Carolyn Stafford

Please note: as a private practitioner & for professional selfcare, my work phone and email contact during the weekend will be answered and actioned on a Monday morning

Introduction;

Reaching out to a supportive professional can be the first and most significant step; for Stress, Anxiety, Depressive feelings, Grief, Trauma, Relationships - your well-being matters. It's OK to not feel OK

Sometimes life can get too much for us, we may struggle with our thoughts and emotions or perhaps just coping with everyday life.  Do you need to take time out? Do you need someone to talk with?

When we are troubled, we often don't know what type of help we need, we just know we need help. I will work with you to work through what is currently a problem for you, we will work at your pace and there is never a rush or pressure to tell me things your just not ready to share.

My perspective about counselling & what I can offer;

Our own thoughts/feelings are unique to us - this inner world can sometimes be destructive; with negative thoughts or self-doubt.  A rollercoaster of confusing and conflicting emotions.  This may lead to many forms of anxiety (and /or) depressive symptoms.

Anxiety/Stress can reduce our ability to cope with the pressures of life. Trauma, Bereavement, relationship, or family issues are all experiences that can be very difficult and painful to deal with - we can be left feeling sad, alone and isolated.  We can all experience problems in our lives at some point, whether it is a period of crisis, or perhaps we need to change some self-defeating patterns of thinking and behaviour. 

Telling someone you know (family or friends) may be difficult because it is personal and private, and they may offer their own opinion and advice, which may not be what you are wanting to hear, you may just want to offload.

Counselling offers a different form of helping; a non-judgmental response - counselling encourages you to work through painful feelings, to grow in self-understanding and confidence, or to explore and develop ways forward by looking at your options and coping better.

My approach to counselling is integrative, fundamentally built on the humanistic / person-centred approach (there are information pages available on the 'counselling directory' explaining the 'types of therapy' available).  I work in a person-centred way which means that you are at the heart of the session.  My aim is to provide an environment where your thoughts and feelings are given the time and space to be voiced, heard, processed, and overcome.

I offer a counselling service in a purpose-built room (with toilet facilities) from my home in Oakham, Rutland. I offer face-to-face counselling, either short-term structured counselling or long-term psychotherapy, usually weekly or fortnightly sessions. I can offer daytime & evening appointments, and online sessions.

Firstly, I will offer an initial assessment appointment;

This first session gives us a chance to explore what you feel you may wish to work through in counselling and whether you feel counselling is right for you.  We will discuss your needs for therapy, your expectations, and any goals you wish to achieve from counselling - to ascertain whether I am suitable & competent to work with you, and you can then decide if what I offer meets your need.

I will ask questions around your reasons for coming to counselling and how this is affecting you, along with some questions around your history, family & personal relationships in your life. We can also look at your expectations in terms of short-term time limited work or long-term therapy and what may be suitable and achievable for you.

The choice is ultimately yours. It is important for you to find a counsellor you feel comfortable to work with and for you to decide if you feel comfortable working with me. There is no obligation to come to any further sessions. I feel it is helpful to review our work together after 4 or 6 sessions – to evaluate where you are at that time in your counselling journey, and whether further sessions are needed, or we work towards ending, if appropriate. The initial assessment appointment will take up to 45 minutes.

If relevant I may offer you to complete a mental health questionnaire, to monitor the impact of your issues and how it is affecting you. I (& clients) find this useful and it allows us to see if any progress is evident as we work together.

Experience & areas of interest;

I am a registered accredited member of BACP, my ethical obligations and duty of care towards both clients and my profession are very important to me.

I work with teens, young people, adults, and elders. I also work with couples, and family relationships. 

My extended learning post qualification offers; working with grief & loss, stress, and trauma (Master in Trauma-informed practice/ Trauma studies). I am also interested in research.

I also qualified as a clinical supervisor - see supervision profile for details 

My most recent specialised interest is around expecting and new mothers, which includes; maternal emotional health, maternal well-being, the paternal impact of becoming and being a father, pre & post-natal support for mothers & families, parenting difficulties...
  
I have an Enhanced DBS Certificate.

Fees are currently:

• Initial assessment appointment - £50 (up to 45 minutes). 
• Individual daytime sessions - £55 (9am - 5pm)
• Evening sessions - £60  (starting from 5pm)
• Counselling students Personal Therapy requirements - £50 
• Couples Counselling - £70 - daytime, £75 after 5pm
• Family counselling - £75 

Sessions can be weekly or less frequent to suit you.

All individual sessions are 50 minutes long. Couples/Family are 1 hour

I offer short term focused sessions or longer-term sessions.

As a registered member of BACP, I have made a commitment to work within their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
This means I work to professional standards, provide a suitable and safe practice for clients, and can be held accountable for my work should there be any complaints that cannot be resolved.

Further information can be found at;
www.bacp.co.uk