Counselling directory — a calmer way to choose

A counselling directory that makes choosing a therapist feel less like a gamble — specialism first, availability real, tone gentle.
• Therapist cards: eighteen therapists as cards led by their specialism ('anxiety and burnout', 'grief', 'neurodivergent adults'), then their approach in one plain sentence, their fee band, and their modality credentials — the specialism is the headline because that is what a visitor is searching for.
• Specialism filters: a calm filter row (issue, fee band, online / in-person, language, first session availability) that narrows instead of overwhelming; the directory shows a count and a 'none match — widen?' kindness note when a filter empties the list.
• Availability: each card shows real next-session availability ('first sessions: Tue and Thu, 3-week wait') — nothing erodes trust in this field faster than fake urgency.
• First steps: a plain guide to the first call — what to say, what to ask, and the line that 'you can change therapists; the fit matters and finding it is normal'.
• Palette: soft paper, calm sage, no alarm colours; the page should lower the heart rate it is serving.