Anita Gaisford
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello and thanks for visiting my profile. My name is Anita and I am an experienced and qualified counsellor. I am based in Canterbury but I also work remotely via zoom/phone across Kent, London and the South East. I work with age 18+ and my experience as a counsellor has been within colleges, school settings, workplaces, hospitals/inpatient units and my private practice.
In addition to private practice, I also work as a specialist eating disorder therapist as part of the eating disorder team at the Nightingale Hospital in London.
My specialism is in working with eating disorders/disordered eating and nutrition and I have studied at Advanced Diploma level, gaining a Master Practitioner Advanced Diploma through the National Centre for Eating Disorders (NCfED) who are accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and have recently undertaken training in Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
I also provide support for Carers who are supporting a loved with an eating disorder and will be offering further workshops in the Autumn to help Carers navigate and understand ED's. Further information will be on my website shortly.
Additionally, I am currently undertaking supervision training so can provide clinical supervision (as a trainee) until I am qualified in June 2024.
I offer both in person and remote appointments.
My aim is to provide a safe, friendly, confidential, warm, caring and non-judgmental space and to provide the right support to suit your needs and to assist you through your specific problems. I like to bring creativity to the counselling room along with my passion for the work that I do.
As an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP), I am bound by BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am a registrant on the BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists and am also part of the BEAT network and New Maudsley Carers - Kent.
As a practicing counsellor I have regular supervision and undertake CPD. I have a current Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Certificate, hold professional insurance and am GDPR compliant.
How can counselling help?
Counselling sessions will give you the opportunity to talk about issues and problems you are facing and help you have a better understanding of yourself and make changes where you choose to. Sometimes, it is not easy to discuss issues with family or friends so my aim is to provide an environment where you feel safe to share your issues or problems and make sense of your thoughts or feelings.
What to expect in your first session:
Finding the right counsellor for you is really important and I therefore offer an initial consultation to allow you the opportunity to decide if I am someone that you want to work with and for me to decide if I am the best person to help you. You can then decide if you wish to have further sessions and we will agree the focus for our work and arrange a regular time to meet for sessions.
I offer both short term, long term and open-ended sessions, weekly or fortnightly, depending upon your needs.
Areas of experience:
I have undertaken additional Advanced Diploma level training through the National Centre for Eating Disorders (NCfED) to work with eating disorders/disordered eating in addition to nutritional intervention. Some of the issues I have experience of working with are:
- Abuse
- Anger
- Anxiety/Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Bereavement and Grief
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
- Bullying
- Child related issues
- Depression
- Eating Disorders and body image (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-eating disorder, compulsive and emotional eating, FED-NEC
- Family issues
- Fears and worries
- General counselling
- Low self-confidence or low self-esteem
- Obsessions
- OCD
- Panic Disorder/Panic Attacks
- Relationships/Relationship Issues
- Self-harm
- Sexual identity/Transgender issues
- Shame
- Sleep disorders/Insomnia
- Stress
- Suicidal thoughts
- Trauma
- Work related stress
Training, qualifications & experience
ABC Level 2 Award in Counselling Concepts
ABC Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
ABC Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and Registrant on the BACP Register
Certificate of Proficiency 2016 / BACP Accreditation - January 2021
Enhanced DBS Certification
Continued Professional Development (CPD):
CBT Skills working with Anxiety (May 2016)
CBT Skills working with Anger and Rage (June 2016)
Child Protection and Working with Vulnerable Adults (May 2017)
Legislation, Safeguarding, Confidentiality,FGM, E-Safety & Radicalisation in Children and Young People (November 2017)
International Association for Rewind Trauma Therapy (IARTT) Rewind Technique (2018)
National Centre for Eating Disorders - NCfED (2018): Master Practitioner Advanced Diploma
- Practitioner Skills for the Management of Obesity Diploma
- Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders Diploma
- Nutritional Interventions for Eating Disorders Diploma
Working with Shame, Carolyn Spring (June 2019)
Disordered Eating: Working with and through the Body/Mind of Patient and Therapist (CONFER - 30th November 2019)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Working with Body Focused Distress (Brighton Therapy Partnership) November 2022
Current: Clinical Supervision Training - September 2023 - June 2024 (CCT)
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
Orthorexia
Emotional Eating
Obesity
ARFID
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £110.00
Additional information
General counselling:
- Initial 20 minute consultation: £20
- 50 minute appointment weekdays: £60.00
Eating disorder/disordered eating counselling: Prices on request
Carers support for eating disorders: Prices on request
When I work
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I am available from 9.00am-6.00pm on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Further information
I offer individual sessions in Central Canterbury and London or remotely via zoom/phone.
My Canterbury office is located within a 10 minute walk from Canterbury East Station and a 5 minute walk from Canterbury bus station.
Car parking is available directly behind my office in a pay and display car park.
