Reaching out for help is the bravest thing that you can do.
Welcome to Armitage Counselling Services
Counselling, Psychotherapy in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire & Online
Thank you for visiting our website. We are Integrative Psychotherapists committed to providing high‑quality, compassionate, and affordable therapeutic support to clients across Stoke‑on‑Trent, Staffordshire, and online.
We understand that beginning therapy can feel daunting, which is why finding a therapist you can trust—someone who helps you feel comfortable, valued, and safe—is essential. Walking alongside individuals on their journey of self‑discovery is a privilege we hold with deep respect. Our aim is to offer a secure, attuned, and welcoming environment where clients feel heard, supported, and genuinely important.
Sadly, life is not always straightforward, and there are times when we all need support to process and explore our difficulties. Our role is to accompany you on this journey, offering a safe and reflective space where exploration and growth can take place. We provide therapeutic skills and techniques designed to help you consider alternative perspectives and approaches, supporting you to move forward with greater clarity and confidence. We are now able to offer both male and female therapists.
Tracey Armitage
I hold a BSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy and an MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, training that has equipped me to work confidently and sensitively across a range of evidence‑based modalities. My practice integrates Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Person‑Centred approaches, allowing me to tailor support to each individual’s needs. This combination of academic grounding and clinical experience enables me to offer a thoughtful, relational, and effective therapeutic space where clients can explore, understand, and move forward with greater resilience and self‑awareness.
Ian Armitage
I hold a BSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy, specialising in humanistic approaches with a strong foundation in Person‑Centred practice. This training has shaped my commitment to working in a relational, empathic, and client‑led way, supporting individuals to explore their experiences with compassion, autonomy, and authenticity.
People come to me for help a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through therapy:
Neurodiversity Coaching
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavement
Problems with addiction
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Depression
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger management
Issues relating to sexuality
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Healing of childhood trauma through inner child work
SPEAK IN CONFIDENCE
Counselling takes place in a safe space, where you can meet with someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy - and without judgement. In the therapy space thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely and in confidence.
A PROBLEM SHARED...
Trouble with a relationship; anxiety or panic attacks; mood swings or depression - many people face difficulties in their everyday lives that can be hard to get on top of. Counselling gives us a set of tools we can use to help gain a better understanding of what’s causing these problems - and how you can move towards managing or resolving them.
ADDICTION
Addiction is a complex disease that can significantly impact upon all areas of life. I offer an holistic approach that supports the whole family, not just the person that is suffering with the addiction. This is a unique approach to therapy and is tailored accordingly to suit the requirements of the individual, and those close to them. The journey of recovery is personal, therefore I suggest you call for more details surrounding this service and how we can approach this together.
INNER CHILD WORK
Clients may sometimes feel stuck in therapy when unresolved childhood trauma continues to shape their emotional world. Together, we can begin to gently access and understand the inner child, a process that often becomes a powerful step toward healing. By recognising unmet childhood needs, we can start to nurture the inner child with compassion, curiosity, and care. This work can be deeply transformative, offering clients a meaningful pathway toward greater emotional integration, resilience, and self‑connection.
Neurodiversity Coaching
We are now able to offer neurodiversity coaching, designed to support individuals in navigating and thriving within a predominantly neurotypical world. Our approach centres on recognising and valuing each person’s unique strengths while providing practical strategies to manage challenges such as procrastination and task paralysis. Through compassionate, personalised guidance, we help clients build confidence, reduce overwhelm, and develop sustainable routines that work for their brains. Whether you're looking to better understand your neurodivergent identity, improve daily functioning, or gain tools for study, work, or life, our coaching offers an empowering space to create meaningful, authentic change.
Contact Us
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how we work, or to arrange a free consultation. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether we are the right therapists to help.
You can also call us on 07851 706398 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to us first. We are happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
GETTING STARTED
Therapy has the ability to transform your life, therefore, it is important that you find a therapist that you feel you have a connection with and whom you can trust. For this reason, we would prefer to invite you along for a relaxed, initial consultation, free of charge. This provides us with an opportunity to explore the therapeutic journey together and allows you to decide if we are the right therapists for you. We are based in Trentham, Stoke On Trent and we are happy to provide therapy in our therapy suite, online or outdoors for 'walk and talk' therapy. It is important that you feel safe in your environment, therefore, we are happy to accommodate your requirements where possible. We offer discounted rates for undergraduate students that require personal therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Counselling is usually a good way to help with a current problem; something that can be discussed and - hopefully - resolved within a limited number of sessions. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and away forward becomes clear. Therapy often describes work that goes a bit deeper, towards more substantial life issues and problems having a deeper effect on the client’s life. Therapy often requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open-ended.
Which option is most suitable depends on the client and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling works well as an ongoing, longer-term option - or therapy can manage to resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availabity. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availabity of that free ‘slot’.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.
Note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others, and there the law requires that I notify an authority; in these cases I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. Having someone else with you who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.