Bay Whitaker

Over the years in private practice I have helped hundreds of Sheffield people make positive changes in their lives. I’ve worked as a counsellor for Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service and have specialist experience of counselling people who have suffered from abuse. Recently I have also been working with clients to help them with issues such as depression, relationship problems and work-related stress.  In addition I am experienced in helping those who have experienced trauma through accidents, often in the workplace. I also have expertise in counselling for alternative sexualities and regularly attend an advanced discussion group at the campaigning organisation, Pink Therapy.  As a kink-positive therapist, I work in an accepting way with people of all genders and sexual minorities. 

In 2015 I qualified as a supervisor at the Manchester Institute of Psychotherapy, which means I can offer clinical supervision to other counsellors and therapists, or those in helping and support roles.

My approach

I offer a fresh perspective on your situation. Many people undergo experiences that can affect them in different ways for years. A better understanding of what has happened and the chance to talk with a professional about it, can help people move on.

My integrated approach means I draw on a variety of therapies including transactional analysis (TA), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Gestalt. In particular, I find that TA is an easy and effective way to help people to understand their own patterns of behaviour and how they communicate in order to be able to think and act differently.

I take a philosophical approach to people’s issues and thinking, informed by my academic background in analytical philosophy and existentialism. It allows me to help clients to unravel ‘illogical’ thinking about their situation, while also recognising that it’s alright, even desirable, to be illogical at times.

Where it all started

Before I became a counsellor I worked for many years at the Universities of Sheffield, East London and Cambridge.  My academic interests are rooted in analytic philosophy and existentialism. I researched and taught philosophy before developing an interest in counselling and psychotherapy.

"Counselling with Bay has helped me to come up with strategies to cope with anxiety, and to think of things in a new and different way.  I will continue to work on some of the thought processes we have started"

“Having counselling with Bay has enabled a high degree of self-acceptance and enabled me to find a way between risky behaviour and more expansive self-expression”