Linda Hoinville - Profile

My name is Linda, I am a counsellor based at The Eaves in Guildford. I understand that life can be challenging at times, we can feel overwhelmed by our thoughts and feelings. I offer a safe, confidential, supportive space where you can talk freely about whatever you are currently dealing with without fear of judgement so that you can move forward in your life.

Who I work with

I have worked with adults to address a range of issues including anxiety, depression, addiction, relationship struggles, sexual and domestic abuse, trauma, bereavement, low self-esteem, perfectionism and stressful work situations. I believe that everyone has the potential to overcome their difficulties and move forward in life, but it can be difficult to achieve this alone.

How I work

The decision to start counselling is a courageous first step on this journey of self-discovery. I will accompany you on this journey by listening with empathy and compassion to create a trusting relationship in which you feel valued, heard and validated.

I will help you to explore and express your uncomfortable feelings so that you can make sense of whatever is happening in your life and better understand and accept yourself. I will encourage you to take responsibility for your own life so that you can decide how to find a way forward by make lasting changes that create a more satisfying and rewarding future.

You are the expert on your own life and as a humanistic counsellor I will put you at the heart of this journey to provide a positive, beneficial counselling experience. I combine ideas from person centred, Gestalt and Transactional analysis counselling theories and will adapt my approach to meet your individual needs. I will respect your ability to decide what works for you in counselling and how you can best use the understanding you develop about yourself to make changes.

How many sessions

Every counselling experience is unique, some clients may only want to meet for a few sessions, others may wish to continue meeting for longer. Having made the decision to work together we will regularly review how long to continue doing so.

When and where I work

I work in person at The Eaves in Guildford, easily accessible from Woking, Godalming, Cranleigh, Haslemere, Farnham, Aldershot and Farnborough. I currently have availability on a Thursday morning.

Free 30 minute initial phone call
The quality of the relationship we develop is fundamental to the success of the counselling process. I offer a free, 30 minute initial phone call so that we can talk about the challenges that you are currently facing and decide whether we should start working together.

Testimonials

I saw Linda once a week for nearly a year. She has been a lifesaver to me. She is kind, insightful and completely without judgement. I felt safe sharing anything with her and trusted her completely. She provided a safe and calm environment…. Together we have worked through a lifetime of addiction, trauma and unhappiness and for the first time in 47 years I am content in myself. She has helped me so, so much, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anybody who needs help.

I was feeling very lost and confused and unclear when I first started with Linda. Her kind face patiently looking at me while I worked through my pain became a weekly source of comfort and clarity for me. I really felt she was with me and cared and that support was an invaluable key to see my situation with clarity… I felt cared for and extremely comforted. Linda is just the right mix of empathy and subtle guidance. She’s brilliant.

The counselling process provided me with a safe and stable environment to explore my emotions, experiences and thought patterns, benefitting from personalised approaches to aid reflection and support to make steps towards the future I envision for myself. The process has enabled me to feel empowered to move forward positively and I have gained valuable insights and strategies to support my emotional regulation.

Following a 25 year career as an animal health researcher I pursued a long-standing interest in health and wellbeing and retrained as a humanistic counsellor.

Before working in private practice, I volunteered in a number of settings:

• Anxiety and depression self-help group facilitator (Cornerhouse, Woking)
• Bereavement support worker (Cruse bereavement care, Guildford)
• Volunteer counsellor (MCPS counselling service, London)
• Volunteer counsellor (University of Surrey centre for wellbeing, Guildford)
• Volunteer counsellor (The Eaves low cost counselling service, Guildford)

Memberships & Accreditations

As a BACP registered counsellor I adhere to their code of ethics and undertake regular training to keep up to date with developments in counselling approaches. I also attend regular supervision with an experienced counsellor to ensure that I provide the best possible service to my clients.