Alastair Soutar

Verified Professional Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

MA (Couns), Post Grad Diploma (Couns), MBACP (Snr. Accred)
No current availability
No current availability

This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Burnham on Sea, Somerset, TA8 2LX
No current availability
No current 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

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

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
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

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.

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.

57 Julians Acres, Berrow, Burnham on Sea, Somerset, TA8 2LX

Type of session

In person

Types of client

Adults
Older adults
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

My practice and all facilities (e.g. toilet designed to cater fully for the needs of wheelchair users) are located on the ground floor. Private parking is located directly outside the front door.

Alastair Soutar
Alastair Soutar