Deborah Fyrth
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Counselling gives you the time and space to just be yourself and talk about what's going on for you. Life can be stressful and challenging; talking about and exploring your problems without being judged may enable you to clarify your difficult thoughts and feelings, help you plan your journey in more resourceful ways and rediscover your potential for managing problems, coping with crises and building fulfilling relationships.
My name is Deborah Fyrth, and I'm based in Lower Sunbury, where I work from a beautiful purpose-built counselling room which offers a tranquil, safe, private setting, offering face-to-face and online counselling to clients aged 18+.
Clients come to see me with a wide range of issues, including (but certainly not limited to!) depression, anger, anxiety, stress, loss and bereavement, low self-confidence and self-esteem, phobias, trauma and abuse, relationship problems, addictions/compulsions, substance misuse, and work-related issues - or just looking to work on personal growth and development.
I work with individuals. I offer daytime and evening appointments. Much of my work with private clients is open-ended (i.e., as few or as many sessions as the client wishes); time-limited contracts are also available if appropriate. I also offer "training therapy" to student counsellors who are required to be in therapy as part of their training and "Time to Talk" therapeutic and/or self-care sessions for counsellors and other therapists (e.g., holistic therapists, etc.).
First and foremost, I'm an Integrative Humanistic Counsellor, which means that I offer a warm, non-judgemental and confidential environment where you can safely talk about anything that's troubling you. Respect, for the client's uniqueness and autonomy, confidentiality, and judgement-free support are central to this counselling relationship. If you find it hard to put things into words, we can also work with, for example, drawing, toys, stones and shells, etc.
Where appropriate, I integrate Cognitive Behavioural Therapy into my counselling. CBT is a collaborative therapy which focuses the work of counselling on challenging, disputing, reality-testing and reframing negative and unhelpful thought patterns which might have become habits or self-fulfilling prophecies, facilitating constructive changes in behaviour and helping clients learn new coping skills.
I also offer Solution Focused Brief Therapy, again, where appropriate. SFBT is a very practical model of therapy. It is change-oriented, future-focused and goal-directed and aims to help clients build realistic goals, utilising their own skills and strengths. "Solution" in this context basically means "Doing something different"!
I hold a BACP recognised Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling, and offer online (via Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp or FaceTime) or telephone counselling to clients based anywhere in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, or the EU.
"Time to Talk" sessions: even for counsellors and therapists, life happens with all its struggles and it can be hard to feel centred and hold onto our emotional resilience. It can also be hard to acknowledge and prioritise the need for good self-care practice. I therefore offer counsellors and therapists a chance to talk confidentially and acquire support and self-care strategies.
I am very aware that, because of the current economic crisis, clients may find themselves struggling to afford counselling. I’m therefore happy to negotiate my fees for clients in genuine hardship, including those on benefits/UC or low wages.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor, and a member of the BACP Register.
I hold an Advanced Diploma in Integrated Humanistic Counselling (BACP Accredited course) from Guildford College. I also hold a CSCT Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a CPCAB Award in Understanding Substance Misuse, and a Level 4 Certificate in Solution Focused Brief Therapy. For online/phone work, I have a Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling. I continue to update my learning via regular Continuing Professional Development courses and workshops.
As well as my private practice, I have worked as a School Counsellor at a prestigious State Boarding School, and as a Counselling Caseworker in the Student Counselling Service at a local University. I've also worked in GP Surgeries, an NHS Staff Support Service and for charitable organisations including Women's Counselling (working with survivors of abuse) and Off The Record (a youth counselling service). Whilst training as a counsellor, I worked for Victim Support Surrey, supporting survivors of crimes such as burglary, stalking and assault.
I have specific training in and experience of counselling clients affected by abuse, rape and domestic violence.
Before re-training as a counsellor, I worked for many years in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, PR and Event Management in a variety of business environments.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
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
Procrastination
Exam Anxiety
Decision-Making
Self-Care and Self-Development
Therapies offered
Fees
£65.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Standard fee: £65 per 50 minute session.
Counselling Students: £45 per 50 minute session
These rates may be negotiable - I have a very limited number of lower-cost (£25-£45 depending on circumstances and time of day) sessions available for unwaged/low-waged clients, for clients on benefits, or for students or pensioners. This can be discussed at our initial session.
If you feel you may need a longer session from time to time, this can be agreed by prior arrangement and is charged pro-rata.
Counselling Trainees: I have considerable experience of supporting trainee and newly-qualified counsellors through their training (and beyond). I charge £45 per session (most training institutions mandate at least 40-60 sessions of weekly therapy during training)
When I work
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I'm happy to be flexible around clients' work patterns, e.g., shift working.
Further information
I offer short- and long-term (open-ended) contracts. I offer sessions on Tuesdays (day and evening), Wednesdays (day and evening), Thursdays (afternoon and evening) and Fridays (mornings).
My room has its own access separate from the house. I can offer disabled access, inc. wheelchair access and off-street parking by prior arrangement.
I'm located in Lower Sunbury. Access by road is easy, with plenty of free on-street parking available. If you're using public transport, the 216 bus (Staines-Ashford-Sunbury-Hampton-Kingston) stops at the bottom of my road. I'm also within easy walking distance of bus routes 235, 555/557 and 290, and of Kempton Park or Sunbury Stations (South-Western Railway).
I am fully insured for client work.