Ruth Durham. MBACP

Stafford
ST17
01785 662081 / 07754103755
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Profile

At times it can be difficult to talk about or acknowledge our feelings and concerns as by doing so can make them "more real" and leave us feeling more vulnerable. However, if feelings don't come straight out they will almost certainly "come out sideways" by expressing themselves in some way through our behaviour which then can worsen our situation.

When feelings sometime overwhelm us, the anger, sadness resentment, fear and perhaps a sense of failure etc blots out everything else and we can feel locked in a downward spiral, unable to free ourselves from our destructive thoughts. Getting out of the spiral and feeling good about our self and our life is not easy.

Talking in a safe and confidential environment about concerns and issues and the underlying feelings can offer insight and understanding into problem(s), as well as giving a better understanding of our own sense of identity. It also offers a chance to identify the "root cause" which, perhaps most likely feeds and maintains our symptomatic behaviour.

Counselling allows the time and space to explore how we think about and therefore deal with our issues and enables us to recognise that often it is our own behaviour, fed by our thoughts and feelings which may well promote, maintain and even intensify our worries. Such awareness can be empowering and leave us feeling better equipped to take control of our behaviour as opposed to our behaviour controlling us.

I am a Relate trained and qualified counsellor and I also have a Graduate Diploma in Counselling from Keele University.
I have fifteen years counselling experience working with couples and individuals, six of which I spent working as the only counsellor within a large organisation where I dealt with many personal and occupational health issues presented by employees.

I have my own private practice and am also employed as an Affiliate Counsellor with several Employee Assistance Organisations. (Establishments who contract with companies and organisations to provide telephone and face to face counselling for their employees.)

If you have a question or issue that you would like to talk through, then do please contact me on either of my phone numbers.
An initial chat over the telephone may allow you to make a more informed decision as to whether counselling is right for you at this time.

I am a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and abide by their code of ethics.
I offer all my clients respect, acceptance and confidentiality, along with the time and space to explore issues in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment.

Just to mention that I do not offer evening or weekend appointments.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

Qualifications.
Graduate Diploma in Counselling (Keele University)
Couples/relationship Counsellor qualified (Relate trained)
I have also undertaken training in the following areas;
Child and adolescent counselling skills.
Working with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. (Distance Learning)
Diploma in Counselling, Psychology and Psychotherapy. (Distance Learning)
Certificate in Working with Eating Disorders. (Distance Learning)
NVQ. Level 4 in Management Studies.

Additional training and experience:
Stafford and District Bereavement and Loss.
Emerge (Part of NHS Trust, based at St George's hospital Stafford) Working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Anxiety which may arise as a result of lack of confidence /self-esteem.
Assertiveness skills.
Communication skills.
Parenting skills. (Including looking at how the client's perception of their own childhood experience of being parented may be influencing the present.)
Problem solving.
Unresolved / unprocessed issues from childhood which may have caused developmental problems.
Childhood /Adult sexual and or physical abuse

Therapies Offered

Fees

For clients who self refer my fee is £40 per one hour session.
Organisations / Insurance work /Assessments, dependent upon requirements.

Further Information

I work long and short term and will also carry out home visits dependent upon circumstances and distance involved, however, my fee will be increased to reflect the mileage and extra travelling time.

I work with individuals, adolescents, couples (heterosexual and same sex relationships) and organisations. I also have mediation (conflict resolution) skills.

My training and knowledge relating to "Family Systems" leaves me very much aware as to how childhood can impact and affect the emotional development of the children within that family (Life Stages/ Fixation)
It may well be that the awareness and understanding of such information could be helpful in enabling us to see how the past influences and affects the here and now as well as perhaps shaping the future.

Member Organisation(s)

Published Articles

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