John Wenger
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am a fully trained Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Supervisor with 20+ years experience. I am a Registered Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (MBACP), an Accredited Member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (MNCPS Acc.) and a Certified Brainspotting Therapist. I hold a Diploma in Creative Approaches to Supervision. I adhere to BACP’s Ethical Framework and the NCPS Code of Ethics. I work with adults in Brighton & Hove and online. I currently have very limited availability in my Forest Hill SE23 practice.
How I work
I am a Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Supervisor, with 20+ years experience of working therapeutically with adults, adolescents, families, groups and organisations.
As a humanistic therapist, I attend to the “chemistry” between us because I know how central it is to healing and change. I understand how important it is for you to know you will not be judged, reprimanded or discriminated against, and accordingly I work in a confidential, supportive and non-judgmental way.
Because one size does not fit all, what happens in the therapy room is different for each person. My style is relational and invitational. My approach incorporates person-centred, psychodynamic, existential and body-based perspectives. I also apply psychodrama, Brainspotting, EMDR or cognitive/behavioural methods as appropriate to the person I am working with . Each person who comes to therapy or counselling brings their own unique questions, needs, preferences, life situations and backgrounds. My aim is that our work together will respect your uniqueness so that you can make real, tangible and long-lasting changes in your life.
Because humans are complex and unpredictable, therapy and healing are not off-the-shelf solutions, neither do they follow pre-ordained maps. This doesn’t mean that we would go on forever; we just wouldn’t constrain the work to fit within a rigid time frame and we would work at a pace that feels comfortable enough for you. It can be helpful to review the work at regular time intervals, so that it continues to feel relevant and useful. Humans are not machines to be fixed nor projects to be managed, we are living breathing beings with minds, bodies, feelings and souls that sometimes need time to heal, reconnect and find meaning in our lives.
How I can help
I have extensive experience in working with such issues as anxiety, trauma, depression, relationship issues, addictions, change and life transitions, family issues, career and life choices, affairs and betrayals, separation and divorce, abuse, managing difficult feelings (e.g. anger, shame, guilt), LGBTQIA+ related matters. All of this is done in the strictest of confidence. Depending on your needs, the work is sometimes short-term and focussed on a specific issue; sometimes the work is more open-ended and exploratory.
Your first session
At your first session, we will go over some of the questions you're asking yourself, some of the things you would like to be better in your life and what your hopes are for yourself, your relationships and your life in general. The first session is also a good opportunity to see how it feels to work together. Only you can decide whether therapy with me is right for you.
Where I work
I am available for face-to-face, in person sessions in Brighton & Hove. My Forest Hill SE23 practice has very limited availability. I also continue to work online. While working online is different than in person, the past couple of years have proven to me that online work can be just as effective and potent as face-to-face/in person. For online sessions, I use Zoom.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Training in Psychodrama at Auckland Training Centre for Psychodrama, Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand 1998-2004
- Diploma in Counselling, HD&T Institute, Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand 2000-2006
- EMDR Level 1, Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand, 2001
- Certificate in Relaxation Massage, New Zealand College of Massage, Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand 2011
- Certified Brainspotting Therapist, London, February 2022
- Diploma in Creative Supervision at the London Centre for Psychodrama, August 2022
My continuing development as a therapist and counsellor is essential to me. I am an avid reader and continue to keep up with the latest therapy-related literature. I regularly update my knowledge & practice in the areas of neuroscience, trauma, mindfulness and body-based therapies.
I also continue to attend training courses and seminars as part of my ongoing personal and professional development. In recent years, some of these include:
- Essentials of Trauma Treatment
- Modifying Mindfulness Interventions for Effective Trauma Focussed Care
- Addressing Personal and Clinical Challenges in Therapy with Susie Orbach
- Improvising Creatively and Therapeutically
- Somatic Ecology and other eco therapy related workshops
- Dissociative Identity Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder or C-PTSD: Diagnostic Assessment and Therapeutic Implications
- Moreno’s Legacy in Action (psychodrama)
- Chemsex
I take a special interest in trauma, its origins and its effects throughout our lives and how we can heal from it.
I began my career in counselling and psychotherapy in the late 1990s working as a trained volunteer on the crisis hotline for Youthline in Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. I subsequently completed formal training at the Human Development and Training Institute where I gained my Diploma in Counselling. Alongside this, I was also training in the psychodrama method at the Auckland Training Centre for Psychodrama, which I had begun in 1998. From 2000-2006, I worked as a therapist at a community therapy agency, working with sexual violence, abuse and trauma and in 2000, I also opened my private counselling and psychotherapy practice. Since that time, I have worked with a wide variety of people dealing with a range of issues.
During my years in Aotearoa/NZ, I also facilitated life skills groups for adolescent boys, trained teachers in mental health promotion programmes for the NZ Mental Health Foundation, provided anti-harassment workshops for the NZ Human Rights Commission, trained new crisis hotline volunteers at Youthline, established and provided supervision for Youthline’s Alternative Education school and provided training and support to a range of Auckland schools on sexual safety and anti-harassment.
I trained in EMDR level 1 in 2001. I have attended Phases 1-4 of Brainspotting training and a Masterclass with Dr David Grand, pioneer of Brainspotting. I satisfied the requirements for Certification in Brainspotting in February 2022.
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
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
sex, sexuality and sexual orientation
Therapies offered
Fees
£80.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
For those on reduced incomes or trainee counsellors, I have a limited number of appointments at a lower fee.
When I work
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weekdays
Please note that I am not currently accepting any new patients in my Forest Hill SE23 practice.
Further information
It can feel very challenging to take that first step and book a therapy appointment. It can help to just talk through whether it's for you, before making that first appointment. If you are wondering whether therapy is for you, feel free to contact me. I offer an initial no-obligation, free-of-charge 15 minute phone conversation. From there, we can arrange an initial 50 minute consultation session, and explore whether the “fit” feels good enough to commit to working together.
