Loretta Riordan BA(Hons) MBACP

Brighton East Sussex BN2
01273 604930 Click here to Email me

Profile

I'm a Senior Accredited BACP Counsellor and have been in full-time practice for almost 20 years, so have helped hundreds of clients. I worked in the NHS in a number of senior Primary and Secondary Care posts from 1993- 2008, and I have also worked in schools as well as running my own private practice in Brighton. Integrative in approach, I have continued to explore different avenues of training, and have acquired skills in a variety of therapeutic techniques which I try to match to the specific needs, issues and circumstances of the client. In my experience, one size definitely does not 'fit all', and in our first session we will work on jointly formulating a plan of action that is tailored directly to the client's situation.

I view therapy as a collaborative, dynamic and interactive process in which the quality of the working relationship between client and therapist is crucial. And, although therapy can seem a challenging or even intimidating process, a strong alliance built on mutual trust and respect, once established, provides a space in which difficult subjects can be explored in freedom and safety. For me, building that unique working partnership with each client is the bedrock of any successful outcome.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

I worked in journalism for several years after graduation, but maintained my interest in therapy via a series of voluntary posts. Eventually I switched careers in 1991 and began my training, completing my Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling at Brighton University in 1993.

I held a number of honorary posts in NHS Secondary Care at Hastings, Brighton and Eastbourne whilst training, and on qualifying went straight into a Primary Care post in Eastbourne. I remained working in the NHS from 1993 until 2008, holding additional senior posts at Brighton, Newhaven, and at the Bethlem and Maudsley NHS Trust where I helped set up a new Primary Care service. I facilitated groups for the Eastbourne Survivors Project (a service for adult female survivors of sexual abuse), and also worked as School Counsellor to Eastbourne College from 1997-2003. In addition, I established my own private practice which I have run successfully since 1993, working with EAP and private clients. I also founded the Eastbourne Primary Care Counsellors' Group, which I facilitated from 1994-2000.

I am particularly interested in the creative arts, and have worked for the BBC as a consultant for its Comedy College project, conducting seminars on The Psychology of Comedy for groups of new writers. Over the last ten years I have worked extensively with actors, journalists, musicians and other clients from the creative field in my private practice, on issues including stage fright, writer's block, and loss of confidence.

I have pursued additional training in a number of different therapeutic approaches and methods since qualification, including CBT, EMDR, Brief Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Mindfulness. My practice continues to evolve as I attend new courses and conferences every year, in accordance with my CPD requirements. I feel this allows a flexibility in my approach which helps ensure that each client gets the most appropriate and effective treatment possible.

Areas of counselling I deal with

• Abortion
• Abuse
• Adoption Issues
• Anxiety
• Bereavement
• Cancer
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
• Couples Counselling
• Depression
• Emotional Abuse
• Generalised Anxiety
• HIV/AIDS
• Low Self-Confidence
• Low Self-Esteem
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Phobias
• Physical Abuse
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Relationship Issues
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexuality
• Stress
• Trauma
• Work Related Issues

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Burnout
Adjustment to life-changing illness
Creative block
Stage fright

Therapies Offered

• Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies
  - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic
  - Psychodynamic Therapy

• Humanistic Therapies
  - Person-Centred Counselling

• Other Therapies
  - Integrative
  - EMDR

Fees

Individuals, £45.00 per session (50 minutes)
Couples, £55.00 per session (1 hour)
EMDR, £70.00 per session (90 minutes)

Further Information

I work from quiet, pleasant premises close to the Sussex County Hospital (bus routes 1, 1a, 7, 14, 14C, 37, 52, 12, 27 all run nearby.). The practice is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with early morning and late evening sessions available on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Saturday morning sessions by arrangement.

I also offer Skype and telephone sessions, by arrangement.

If you would like a preliminary chat about your requirements, or wish to raise any questions about my practice or availability, I am more than happy to respond to phone calls and emails, with no obligation.

• Online, email or telephone counselling available

Member Organisation(s)