Max Townley
Meet the therapist
© 2024 by Webbonlinesolutions.
What attracted you to become a therapist?
I have always had a strong curiosity about people and about the way our minds work. I was drawn to counselling as a way to connect on a deep empathic level with people and to accompany others on difficult journeys. I often struggled with my own mental health as a teen and a young adult and I find myself pulled towards helping others with similar experiences from a desire to offer the support I also needed at those times in my life.
Where did you train?
I received my BSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy at Salford University. I have since completed additional training in working with survivors of domestic violence, I have completed the Transactional 101 course and recently received a diploma from Pink Therapy in working with Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity.
Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise? (what it means for clients, why you chose it)
The core of my work is Person-Centred which puts my clients at the centre of all of our work together. I do not assume that I am in any way an expert in my clients lives, but instead they are and all of our work revolves around that fundamental concept. I do work integratively, which means that I take elements of other training and approaches where appropriate to help my clients better understand their own feelings, reactions and behaviours.
What sort of people do you usually see? (age, common difficulties, individuals / couples / teens etc.)
I primarily see adults from around 18 years of age upwards. As I have predominately trained with adults on a one to one basis, I feel I am better suited to work with this group.
What do you wish people knew about therapy?
I wish that more people understood that while therapy can be a helpful aid in times of difficulty, it can also be a wonderful way to learn more about yourself at any stage in life. Being able to access therapy can open up a journey of understanding about how and why we think and behave the way we do which can enable change and growth and this can happen at any time in a person's life. Therapy is not just for times of crisis.
What did you learn about yourself in therapy?
I have accessed therapy at different stages in my own life and have learnt different things about myself each time. The biggest lesson I have taken away from therapy is the need I have to find time for myself and how important it is to centre myself and my own wellbeing and how not doing so can have impacts beyond myself. I have learnt more about my own neurodiversity and about the importance of giving myself grace, compassion, forgiveness and patience to be able to exist in a world which is not always set up to cater for people like myself.