The Trusted Therapist

Brian Padden, Clinical Supervisor.

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Brian Padden is an experienced counsellor and qualified supervisor dedicated to supporting the next generation of therapeutic practitioners. Known for his grounded, compassionate, and ethically focused approach, Brian offers supervision to newly qualified counsellors, trainee counsellors, and therapists who are taking their first steps into private practice. His aim is to provide a safe, reflective, and empowering supervisory space where practitioners can develop confidence, professional identity, and clinical competence.

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Brian’s counselling background is rooted in person‑centred values, with a strong emphasis on creating relational depth, understanding the client’s lived experience, and fostering growth through genuine connection. Over the years, he has worked with a diverse range of clients and presenting issues, which enables him to bring insight, breadth, and practical understanding to his supervisory work. His experience in agency settings, community services, and private practice means he understands the unique challenges and opportunities at each stage of a counsellor’s professional journey.

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As a supervisor, Brian is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards. He creates an environment where supervisees feel heard, respected, and supported to explore their client work openly and without judgement. He understands that supervision is not only about safeguarding clients but also about nurturing and developing the practitioner. This includes supporting trainees through the challenges of placement work, helping newly qualified counsellors transition from training into employment or self‑employment, and guiding therapists who are navigating the complexities of setting up in private practice for the first time. Brian is particularly passionate about helping practitioners build resilience, recognise their strengths, and develop confidence in their clinical decision‑making.

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One of the defining features of Brian’s supervisory practice is his use of the Seven‑Eyed Supervision Model, developed by Peter Hawkins and Robin Shohet. This integrative model offers a rich and nuanced framework for examining the therapeutic process from multiple angles. Brian finds that the seven‑eyed model supports deeper reflection, encourages creativity in practice, and helps supervisees gain clarity about both the client’s experience and their own internal processes.

The model explores seven distinct areas:

1. The client and their presentation, enabling the supervisee to gain insight into the client’s needs, patterns, and emotional world.

2. The supervisee’s interventions, focusing on the practitioner’s clinical choices, skills, and techniques.

3. The client–therapist relationship, exploring dynamics that emerge within the therapeutic space.

4. The therapist’s own processes, helping practitioners reflect on their emotional responses, triggers, and internal reactions.

5. The supervisory relationship, attending to what is happening between supervisor and supervisee as another source of learning.

6. The supervisor’s internal processes, inviting Brian to reflect on his own responses and how they inform the work.

7. The wider context, including ethical considerations, organisational factors, cultural contexts, and systemic influences.

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Brian uses this model flexibly, adapting it to the needs and learning style of each supervisee. This ensures a supervisory experience that is both structured and responsive, helping practitioners view their work from fresh perspectives and develop a deeper understanding of the therapeutic process.

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For new counsellors entering private practice, Brian has been successful over many years in working in mental health businesses, having set up The Trusted Therapist, ACE Training Artivention and Bingley Counselling Centre  He offers practical guidance as well as clinical support. This may include navigating ethical and legal requirements, understanding data protection responsibilities, setting up documentation, managing professional boundaries, marketing ethically, and building a sustainable caseload.

Brian recognises that the transition into private practice can feel overwhelming, and his calm, encouraging approach helps practitioners move forward with confidence. He aims to demystify the process and empower supervisees to create a practice that reflects their values, strengths, and personal style.

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Trainee counsellors benefit from Brian’s warm, steady, and grounded presence. He understands the pressures students face—balancing academic work, placement responsibilities, and personal development—and provides a supervisory space where they can explore challenges safely. He supports trainees in deepening their self‑awareness, managing imposter feelings, and developing their therapeutic voice, while always keeping client welfare at the forefront.

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Brian’s supervision style is collaborative, relational, and reflective. He sees supervision as a shared journey in which curiosity, openness, and mutual respect guide the work. His approach balances support with appropriate challenge, helping practitioners grow in competence while ensuring they feel safe and valued throughout the process.

Whether you are a trainee counsellor embarking on your first placement, a newly qualified practitioner building your confidence, or a therapist setting up in private practice, Brian provides thoughtful, ethical, and knowledgeable supervision that strengthens your professional foundations and supports you to thrive as a counsellor.