Lesley Strabel
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Are you struggling with a recent or past life event? Do you feel this is affecting aspects of your personal, work, or social life? Are you looking to explore your personal ambitions, goal setting, and achievements? Would you benefit from examining your personal development, commitment, or relationship patterns?
Counselling can help you to take a step back and look at the direction your life is going; any changes you may want to make; how you can implement those changes and how you can achieve your aspirations.
About Me
My name is Lesley Strabel, and I am the founder of Aspirations Counselling Service. I am a compassionate, empathic counsellor who strives to understand the experiences and events that form ‘your world’. I can help you explore your past and current difficulties. Then support you in the acquisition of new perspectives, and the development of the skills you need to overcome them and achieve your aspirations.
The way I work
I offer face to face counselling sessions, in a comfortable room in the centre of Cardiff.
I work from a humanistic/existential approach, integrated with CBT where appropriate. The aim of which is to support and enable you to find the strength to overcome any difficulties you may face in your own unique way, after all, you are the expert on you. I see the therapeutic relationship as the foundation of our work together, providing a solid, secure base, from which to explore your difficulties. Existential counselling allows you to focus upon the here and now, and live your life in the present. I strongly believe in the need for, and provision of, a safe and confidential space to allow you to be who you truly are. Our therapeutic relationship will allow you the opportunity to talk openly about your issues without judgement or prejudice, to feel understood, and be supported throughout.
Working together as equals, the therapeutic relationship that we would create together can provide you with an opportunity to gain a new perspective, establish your own personal goals, and over time find your own solutions and develop new ways of coping that are functional and sustainable.
It also allows you the space and time to develop a deeper level of self-awareness. This can enable you to gain insight and understanding of who you are, how you relate to the world, and how this can influence the way you function in life. The humanistic approach to counselling is client led, this gives you control of your sessional content, goal setting, and developmental journey, this process enables you to regain control of your life outside of the counselling room.
Contact me to book an initial session, at which we will explore your reasons for seeking counselling, discuss how we will work together and explore any questions you may have. Then, if you are comfortable working with me, and feel I am the right counsellor for you, we can establish a working contract and arrange further sessions.
I offer both short term solution and goal focused therapy as well as long term open ended counselling. The appropriateness of each for your situation can form part of the discussion at our initial session, any decision you make can be reviewed regularly throughout our work together.
I strive to answer emails within 12 hours, if you haven’t received a response within this time please can you check your ‘Junk Mail’. To ensure my emails are not classified as spam please add enquiries@aspirationscounselling.co.uk to your address book to guarantee you receive a response. If you haven't had a response within 24 hours I may not have received your enquiry, please feel free to email me at enquiries@aspirationscounselling.co.uk or text your email address to me on 07749 469 894.
Training, qualifications & experience
Education
My counselling training is of the highest standard, and my qualifications are accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk) and the British Psychological Society (www.BPS.org.uk).
2000-2001: Certificate in Social Science
2000-2006: BSc (Hons) Psychology
2006-2007: The Advanced Diploma in Child Development
2010-2011: Certificate in Counselling Skills
2011-2013: Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
2013-2014: Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling
2013-2014: Foundation Degree in Counselling
2015-2016: Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Training
I attend regular continual professional development training courses to keep my knowledge and skills up to date. I also keep abreast of the latest research in counselling and psychotherapy. These two things combined inform my practice to ensure that you receive the best service I can provide.
Certificate in First Aid (St John Ambulance in Wales)
Certificate in Mental Health First Aid (Cardiff Mind)
ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (Living Works)
Brief Encounters, Working in Time Conscious Ways (CCSW)
Assessment, CORE and Time Limited Contracts (CCSW)
Working with the Effects of Trauma (CCSW)
Working with Gender identity (CCSW)
Working with Phobias and OCD (Carmarthenshire Counselling Service)
Mindfulness Workshop (Samye Foundation Wales)
Safeguarding Children (Vale of Glamorgan County Council)
NLP Coaching for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (NLP Vision)
Birth Trauma Recovery
Suicide - The Impact on Families (Child Bereavement UK)
Child Sexual Abuse - PODS (Positive Outcomes for Dissociative Survivors)
Experience
I am a self-employed counsellor, having established my own private practice, Aspirations Counselling Service.
I currently hold contracts with a variety of companies offering Employment Assistance Programmes to organisations within the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan areas.
I have previously held a counselling contract with 2 Wish Upon a Star (www.2wishuponastar.org), providing bereavement support to parents following the loss of a child.
I have also previously counselled on a voluntary basis for Churches Counselling Services Wales (CCSW) and as a sessional counsellor for Cardiff Mind. My varied experience has given me access to a broad spectrum of clients, with a range of mental health and life event issues.
Professional
I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). As such I am committed to adhering to the (BACP) ethical framework (www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework). I am also on the BACP accedited voluntary register for counsellors and psychotherapists. As an Accredited Member my practice has 'been deemed to meet our higher standard as a competent, ethical and independent practitioner' (BACP).
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
Perinatal Mental Health
Birth Trauma
Bystander Birth Trauma (Birthing Partners/Maternity Services Staff)
Male Postnatal Depression
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£60 per 50 minute session
Working Hours
Monday: 8.30 AM - 15.00 PM (in person and remote)
Tuesday: 8.30 AM - 15.00 PM (in person and remote)
Wednesday: 8.30 AM - 15.00 PM (in person and remote)
Thursday: 8.30 AM - 15.00 PM (in person and remote)
Friday: 8.30 AM - 11.30 AM (remote sessions only)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
When I work
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Daytime remote sessions are available via both telephone or zoom.
Further information
Counselling has been shown to be effective in improving the lives of individuals currently struggling with the situations above, enabling them to achieve the life they desire. Taking the initial steps can feel overwhelming and change can be a daunting prospect. It takes courage and determination to enter into a journey of change and self-reflection. It can be an empowering and transforming experience, leaving you more in control of making positive choices in life. It is always a privilege to be allowed to share those journeys. I hope, together, we will be able to form a therapeutic relationship that allows you to meet your aspirations.
I strive to answer emails within 12 hours, if you haven't received a response within this time please can you check your 'Junk/Spam Mail'.
If providing an email address please add enquiries@aspirationscounselling.co.uk to your address book to ensure you received a response.
