Jessica Towle

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MBACP
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Stamford, Cambridgeshire, PE9 3EH
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Hello. Welcome to my profile page; I hope you find what you need here.

My name is Jess and I am an Integrative Counsellor.

I run a private practice in a relaxed and confidential setting, located in a quiet village between Stamford and Peterborough.

Is Counselling for you?

The aim of counselling (or therapy as it is increasingly called) is to provide a safe, secure and non-judgmental environment in which any concerns or issues, past or present can be discussed.

Counselling is not about giving advice or taking away your autonomy. It is about helping you to understand yourself and your situation, whilst providing the tools to enable you to build up your self-esteem. It will empower you to be able to make informed choices and decisions that are right for you as an individual.

Counselling is a process of learning, not an admission of failure.

If you have struggled to manage your mood, relationships, anxiety or simply want to learn more about yourself, counselling can benefit you. Counselling can also help with more complex difficulties such as disordered eating, phobias, depression, OCD, self harm and suicidal thoughts.

About Me

During my teens and throughout my twenties, I experienced my own mental health issues. I had Bulimia Nervosa and struggled with self-harming behaviours. At this time, there was little specialist support available and even less openness about or awareness of mental health problems. Despite wanting to get better, it took many years to find the help and support I needed. It was a positive experience of counselling that finally enabled me to begin my recovery and ignited a desire in me to support others on their own unique journeys to emotionally healthier and happier places. Having fully recovered some years ago, I now draw on and share my own personal experience to give others hope that recovery from mental distress is achievable.

You can find out a bit more about me, my work and my personal experience by reading the article below, featured in the November 2016 edition of 'Best Local Living' magazine - click on the image below to read the article!

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About my work

I have a passion for delivering high quality counselling tailored to the individual client in an ethical and professional manner.

I offer both short and long term face to face counselling to individuals.

I work as an Integrative Counsellor with a humanistic perspective as my base. I believe that everyone is unique and so what works for one client may not work for the next. Using an integrative approach allows me to be more flexible and fluid in working together with you. We are all different. We need different things at different times and I recognise and respect this.

As an Integrative Counsellor, various theoretical schools inform my practice, but working relationally and developmentally are the central concepts unifying my approach. I believe that building a trusting relationship based on compassion and non-judgment is key to creating a safe, explorative space.

In my work I try to be real and spontaneous, with a sense of warmth. I appreciate that it is not easy to experience distressing feelings; I understand that you might feel ashamed or fearful about opening up to me. I do not always get it right, but I endeavour to accompany you and support you as a guide and facilitator in your exploration.

I allow clients to work at their own pace, whilst encouraging positive change and giving clients the tools to view things in a different way.

What to expect from the first session

Seeing a counsellor for the first time can be daunting, especially if you are not sure what to expect. The first session will give you the chance to talk about what you hope to get from counselling and to raise any questions or concerns you have about the process.

Finding the right counsellor is vital: there needs to be a good ‘fit’. The first session is a chance to assess our compatibility. If it doesn’t seem quite right for you, that’s okay; there is no obligation to commit to any more sessions. It’s also an opportunity for me to see whether I think there’s something I can offer you too.

Counselling works well, but it isn’t for everyone and we can talk about whether it is for you at the first appointment.

Training, qualifications & experience

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am bound by and adhere to their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

In addition to running my private practice I also work as part of a team of in-house counsellors at a local GP surgery.

I have the following professional qualifications:

  • Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Level 4)
  • Certificate in Counselling Theory (Level 3)
  • Certificate in Counselling Skills (Level 2)
  • Certificate in Mental Health Awareness (Level 2)
  • Introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA101)

I am committed to continually updating my skills and knowledge, which informs my counselling practice and expands my imagination and awareness. Examples of recent continuing professional development (CPD) courses and workshops that I have engaged in are listed below:

  • Working Therapeutically with Disordered Eating (Professor Julia Buckroyd)
  • Mindfulness Based Approaches
  • Working with Suicidal Clients (Dr. Andrew Reeves)
  • Solution Focused Brief Therapy
  • Working with Borderline Personality Disorder
  • The Role of Attachment in the Therapeutic Relationship

In line with the requirements of the BACP, I also attend regular supervision with an experienced and qualified supervisor.

I hold full professional indemnity insurance and I have a fully enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Member organisations

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

Whilst my work covers a range of issues, as outlined above, my particular interest is in the areas of eating disorders and self harm. I am passionate about helping people recover from eating problems and improve their confidence and self-esteem. I support clients who are struggling with weight issues, body image issues, disordered eating or a difficult relationship with food, who might not meet a clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder.

I have also spent the last three years studying the psychological effects of chronic pain and work with clients suffering from conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Fees

Additional information

£60 per 50 minute session.

If you have any questions or queries, or if you’re unsure whether counselling is for you, do get in touch by phone, text or email. Contact details can be found at the top of the page.

Please don’t be discouraged if I don’t answer your call immediately: I have my phone turned off while I’m seeing clients. Feel free to leave your name and phone number and a convenient time for me to contact you and I will call you back as soon as I can. This dedicated counselling line is used only by me and your message will be confidential. Please let me know if you do not wish me to leave a message on your voicemail.

When I work

Daytime and early evening appointments available.

Further information

I work from a dedicated, purpose built therapy room at my home in Barnack. It is a comfortable, relaxed room with off-road parking and discreet entry.

Barnack is a quiet village, 4 miles from Stamford. It is easily accessible from Peterborough, Bourne, Market Deeping, Oakham and Oundle. There is also a regular bus service to the village from Stamford and Peterborough.

Barnack, Stamford, Cambridgeshire, PE9 3EH

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older Adults
Jessica Towle
Jessica Towle