Linda Hoinville - Profile

Whether you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, struggling with relationships at home or at work, I offer a safe, non-judgemental space for you to explore and make sense of your unique experience. I am committed to working with you to gain new perspectives that will empower you to overcome your challenges and make lasting changes so that you can move forward in your life.

Who I work with

I have worked with adult clients 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.

Am I the right counsellor for you
I offer a free, 30 minute initial phone call to talk about the challenges that you are currently facing, your hopes for counselling, and how we might work together. You will have the opportunity to ask questions to help you decide whether we should start working together.

How I work

The quality of the relationship we develop is fundamental to the success of the counselling process. I believe that you are the expert on your own life so I will put you at the heart of this relationship to provide a positive, beneficial journey of self-discovery.

I listen with empathy and compassion and without judgement to create a trusting relationship in which you feel valued, heard, accepted and validated. I aim to provide a supportive space for you to talk freely in order to help reduce your distress.

Together we can explore how your behaviour is impacted by your current and past experience in order to gain insights that will inform meaningful changes allowing you to build a more authentic, connected, satisfying future. As a humanistic counsellor I combine ideas from person centred, Gestalt and Transactional analysis counselling theories and will adapt my approach to meet your individual needs.

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 and a Monday evening.

Feedback from previous clients

“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.”

After working as a veterinary surgeon and animal health researcher I pursued a long-standing interest in people’s 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.