About Caroline
Caroline Maguire
I have always had a genuine curiosity about people — what shapes us, how we connect with others, and the patterns of behaviour we repeat, often without realising where they began. That curiosity is at the heart of how I work.
I retrained as a counsellor as a mature student at university, balancing my studies alongside running my own gardening, design and landscaping business. Making that demanding transition gave me personal experience of the pressures that can come with work, change, responsibility and trying to keep everything going.
I bring a love of the outdoors and a creative sensibility, which means the way we work together can be as individual as you are.
Training & Credentials
Background & Qualifications
I trained in Humanistic Counselling at the University of Chichester. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with their ethical framework. I am also fully insured and DBS checked.
During my own personal therapy as part of my training, I experienced what felt like a "virtual mirror" — being able to see my unconscious behaviour patterns that had been developed in childhood. I was initially quite shocked at how our early life and childhood experiences shape how we behave as adults, often to our detriment but through no fault of our own. This led me to undertake a further year of training in Applied Transactional Analysis (TA) in Clinical Practice.
TA has become an important part of how I work. I sometimes take a more educational approach, where I pass on my knowledge and skills so that you can be more informed. I can help you to understand some of the patterns, beliefs and internal messages you may have learned earlier in life, so that together we can explore whether they are still serving you today. I have seen how powerful it can be in helping others gain insight, choice and self-compassion.
I believe that good counselling practice requires ongoing learning. I regularly attend additional courses, particularly in areas related to creative expression, somatic movement and relaxation. I also continue my own personal therapy and self-reflection as part of maintaining my personal and professional development.
I am also an avid reader of psychology, personal development and philosophy, and bring this breadth of interest into the way I think about people and their experiences.
My Approach
How I Work
At the heart of my work is a simple aim: to help you move forward and gently explore any experiences that may be holding you back. I work in an integrative way, drawing on Person-Centred, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt approaches, responding to what feels most helpful for you in each session.
I've always been drawn to social psychology and remain genuinely fascinated by human behaviour, how we relate to ourselves, how we connect with others, and the patterns we carry. I work with both the thinking and feeling parts of the self, and where appropriate may incorporate creative interventions, somatic awareness or gentle movement.
Find out what I can help with →"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
— Carl Jung
The Person Behind the Practice
Outside the Therapy Room
Outside the therapy room, I'm very much at home outdoors. My other work involves designing and creating gardens, which reflects my love of nature, growth and working with living systems.
I'm also a big animal lover. I have two elderly rescue dogs and sometimes volunteer with rescue organisations. I also enjoy keeping active. Creativity has always been an important part of my life too, over the years I've studied painting, ceramics and sculpture.
These aren't separate from my counselling work. They reflect the same values: patience, growth, attention to what's living and changing, and a belief that the process matters as much as the outcome.
Why I Do This Work
The Relationship at the Heart of the Work
I believe the relationship between counsellor and client is one of the most important parts of therapy. It's the quality of that connection — feeling truly heard, understood and accepted — that allows real change to happen.
When we become aware of our patterns and reactions, we can begin to choose differently. That possibility, of genuine, lasting change, is what drew me to this work. And it's what I hope to offer the people I work with.
If something in what I've shared here resonates with you, please feel free to get in touch. I would be glad to arrange a free 20-minute conversation to see if working together feels right.
Get in Touch
A free, informal 20-minute conversation is the easiest first step, with no pressure and no commitment required.
Free 20-minute initial conversation