About Us

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Our Story

Committed to counselling

We are a husband and wife team of counsellors based in Broughshane, near Ballymena (County Antrim). In addition to our counselling skills and extensive life experience, we offer compassion and commitment to helping the people we work with in our local area – improving their quality of life and enhancing their wellbeing.

Alison and Paul met a few years ago, as mature students on an Integrative Counselling degree course with Ulster University. Having both decided on changing careers direction late in life, we completed our 3 years of study and 100 hours of counselling practice to become qualified. We each have over 30 years experience in previous jobs, mainly in management roles. Alison has a background in retail management, and Paul worked in IT team management. Since qualification, we have built up our experience mainly in the mental health charity sector, and after marrying in 2024, we established our own private therapy practice under the banner of “Evoke Counselling”. We continue to work locally with a wide range of people in the County Antrim area – dealing mainly with issues of stress, anxiety, bullying, domestic abuse, and loss. Our clients include individuals contacting us directly or via healthcare providers, charities or their company’s HR department.

We are always aware that your choice of counsellor is a very personal matter, and you need to feel comfortable with either one of us right from the outset. As a result, we offer a free initial consultation, so you have nothing to lose in coming to meet Alison or Paul for the first time and starting your life-changing journey. We continually see the power that counselling has to change lives for the better. We look forward to working with you.

Paul & Alison Rodgers.

Our Values

Our Work Is Based On Our Core Values

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Compassion

To us, compassion goes beyond simple kindness; it is a heart-felt commitment to your healing and growth as a person. It involves authentic acceptance of your experiences without judgment. This approach is rooted in the “Good Samaritan” principle of universal compassion, which motivates us to relate to every client with genuine care, even during moments of intense personal distress. In our sessions, this means I won’t just listen to your problems to find a solution; I will listen to validate your feelings and understand your unique perspective. This compassionate connection fosters an environment where you can begin to understand yourself more fully. My goal is to walk side-by-side with you, offering genuine warmth and an encouraging presence that respects your personality, values and free-will.

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Connection

Human beings are hardwired to connect, and it is clinically proven that meaningful connection is what truly heals. In our work, this connection manifests as a “therapeutic alliance”—a collaborative partnership where we join forces to work toward your desired goals. You will feel listened to, respected, and understood through an approach that values your unique identity and life story. This sense of being “attuned” to one another creates a powerful flow that helps us uncover the root causes of your distress and identify new opportunities for change. By working together with honesty and openness, we build a resilient bond that empowers you to achieve lasting change. This connection isn’t just about being friendly; it is a professional, focused interaction that gives meaning and purpose to your experience of therapy.

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Safety

Creating a safe and secure space is the essential starting point for our work together. In our practice, safety means providing a non-judgmental environment where you can explore your most difficult thoughts and feelings at your own pace, without fear of reproach or being “fixed”. This “psychological safety” is vital because it allows you to be vulnerable and honest, which is often where the most significant healing begins. We are committed to protecting your privacy and dignity, ensuring that our counselling supports you even when the path to change feels challenging. This environment isn’t just a comfort; it is a practical necessity that empowers you to take control of your own healing journey. Whether we meet in person or online, our goal is for you to feel supported every step of the way.

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Trust

Trust is the foundation of everything we do in counselling, and we view being trustworthy as a serious ethical commitment to you. For therapy to be effective, you need to feel confident sharing your sensitive personal information and wellbeing with us. We build this trust through consistency, professional integrity, and a strict adherence to confidentiality. We will always be open and honest with you about our work, communicating clearly what you can expect and honoring the trust you place in us as counsellors. This means being reliable, keeping our skills up to date, and maintaining high standards of professional integrity. Trust is not just about keeping secrets; it is about ensuring you feel secure and respected throughout our partnership.

We carefully protect our clients’ anonymity – but we treasure so many things they’ve said…

What Our Clients Say

“I have really felt listened to and understood. You have a way of picking up on the things I say about myself without thinking – so I am gradually trying to be a bit less hard on myself.”
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“This has been so helpful. I am starting to make sense of the things that trigger my anxiety – and not just that, but understanding where it comes from in my past.”
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“I have been so stuck for so long, but I have come to understand that the fear and pain of my past don’t have to control my future.”
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“I am practicing the coping strategies you taught me and these techniques are really working. I know now that I can reach for them when I feel the warning signals coming on.”
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“I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk about all those things that happened – but I knew I couldn’t keep a lid on them forever. You have given me so much time and space to process all this stuff!”
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“I look forward to this time every week where I can just be myself and talk about all these thoughts that I can’t share with anyone else.”
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23A Raceview Mill, Broughshane, BT42 4FA

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