Alastair Soutar
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This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
I have over forty years experience of working closely with people who are encountering difficulties in their lives and have been directly involved with counselling since 1997. The most important feature of my counselling approach is the quality of the relationship that I aim to afford my clients; as I believe that within an environment that is nonjudgmental, caring, confidential, supporting and safe, a person may attain natural positive growth.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have been trained in an Integrative model of counselling and I continue to maintain professional development. In addition I have also undertaken specialist training with organisations such as CRUSE Bereavement Care, Victim Support, The British Mindfulness Institute etc.
My qualifications are: a Master of Arts Degree in Counselling and a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling; both of which were awarded by Bath Spa University. I also hold a diploma in Parks Inner Child Therapy; a qualification awarded to me by Raworth College, following extensive training undertaken with the innovator of this psychotherapeutic approach Penny Parks.
In addition to my qualifications I am a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 'Senior Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist' and so I am bound by its ethical framework for good practice and subject to its professional conduct procedure.
I see clients on a one-to-one basis and only work with adults. My clients are either self-referred, referred by their employers (either directly or via an Employee Assistance Provider etc.) and on occasions are people who have been referred directly to me by their specific welfare provider.
Member organisations
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Childhood Abuse; Disability/Illness issues etc.
People come to me for counselling for a variety of reasons. For example it may be directly associated with a specific event e.g. bereavement, abuse, illness, divorce, loss etc; or it may arise from a combination of factors, sometimes originating from as far back as early childhood. Whatever their reason (or reasons) the result is the same - a negative effect on their well-being.
My sessions are designed to help a person identify and explore issues that are troubling them; as with a greater awareness and understanding of a situation, so an individual may attain a clearer sense of their personal resources and as a consequence achieve self determined positive change.
Therapies offered
Fees
£45.00 per session
Free initial in-person session
Additional information
The practice is open on weekdays between 9am and 7pm with the last appointment of the day commencing at 6pm. I will endeavour to meet your needs with regard to the most convenient appointment times for you, but this is entirely dependent on availability – early evening appointments are usually very popular.
When I work
The practice is currently closed owing to ill health.
Further information
My practice, which has been purpose-built and includes a waiting area and toilet facilities, is located at my home address in Berrow near Burnham on Sea. It is airconditioned and is designed to cater fully for the needs of wheelchair users. The setting is private and peaceful and there is ample off road parking for clients' vehicles; in addition the location is well served by public transport. Being in private practice the service I am able to offer can be tailored to meet each client's individual needs. Daytime and/or evening appointments are available and I provide for both short-term and long-term therapy requirements.