My name is Alison Louis and I run a counselling practice called Time For Answers.

Whether you’ve found yourself on this page by accident or design, welcome to counselling in Southport!
Time for Answers is a personal counselling service based in Southport, England. It is run by myself, Alison Louis, an accredited counsellor with over 10 years experience in private and voluntary organisations across Merseyside.

I specialise in counselling for :

Control Addiction

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Addiction – alcoholism, co dependency, relationships,  numbing feeling with substances or behaviour

Anxiety

Anger

Having a hard time transitioning from military to civilian life

Eating disorders

Relationships

Centred around the ‘self’, the counselling I offer allows you to explore your feelings and thoughts in a safe, non-judgemental and consistent environment.

At Time For Answers, your mental and emotional well-being is a priority.

Online is an option too……Some people find that they are very busy and it’s difficult to come to my practice room for an appointment, maybe they travel away a lot or have people to care for at home so cannot get to me, or maybe they are more comfortable with using an iPad, laptop or PC. To help people in such situations I also offer an online service, that is often more suitable these days than visiting a physical location.

I offer an initial free 15 minute chat for people who would like to try my online counselling. See my online counselling page for details.

Bit about me…

I have an MA in Clinical Counselling and am a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) which means that all my work is conducted in accordance with their ethical guidelines, necessitating regular supervision.

I have a background in education, as a lecturer in Further and Higher Education teaching Computing and IT. Prior to that I worked in the IT industry. I began using counselling skills in my teaching role as a personal tutor, before qualifying as a counsellor and then working for myself as a full-time in 2011.
My counselling qualifications have been based on the person-centred approach. I have also undertaken training in other skills including CBT and Transaction Analysis and continue to undertake professional development.
I am a qualified Mentor for SSAFA, a charity dedicated to supporting veterans and their families.

My philosophy to counselling is based on the belief that each person is fundamentally an expert on themselves and knows what they need. However, there are times when circumstances bring overwhelming challenges that necessitate seeking help from someone with appropriate skills. Just as we may seek help from a Doctor if we are in physically pain, so we may need help from a counsellor if we are in emotional pain.