Welcome to Circle
Looking for child or young people counselling?
How we make sure your child gets the right support
As one of the leading local providers of child and young people's counselling, we see a high volume of referrals. To make sure every child who comes to us is matched with the right support, we follow a clear assessment process before any therapy begins.
What we offer
Circle Thrive offers specialist, creative, child-centred counselling for children and young people aged 4 to 18, delivered by an experienced and carefully supervised team. We work with anxiety, school avoidance, loss, trauma, neurodiversity, family change and more, always at your child's pace.
The parent assessment
Every referral begins with a parent assessment with our Clinical Lead, held online. This gives us the full picture of your child's history and current needs, so we can be confident about the right next step.
Assessment first, not a guarantee
The parent assessment is to ensure we can offer your child the right support. It does not guarantee we will recommend therapy with Circle Therapy.
Signposting where needed
If we feel your child needs a different kind of support, we'll advise you on what that support should look like and help point you in the right direction.
Matched to a therapist
If we mutually decide to proceed, we'll allocate your child a therapist who is best matched to their individual needs. There can sometimes be a waiting time to be matched depending on our availability.
Allocated day & time
As we are one of the leading local providers of child and young people's support, our therapists' caseloads and availability are carefully managed. We're unable to offer a choice of day or time, this is allocated based on our current availability, so we can keep waiting times as short as possible for every family.
If the offered day or time doesn't work for you
You'll be placed on our priority list to be offered an alternative slot. Please note this alternative is still based on our current availability, not a preference, so we're not able to guarantee a specific day or time even from the priority list.
Parent assessments are held online.
We know this process asks for a little patience up front, and it's because we want to make sure your child receives the best possible support, whether that's with us or elsewhere. Once an assessment has taken place you are placed on our priority list if we mutually agree to proceed. Availability varies and we will keep you updated on waiting times.
Adult Counselling & Psychotherapy
Adult counselling & psychotherapy
A space to understand yourself more deeply
Our experienced, MNCPS-accredited counsellors and psychotherapists offer a warm, confidential space to explore whatever is troubling you, without judgement or pressure. Face to face in Tring, or online throughout the UK.
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Our assessments are the first step in ensuring you receive the right support. We may advise you of other services if we cannot meet your current needs.
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We offer 6 initial sessions as an assessment phase to ensure we are supporting you as best as possible and will review with you after these initial 6 sessions of therapy.
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It is always your decision when therapy ends, we always encourage a final session to consolidate our work together and say goodbye.
Challenges we work with
Our team has extensive experience across a wide range of emotional, psychological and relational difficulties. If you don't see your situation listed, get in touch, we're likely still able to help.
Abuse, ADHD, Affairs & betrayals, Anger management, Anxiety, Attachment, Autism, Bereavement, Bipolar disorder, Blended family, BPD, Bullying, Burnout, Cancer, Career counselling, Carer support, Childhood anxiety, Depression, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Family issues, High sensitivity, Jealousy, LGBTQ+ counselling, Loneliness, Low self-esteem, Menopause, Miscarriage, Narcissistic abuse, OCD, Panic attacks, Postnatal depression, Pregnancy & birth, Redundancy, Relationship problems, SAD, Self-harm, Separation & divorce, Sexual abuse, Social anxiety, Stress, Suicidal thoughts, Trauma, Work-related stress, Young carers
"You don't need to be in crisis to seek support, therapy is a space to understand yourself more deeply, whatever you're facing."Circle Therapy
Circle Relationships
Circle Relationships
Holding the space between you
For over a decade we've sat with families in their most tender moments, the grief, the transitions, the moments that quietly reshape everything. Circle Relationships is where that understanding lives, now held in the space between two people.
Couples therapy
For couples navigating disconnection, conflict, change or simply wanting to understand each other more deeply, together two years or twenty.
CommunicationConflictIntimacyReconnection
Parent & child
Supporting parents and children in understanding each other, repairing ruptures, and building secure connection.
Attachment repairConnectionBehaviour
Co-parenting
Supporting separated parents in finding a way to parent together with care and clarity, even when it's difficult.
SeparationCommunicationChildren's needs
Family relationships
Working with families navigating estrangement, loss, change, blended-family challenges and inherited patterns.
EstrangementBlended familiesGrief patterns
Loss & bereavement in relationship
Supporting couples and families holding loss together, including pregnancy loss or the death of a child.
BereavementPregnancy lossShared grief
Transitions & life change
New parents, empty nest, redundancy, illness and retirement, support through the pressure life change brings.
New parentsIllnessIdentity
Our approach
Attachment-based
Understanding how early relational experience shapes adult relationships.
Emotionally focused
Getting beneath conflict to the emotional needs underneath.
Systemic & relational
Holding the whole picture, dynamics, family patterns and wider context.
Trauma-informed
Working with safety and regulation at the centre of relational work.
"The goal of relationship therapy is not to fix what is broken, it is to help you both be truly seen."
Relationship therapy is led by Gayle Hammill, Clinical Director & Founder, and Jackie Wybrow, Senior Therapist, supported by a wider team of 15+ specialist practitioners.
Gayle's personal practice
Work directly with Gayle
Alongside her role as Founder & Clinical Director of Circle Therapy, Gayle runs a personal practice offering couples therapy, clinical supervision and relationship work.
Visit her website to find out more and book directly with her.
Supporting new parents through life's biggest transition
Pregnancy and early parenthood bring some of the most significant changes a person will ever navigate, physically, emotionally and in identity. Gayle offers dedicated support for new mothers and fathers as they move through this transition, at Circle Therapy or through her personal practice.
Pre-natal anxiety
Support with worry, fear and overwhelm during pregnancy, including anxiety about birth, health and the changes ahead.
Postnatal depression
A confidential space to process low mood, exhaustion and the pressures of early parenthood without judgement.
Postnatal low mood
Support for the ups and downs of adjusting to life with a new baby, and finding your footing again.
Fathers & partners
Support is not just for mothers, fathers and partners are welcomed and supported through this transition too.
Accessible support
Low-cost counselling & school staff support
We believe therapy should be accessible. Our low-cost service is delivered by our own counsellors in training, carefully selected, supported and supervised by Gayle Hammill and Stella Clark.
Circle Connect, low-cost counselling
Delivered by our counsellors undertaking their Diploma training, pending an initial assessment. We ask that you can commit to a minimum of 6–10 weekly sessions at our Tring practice, this service is not currently available online.
50 mins · £20–£35 for weekly sessions.
School staff counselling
Those that look after others need to be looked after too. This low-cost service is offered in partnership with local schools, including Tring School (Ridgeway Learning Partnership), contact us and quote your school name for a confidential self-referral form.
Meet the Team
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Gayle Hammill
Clinical Director Psychotherapeutic Therapist supporting Couples, Children and Supervisees
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Stella Clark
Senior Therapist & Supervisor Supporting Children, young people and adults
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Lisa Allen
Senior Psychotherapeutic Therapist & Supervisor supporting Children & Young People
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Jackie Wybrow
Advanced Psychotherapeutic Therapist supporting adults and couples
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Tracey Lewis
Psychotherapeutic Therapist supporting adults
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Charlotte Hickmore
Psychotherapeutic Therapist supporting young people and adults
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Clare South
Psychotherapeutic Therapist supporting children and young people up to age 24
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Jen Birch
Therapist supporting young people and adults
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Lucy
Counsellor supporting young people and adults
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James
Student Counsellor
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Sarah
Student Counsellor
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Polly
Student Counsellor
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Emma
Student Counsellor
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Georgie
Student Counsellor
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Sian
Administrator
Circle session fees
Every service begins with an initial assessment. Low-cost options are available across our adult and child services, pending assessment and availability.
One-to-one adult counselling 60 mins · weekly · biweekly sessions priced per therapist £60–£80
Child or young person counselling 45 mins · weekly sessions, following assessment £67–£80
Child counselling with StellaWeekly £80 · biweekly £90
Monthly one-to-one sessions (adult, adolescent or child)
For clients moving to a monthly maintenance frequency £90
Relationship counselling with Gayle 60 mins weekly (initial assessment 60 mins £110) · 60 mins biweekly £110 ·
Monthly maintenance sessions £130
Relationship counselling with Jackie 60 mins (initial assessment 60 mins £110) weekly sessions £90
Circle Connect, low-cost service50 mins · delivered by counsellors in Diploma training £20–£35
Parent & child sessions50 mins · fostering connection through talking or play £100
Parent assessment session (child therapy) 60 mins with Gayle, Clinical Lead, required before therapy begins£85
Session fees are paid ahead of each session by invoice, with a pay-by-card link.