Alison MacDonald BA(Couns & Psych) MSc(Psych) MBACP (Accred)

78 Lakeside Road Ash Vale Surrey GU12 5AA View map
07939 189748 / 07939 189748 http://www.guildford-counselling.co.uk Click here to Email me

Profile

I am an experienced and qualified counsellor who has worked in a number of different fields. I am comfortable talking with children, adolescents and adults from a variety of different backgrounds. I believe everyone is equal and should have the right to be heard and understood by at least one other person. My aim is to focus on understanding what it is like to live in your skin and then enable you to live in a more fulfilling manner.

I like to think of counselling as primarily understanding a person and what they are coping with and then being a facilitator that aids the person to resolve whatever issues they are facing or just to help them cope with their emotions.

My counselling style is integrative. I have formal training in CBT but like to integrate this into a person centred style. Occassionally body-focused counselling has proved useful and effective. I have experience in a number of areas that can prove problematical.

I am happily married with two teenage children. A midlife crisis caused me to reconsider spending the remainder of my working life in IT. I chose to change my career and retrain.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

I have a Degree in Counselling. I already have two degrees in Psychology. I have experience in a number of areas that clients have found difficult or problematic.

I have experience with a varied age range which spans the ages of 10 through to 60. I offer individual, couples and family therapy.

Areas I have dealt with are depression, anxiety, bullying, addiction and abuse, to name a few.

Areas of counselling I deal with

• Abuse
• Addiction(s)
• Affairs and Betrayals
• Alcohol Dependence
• Anxiety
• Bereavement
• Bullying
• Couples Counselling
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Emotional Abuse
• Family Issues
• Gender Identity
• Low Self-Confidence
• Low Self-Esteem
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Phobias
• Physical Abuse
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Relationship Issues
• Separation and Divorce
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexual Issues
• Sexuality
• Smoking
• Stress
• Trauma
• Work Related Issues

Therapies Offered

• Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies
  - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Humanistic Therapies
  - Person-Centred Counselling
  - Gestalt Therapy
  - Transactional Analysis

• Other Therapies
  - Integrative
  - Family/Systemic Therapy

Fees

I charge £40 a session for individual therapy and £55 for couple or family therapy. I can offer a concession in extenuating circumstances. The first session is always free.

Email counselling:
With regard to payment: I accept credit card payments (via paypal).
Different options:
1) Pay as you go - £25 per e-mail response
2) Unlimited emails for a period of a week - £45 (the number of weeks to be specified by yourself and can be on a week by week basis)

For option 1)  I will spend at least 1 hour considering the contents of your email and my response.
For option 2) I will spend an adequate amount of time considering the contents of your emails and my responses up to a period of 2 hours per week. (So the more emails you send the less time I will be able to give each one.)

Further Information

I work as a volunteer counsellor for Guildford YMCA Open House Counselling Service whose age range is 13-35. Through them I also work as a volunteer counsellor in Kings College working with some of the students.

My private practice is based in my home where a room has been specifically set aside. Client confidentiality is very important to me.

• Supervision available (view supervision profile)
• Online, email or telephone counselling available

Member Organisation(s)

Location Map