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Counselling and Psychotherapy in Brighton and Hove

WITH Jay Beichman PhD

Welcome to

Counselling and Psychotherapy

in Brighton & Hove

Jay Beichman PhD, BACP (Accred): Humanistic, Integrative and Pluralistic

Counselling and Therapy in Brighton

A confidential space to talk, reflect, and find a way forward

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, low, or unsure about what’s next, therapy can offer a space to slow things down and make sense of what’s going on for you.


I offer counselling and psychotherapy in Brighton & Hove for people who want to understand themselves better, work through difficulties, and find more freedom in how they live their lives. Sessions are available in person, as well as online or by phone.

"I understand who I am so much more now - and not only that but how I can be who I want to be for the future. I am a much happier person. It's given me freedom." — Client Testimonial

How Therapy With Me Can Help

People come to therapy for many different reasons. You might be:

  • Feeling anxious, low, or emotionally overwhelmed
  • Struggling with grief, loss, or a major life change
  • Finding relationships difficult or painful
  • Feeling disconnected from yourself, uncertain, or stuck
  • Living with a diagnosis and wanting a more holistic way of understanding your experience


You don’t need to know exactly what’s wrong or what you want to work on. Therapy can be a place to explore this together, at your own pace, in a non-judgemental and supportive relationship.

GET IN TOUCH

Jay Beichman - Counsellor and Psychotherapist.

My Approach

At the heart of my work is a belief that people have an innate capacity for growth, meaning, and change — even when life feels very difficult.

I work in a humanistic, integrative, and pluralistic way. In practice, this means:

  • I focus on you as a person, not a label or diagnosis
  • We work collaboratively, shaping therapy around what feels most helpful to you
  • I draw on different therapeutic approaches when useful, rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all model


For some people, therapy involves looking at past experiences and how they continue to shape the present. For others, it’s more about finding practical ways to cope, make changes, or relate differently to themselves and others. Often, it’s a combination of both.

What Sessions Are Like

Sessions offer a calm, confidential space where you can speak openly and be met with care, curiosity, and respect. I may gently challenge assumptions when it feels helpful, but always with the aim of supporting understanding, clarity, and choice.

Many people tell me that simply having a place where they can talk honestly — without pressure or judgement — is an important first step.

Practical Details

  • Location: Central Brighton, near the Level / Open Market and Elm Grove. Easily accessible by bus, with on-street parking nearby.
  • Sessions: In person, online (Zoom), or by phone.
  • Recognition: BUPA, Aviva, Axa, Vitality, and WPA Insurance Companies.
  • Contact Details and Fees: please see below next to enquiry form.

About Me

I’m Jay Beichman, a counsellor and psychotherapist with over 25 years’ experience working with individuals in a wide range of settings, including primary care, voluntary organisations, and private practice.


Alongside my clinical work, I have a long-standing interest in how therapy can be flexible, collaborative, and responsive to individual clients rather than driven by rigid models. This led to my doctoral research at the University of Brighton, where I completed a PhD focused on pluralistic therapy.


I’m an Accredited Member of the BACP and have trained in a range of therapeutic approaches, including humanistic therapy, CBT, bereavement counselling, relationship counselling, and primary care counselling. Over the years, I’ve worked with people experiencing depression, anxiety, loss, relationship difficulties, mental health diagnoses, and periods of profound life change.


While my experience and training inform my work, what matters most to me is the quality of the therapeutic relationship and creating a space where you feel safe enough to explore what really matters to you.

Writing and Research

I’m also the author of Pluralism in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Philosophy, Politics, and Practice, published by Routledge (October 2025), which reflects my ongoing commitment to thoughtful, ethical, and client-focussed therapeutic practice.

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Testimonials

"Jay instantly made me feel at ease - not in a vocally reassuring or cliche way but in a way I can't put into words. I understand who I am so much more now - and not only that but how I can be who I want to be for the future...I am a much happier person. It's given me freedom...Counselling with Jay has been the best decision I have ever made. I am more confident, less angry and above all happy...I have achieved more than I thought possible."

— Ms FG

"Jay gave me a space to talk about difficult things, some of which I had never spoken of before, and always made me feel safe in doing so. I felt heard and supported, and valued his skill in gently challenging when necessary which helped me to question my own assumptions and think about things in a different way...Jay's professionalism, flexibility and considerable experience made it possible for me to explore areas of my past which I had not delved into in detail before, and this helped me to get a new perspective on my life and move forward with more of an awareness of the impact my experiences had on my development as an adult...I was impressed my Jay's knowledge of counselling theory and concepts and his experience of a wide range of therapy techniques. I found it reassuring that he always explained what he was doing, and why, in a way that didn't feel patronising. The therapy was friendly and I really appreciated the fact that Jay and I were able to discuss [the] impact of our sessions and the therapeutic relationship on him as well as me; I felt like an equal rather than a client, and in safe hands."

— Ms HI

"Helped me put things in perspective and give me clearer understanding of why I react to certain things in my life . . . gave me confidence to deal with issues I was previously afraid of."

— Mr AB

"Made me realise my real thoughts about things . . . very helpful."

— Ms DC

"It really unlocked/unblocked some things for me."

— Mr DE

"It helped me understand myself in greater depth. It helped me see things I was not aware of previously. It also helped me accept parts of myself I did not even acknowledge...I felt supported, listened to, not judged."

— Ms BC

Contact & Fees

The counselling / psychotherapy I offer can be short or long-term, regular or intermittent. Sessions are 50 minutes.


Fees: First session free then £70 per session. Some concessions available for students, trainees and those on a low income.

Please feel free to contact me using the adjoining form if you have any questions about the way I work or if you would like to arrange for an initial free session.

You can also call me on 07817 404562

Helpful Links

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General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

I have a responsibility under GDPR legislation to provide individuals with information about how I process their personal data.


So that we can contact each other to make or amend arrangements I keep your contact details (phone number and/or email address as agreed with you).


In the first session I also usually record information such as your date of birth, age, GP/surgery and medications. I also usually ask for information about current and significant past partners, close family, supportive friends and networks. This is basic information that helps me understand your social and psychological context and some of it is also recorded for legal and safeguarding purposes.


I also keep brief notes about our work together to support the quality and progress of the sessions.


Your contact details will be kept with my written notes in a locked filing cabinet.


I keep these contact details, basic personal information and notes for 7 years as recommended by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). You have a right to access these notes whilst I hold them. After this time they will be shredded.


My supervisor also holds an up-to-date paper of my current clients so that they can contact my clients in case of an emergency when I may not be able to do so myself. This is part of my ‘clinical will’ and is held securely and confidentially by my supervisor.


All information collected will not be shared with anyone else for any reason (with the exceptions mentioned in my Information about the Counselling/Therapy document).


If you would like to know about GDPR please look at the Information Commissioner’s Office website: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/.