Hi, I’m Ben Simmons.
He / Him
Teacher, Researcher, Counsellor, Psychotherapist
Therapy doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be real.
I spend my days helping people make sense of situations that have stopped making sense.
Sometimes that's a teenager who can't get to school.
Sometimes it's exhausted parents.
Sometimes it's teachers.
Sometimes it's organisations trying to solve problems that keep coming back.
Different people.
Different problems.
The work is surprisingly similar.
Because underneath almost every difficult situation is the same question
That question has shaped almost everything I've done throughout my career.
What is this behaviour, conflict or struggle actually trying to solve?You don’t have to face everything at once. Together, we can make space for what feels difficult and find a manageable place to begin.
My Story
I didn't become a therapist first.
I started as a teacher.
For ten years I worked with some of the most complex young people in education.
Children who had already been labelled difficult.
Families who had tried everything.
Teachers who were exhausted.
The more I worked, the more one question kept bothering me.
Why were intelligent, caring people trying so hard......yet the problems kept coming back?That question eventually led me into behaviour support, counselling, psychotherapy and further study—not because I wanted another qualification, but because I wanted a better answer.
This journey continues to shape the way I work today.
What I Discovered
I don't think people are broken.
I think people are usually trying to solve the best problem they know how.
Sometimes the strategy works.
Sometimes it creates new problems.
Sometimes the environment expects something that simply isn't possible right now.
Rather than asking
"How do we stop this behaviour?"I usually become curious about
"What problem is this behaviour trying to solve?"That shift changes almost everything.
How I Work
You won't find someone sitting quietly taking notes while occasionally asking
"How does that make you feel?"
We'll probably laugh.
We'll probably draw things.
We'll probably get curious.
We'll slow situations down.
We'll look at the people...
the systems...
the expectations...
and the needs that all collide together.
Sometimes we'll discover the answer quickly.
Sometimes we'll discover the question wasn't actually the real question.
Either way,
you won't be solving it alone.
What I BelievePeople are doing the best they can with the tools they currently have.Understanding comes before lasting change.The expectation don't solve the problem.
It revealed it.Sometimes the environment needs to change.
Not the person.You don't have to know the answer.
You just need somewhere to begin.My Journey
Teacher
10 years in EducationBehaviour Coach
Specialising in behaviour support and trauma-informed-practiceCounsellor
Master of Counselling and PsychotherapyPsychotherapist
Graduate of Internal Family Systems trainingResearch and Training
Reseacher, Presenter, Public Speaker and Professional TrainerCurrently Developing the RETURN judgement framework
A few things about me
Beyond the professional
I love good coffee
(and far too much of it)
I still read research
and books for fun.
My dog often makes cameo appearences in online sessions
I overthink
just about everything
I am huamn, I am Neurodivergent and I get it.You don’t have to have it all figured out
Whatever brought you here, there’s space for it. There’s space for you.
Let’s work it out together
→ Reach out when you’re ready. I’ll be here.