About me
I am a man in my sixties with a range of life experiences, some of which led me to my own therapeutic experience and then to train as a Psychotherapist. I have been seeing people as a therapist for twenty years as of 2019 and I have worked privately throughout, as a 1-2-1 therapist but subsequently also as a group therapist. In my early years I engaged with people who had enduring mental health issues as a counselling coordinator of a NHS/social services run secondary care service.
At the time I was also involved in private practice and since leaving the NHS/Social Services this is what I do. In my practice, I have been engaging with many people from all walks of life with a range of concerns and challenges in life. Additionally, since 2007 I was a tutor at the Minster Centre, one of the pre-eminent, and historically earliest, trainings for Integrative counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. There I have filled the roles of Head of Year for both students entering the training and those who are in their final year of their MA/ advanced diploma. I retired from active tutoring in September 2018 but I continue as a Clinical Supervisor to finalist trainees in their work with a range of clients. I also provide clinical Supervision to qualified therapists in private practice.
I feel that my whole life is relevant to what I bring to the engagement with my clients and perhaps because of this I feel that although knowledge of the therapy process gained both from having been a client myself as well as the training and experience I have had over time is important; in the end the quality of the relationship between us is perhaps the most important aspect and predictor of whether this experience will be of help to you. Interestingly this is also supported by research into what benefits clients the most and in many respects it is not the theory being "applied" or the nature of the presenting issue that is a predictor or therapeutic success (although these are of course potentially important factors) but the tenor and quality of "our" relationship over the time that we have.
A trusting and engaged relationship provides the opportunity to explore those aspects of your life which have brought you to therapy. You will be providing yourself, through our engagement, the environment to create an understanding of yourself which is hard to achieve in other circumstances. Through therapy, there is the possibility of arriving at a greater understanding of why we are the way we are also why we find ourselves in situations that can distress us and how we may change this.
The therapeutic engagement is in part listening, understanding, reflecting, challenging, and working together to unravel thoughts and feelings that can often feel stuck or in a muddle. It can also be a place for looking at immediate issues in a new light
I engage in 1-2-1 open ended psychotherapy.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold an MA and AdvDiploma in Psychotherapy. I am a registered practitioner and Supervisor with the UKCP.
I was born in 1956 and have had quite a wide range of life experiences which I bring to practice in terms of understanding you and what you bring. One of the reasons why I have not ticked the "Areas" boxes is that as a psychotherapist I explore how you define yourself, rather than how you are defined, and how you see your problems, felt sense and life impact on you. I am alive and have knowlege and awareness of many things, but it is inevitably mine and in the end you are the knower of your experience. This latter is broadly what we would engage with and all that is associated with your reason for seeking therapy and are willing to share. I have been a therapist for over twenty-five years, Some of that time in secondary mental health services but mostly in Private Practice. I have also been a Tutor, Head of Year (Finalists), and Supervisor to students of Psychotherapy in one of the UK's first and leading Integrative psychotherapy trainings. Whilst no longer tutoring, I still supervise students and qualified practitioners in their therapy work and I am a moderator of submitted papers for an Advanced Practitioners course leading to a Psychotherapy Qualification for counsellors seeking such and an associated MA. I am a general therapist who will work with most issues that people bring. If it feels like the right thing to do for you, I would be happy to engage with anything that you wish to explore and understand. That said, I do not claim to know or understand everything, but I always want to try with people who ask it of me. If you think you might wish to do some of this together, I can tell you more of course.
Member organisations
school 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.
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I work with most issues depending on what you are looking for and the nature of the engagement. Tick boxes don't easily define the person nor the practitioner.
Therapies offered
Fees
£100.00 - £110.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
- Individual psychotherapy
- I work face to face
Each session last for 50 mins and I tend to work at a level of one session a week but more or less can be arranged if appropriate.
My standard rate is £110 per session. The standard fee can vary depending on circumstances.
(Some concessionary fees are at times available generally ranging from £90 - £100 - this is negotiated between us depending on your circumstances and spaces being available - generally during daytime hours).
When I work
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I have very limited availability as in general almost all of my available times are taken; however that can change over time so get in contact and I can advise you of my availability.
Further information
At this time I have limited space available, however, this can change so please feel free to contact me to discuss your situation and I am willing to answer your preliminary questions on any aspects of what would be involved in us working together where I can.
I am also the proprietor of therapy rooms from where I practice and as such can refer you on to other therapists should this be suitable.
