Christine West

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MBACP
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

London, N8
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I am an experienced Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist and am a Registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am also a State Registered Arts Therapist and Body-Oriented Psychotherapist and have been working as a therapist for over 30 years. I am also a Clinical Supervisor and have supervised therapists of different orientations for over ten years. I have a private practice in Crouch End and offer mainly open-ended counselling and psychotherapy.

My approach is warm, humanistic, relational and process oriented. I offer a safe, non judgemental and confidential space where you can talk about what is concerning you.

People come for many reasons: for personal development; for issues related to anxiety, stress, sadness, or anger; deep feelings of disappointment with oneself or one's life; feelings of pointlessness; relationship issues regarding present or past partners, or with siblings or parents, or indeed difficulties with work colleagues; low self esteem and an inability to accept oneself; personal crisis or life event with which you are struggling and need someone outside your friendship or family groups to talk to.

I listen to what is concerning you and help you to express, explore and reflect on the issues you have brought into the therapy room. I try to sense how you see life, and what is getting in the way of you having more the life you want. We explore your thoughts, feelings, attitudes which influence how you behave in situations. We explore both past experiences which have influenced your current beliefs which may be undermining your potential and ability to live life fully and meaningfully, as well as unhelpful patterns that are causing you problems in relationships.

In addition to exploring these issues through talking, we have the option of using more creative approaches to explore a wide range of issues. These can include Drawing with the addition of Therapeutic cards to encourage more unconscious exploration of a relevant theme; empowering Visualisation techniques to work with unhelpful patterns, negative thinking and self esteem issues, and Gestalt/Sub-personality work to help explore conflicting parts of oneself or conflict with others.  Finally, I also offer the pre EMDR Flash technique to lessen the effects of trauma,  and Mindfulness/ Meditative techniques for relaxation and anxiety management. 

I am committed to my own self-development, and continue to be interested in this area. We never stop growing if we remain open to life.

Training, qualifications & experience

QUALIFICATIONS

2008  Advanced Post Graduate Certificate in Creative Arts Supervision (Sesame Institute)
2000  PG Diploma in Dramatherapy (Roehampton University)
1996 Certificate in Psychodrama (AMAP)
1995  Diploma in Individual and Relationship Counselling (AMAP)
1989 Diploma in Postural Integration (The International Centre for Release and Integration)
1982  BA Hons Fine Art (Hull College of Art)

FURTHER TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS:

  • Pre-EDMR Flash Technique.
  • Phyllis Krystal Visualisation Method
  • How to Work with the Inner Critic
  • Working with Trauma
  • How to With Shame

EXPERIENCE:

I worked for 10 years in schools with children who have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

I provided clinical supervision for a wonderful charity organisation in Waltham Forest called Carefree Kids who offered Non-directive, child-led Play therapy, as well as arts therapies in general.

I have worked as a Visiting Lecturer in Dramatherapy at Roehampton University and ran Dramatherapy/ Arts Therapy groups for students.

Prior to this I worked with Barnet Adult Mental Health Day Services for 8 years as an Arts Therapist, Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor. I co-ran the Counselling Service. During that time I also ran dramatherapy groups, confidence-building groups and CBT-based groups for anxiety- and stress-management, self-esteem and depression.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).

Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.

Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.

All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.

Accredited register membership

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Fees

£60.00 - £70.00

Concessions offered for

  • Trainee counsellors

Additional information

I charge Trainee Counsellors £50- £60

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I work daytime and evenings. I currently have some available spaces, so please do phone or email me. Evenings are pretty full.

Further information

I have been trained in Solution Focused Brief Therapy.
I have attended training workshops in Trauma work, Embodied Approached to Psychotherapy, Mindfulness and Focusing. I have a well-established Mindfulness and Meditation practice.

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older Adults

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Whatsapp
Zoom

Supervision

In person

 I started working as a Clinical Supervisor for counsellors and psychotherapists of all orientations, during the time I co-ran a Counselling Service for the Community Network (Adult Mental health Day Services) in 2002.

View supervision profile