Richard Willis

My name is Rich and I’m an Integrative counsellor which means I can utilise various approaches such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), Humanistic, Solution-Focused, Gestalt, amongst many more. The beauty of being an Integrative counsellor is to provide a service that is tailored to you.

I have worked with people of all ages from children and young people to adults, and older adults. I have had experience working with a variety of issues such as Depression, Anxiety, Gambling, Anger Management, Trauma, and Stress to name a few.

I also specialise in Sports Counselling. Sports Counselling is for athletes who are struggling with their mental health. One of the biggest barriers as to why athletes don’t seek counselling is stigma. As elite athletes, you are encouraged to be mentally tough and to be the best athlete to excel in your sport. As a result, the discussion of mental health is deemed a sign of weakness and that you should be mentally tough to ‘get up and get on with it’. This mentality is counterproductive to your mental health and can be a detriment to your performance as an athlete. As elite athletes, several concerns can affect your mental health and performance:

• Identity (who am I outside of being an athlete)
• Transitioning (retirement, injury, or into a new club)
• Injuries
• Retirement & uncertainty about future
• De-selection
• Self-medicating for pain relief
• Substance use
• Gambling
• Financial concerns
• Living away from home/ Always travelling
• Disordered eating/ Body image
• Perfectionism
• Burnout
• Stress
• Fear of failure
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Anger

As well as worries and struggles with the sporting environment, there will be issues outside of your sport such as relationship/family issues, grief and loss to name a few. It might not be just one thing, it could be a combination. Through Sports Counselling, we can work together to help you gain control and an understanding of your mental health. Also, develop coping strategies and techniques that will help you reach your potential as an elite athlete but also as a person.