About Vicky Martin - Counsellor in Bolton & Online
Hello, I’m Vicky Martin, a qualified counsellor based in Bolton, offering face-to-face and online counselling for adults.
What I value most about counselling is the connection between two people and the opportunity to really understand someone's experiences. I have always been interested in people, what shapes us, how we respond to life's challenges, and how understanding ourselves can help us move forward.
I do not believe that struggling means there is something wrong with you. Often, our feelings and responses make more sense when we begin to explore what we have experienced and what is happening in our lives.
My approach is rooted in person-centred counselling, alongside CBT-informed techniques where they may be helpful. I enjoy working collaboratively with clients, exploring patterns, making sense of difficulties, and recognising strengths that can sometimes be hard to see in ourselves.
How I Work
My counselling approach is grounded in person-centred therapy, which means that you are at the heart of our work together. I believe you are the expert on your own experiences, and my role is to listen, understand and help you explore what may be happening in your life, without judgement or assumptions.
I also draw on my training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), where appropriate. This can involve looking at how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours influence one another, recognising patterns that may be contributing to your difficulties and exploring practical strategies to help you manage them.
Some people find it helpful to have tools or techniques they can use between sessions, while others benefit more from having time to talk, reflect and make sense of their experiences. There is no set formula. We can work together to find an approach that suits you and what you would like to gain from counselling.
My aim is not to tell you what to do or how you should feel, but to help you develop a greater understanding of yourself, recognise your own strengths and feel more confident in finding a way forward.
Areas of Experience and Interest
Alongside supporting adults with a wide range of emotional difficulties, there are three areas of counselling that I have a particular interest in and continue to develop through my work and professional training.
Anxiety, Overthinking and Emotional Wellbeing
I work with adults experiencing anxiety, persistent worry, overthinking, burnout, and low self-esteem. I am particularly interested in helping people understand the patterns behind their difficulties, including people-pleasing, self-criticism, and the pressure to meet other people's expectations.
Women's Emotional Wellbeing
I support women through perimenopause and menopause, drawing on specialist training through the EMBERS® Professional Training Programme. My work includes anxiety, changes in mood, sleep difficulties, loss of confidence, and changes in their sense of identity, combining emotional support with practical strategies.
My previous experience as a midwife also informs my counselling work with pregnancy and baby loss, birth trauma, and emotional difficulties during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Autism, ADHD and Neurodivergence
I have experience counselling neurodivergent adults, including people with autism and ADHD, whether diagnosed, self-identified, or exploring the possibility of being neurodivergent. My work includes supporting clients with anxiety, sensory overwhelm, self-esteem, relationships, and the impact of feeling misunderstood or different. I also support people navigating the assessment process and adjusting to a diagnosis.
These areas are important parts of my practice, but they do not define everyone I work with. I also support adults experiencing grief, depression, relationship difficulties, and significant changes in their lives.
Background and Experience
My counselling experience includes two placements that ran alongside each other over two years. One was based in a GP surgery within the NHS Talking Therapies service, where I supported adults experiencing anxiety, low mood, grief and a range of life challenges. The other was with a charity supporting young people aged 18–25 experiencing homelessness. Here my work included supporting young adults affected by adverse childhood experiences, trauma, difficult family relationships and the emotional impact of homelessness.
During this time, I also volunteered with a pregnancy loss and bereavement charity and Home-Start, supporting families with young children.
Since completing my training, I have established my own private counselling practice, working with adults experiencing a range of emotional difficulties. I continue to develop my knowledge and skills through further qualifications, specialist training and ongoing professional development.
Before becoming a counsellor, I spent many years running my own business alongside raising four children and managing a busy family life. I understand some of the challenges of juggling work, parenting and everyday responsibilities, and how easy it can be for our own needs to slip down the list of priorities. My earlier background also includes working as an NHS midwife and volunteering with the NCT.
These different experiences have shaped my understanding of people, relationships and the challenges we can face at different stages of life. They continue to inform my counselling work, while recognising that everyone's experiences and circumstances are individual.
Qualifications and Professional Training
Counselling Qualifications
Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills and Theory
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Person-Centred)
Specialist Training
EMBERS® Menopause-Informed CBT Professional Training
SANDS Counsellor Training Programme
Foundation for Infant Loss Practitioner Training
Make Birth Better: The Birth Trauma Training Programme
Additional Professional Development
Working with Suicide and Self-Harm
Relational Trauma and Disorganised Attachment
Neurodiversity, including Autism and ADHD
I am committed to continuing professional development, regularly undertaking further training to broaden my knowledge, develop my skills and inform my counselling practice.
A Little More About Me
Outside the counselling room, you will often find me curled up with a good book, getting messy with a craft project or baking something delicious. I enjoy being creative and trying my hand at different things, although they don't always turn out quite as planned! I also enjoy yoga and spending time with my family.
I love being outdoors, particularly walking through local woodlands with my dog. I enjoy exploring the trails, playing games with her, and watching her have fun.
We also spend time in Cumbria whenever we can, visiting family near the coast. The photograph was taken on the beach there, one of my favourite places to completely switch off and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Taking the next step
If you're considering counselling, I offer a free 20-minute consultation where we can have an initial conversation about what has brought you here, what you're hoping to gain from counselling and any questions you may have.
It's also an opportunity for us to see whether working together feels like a good fit. I offer face-to-face counselling in Bolton and online sessions.