briant MBACP (Accred) provides a supportive and encouraging space where clients can explore their current situation - what brings them to therapy - and reflect on where they would like to be in the future. Along the way, sessions can include practical goal-setting, building self-awareness, and noticing patterns that may no longer serve you.

Veronique’s specialism is relationship therapy, working with both individuals and couples. She is a registered psychotherapist with AXA Private Health Insurance, and her BACP Accredited status reflects a high level of experience, professional development, integrity, and knowledge.

Why have counselling?

You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from counselling. Many clients choose therapy to reflect on life, explore options, navigate transitions, or simply to have a ‘tune-up’. Others may be facing a particularly challenging period and need a safe, supportive space to talk through what’s happening.

You set your own goals, and together regularly review progress to ensure sessions are meeting your needs. Along the way, clients begin a journey of self-discovery - identifying what matters most, noticing unhelpful patterns, and exploring ways to create a more fulfilling and balanced future.

Specialisms

• Relationships, communication and family issues

• Couples: staying together / considering separation

• Issues surrounding partnership, family, roles, affairs & infidelity

• Career stress and work: change, redundancy, work/life balance

• Mid-life questions: empty nesting, menopause, retirement and finance

• Addictions, ACOA (adult children of alcoholics/addicts) coping behaviours, self-harm and codependency

• Isolation, intimacy, communities and beliefs - identity and roles - creating a sense of self

• Anxiety, depression and stress

• Support surrounding change and transition; coping with change

• Short term/solution-focussed work via private health insurance and EAP organisations

• Clinical supervision for both trainee students, newly qualified and experienced counsellors

Please click on the tab ‘FAQ’ (Frequently Asked Questions’) or here for more information about therapy, the process and what to expect.

Online Therapy

Many clients appreciate the flexibility of working online, allowing them to access sessions from the comfort of their home or another confidential space, whether they are local or further afield. I currently see clients from across the UK via Zoom.

To ensure the best possible experience, I have completed advanced online and e-therapy training that meets the 2021 BACP and ACTO competence framework requirements for psychotherapists offering online counselling.

For online sessions, I provide a Zoom link that becomes your personal, permanent access point - simply click the link at your appointment time. For couples, I ask that each partner joins from a separate device so you can see each other face-on; this format works very effectively. For phone sessions, I call you at the scheduled time and the session continues as normal

The First Session

Ahead of your first session, I will send you a registration form along with a contract/terms document. This contract, which we both sign, outlines confidentiality, my fees and cancellation policy, details about my insurance, and includes a reference and link to the BACP Ethical Framework.

Sometimes we may have a brief phone conversation before the first session to discuss your needs and answer any questions you might have about your concerns or the therapy process.

During the first session, I will review your registration details and take a short history covering your background, current health, and what you hope to achieve. This session is your opportunity to share what has been happening, the issues you’d like to address, and any goals you may want to set for therapy. Often, we will also begin some initial work together, giving you a sense of how therapy feels and what can be achieved.

Online counselling - privacy notice

For online sessions, I use the online platform, Zoom, which has connectors for encryption built in. Please see: ‘The Facts Around Zoom and Encryption for Meetings/Webinars’. When engaging via video conferencing, we both agree not to use any recording devices and ensure that each venue is private, ensuring confidentiality.

Using a mobile network and 3rd party provider for online sessions means very occasionally there may be disruption to the service, due to unforeseen circumstances. If any disruption occurs, I will aim to re-connect with you immediately by mobile, text or email to continue and complete your counselling session or rearrange. Please also consider the speed of your own internet connection and available privacy for your sessions.