Debs Barritt

Welcome to ADAPT Counselling.  I am an experienced, person-centred counsellor, which means I offer sessions that put you in the driving seat.  You get to choose how we work, and my job is to accompany you on your journey.

First and foremost, closest to my heart is 'community'.  I love meeting new people and discovering I can make a difference in their lives.  Coming from a broken home and attending a boarding school for 'maladjusted' children, I am familiar with the challenges life can bring.

My unhappy childhood led to me yearning to give something back in this world and I began studying for a certificate in part-time youth work at Brunel University.  I loved it!  It didn't stop there!  I went on to train and qualify as a counsellor and opened a private practice in Basingstoke, Hampshire, re-locating to the beautiful countryside of Suffolk.  I have precious memories of my client work in Basingstoke, where I still hold fond connections.

I am a mother to two fabulous sons and grandmother to two adorable grandchildren. I now live in Haverhill. I worked at St Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke, in the bereavement service, where my counselling training began. Sitting by people's bedsides at the end of their lives, is the most amazing privilege I have ever had.  Just the holding of a hand, or the stroking of an arm, sometimes was all that was needed.   I hold many stories from those days, and truly hope I was able to bring solace to all those I sat with.

I have a wealth of experience helping people through bereavement issues, baby loss, and the searing pain that can bring.  We can never bring our loved ones back, no matter how much we often long to do so.  However we can learn how to adjust and find a place to hold them in our hearts, without moving on from them, yet moving forward.

The greatest thing about my work is that I no longer see myself as a victim, but as a survivor, and I am here to bring hope.  I truly believe that if I can experience the toughest of times and come through, still standing, still moving forward, then so can you.

Why not get in touch to find out more about how I can help?