About me
hood
I realise that it can be hard to make that initial telephone call and ask for a counselling appointment. However, in my experience TALKING does HELP, particularly when you speak with a qualified therapist, who can think along with you about your specific issues in a non-judgmental and approachable manner.
I am a Senior Accredited Practitioner with a broad base of experience, having worked with a wide range of client issues/difficulties, from anger management and depression to bereavement and childhood issues. People who come to see me include individuals, couples and families. I am happy to work with people of all age-groups. I am also a qualified Relational Supervisor.
I began my training with Gloucestershire Counselling Service (GCS) in Stroud and qualified as a psychodynamic counsellor in 1998. I became accredited in 2000. I continue to engage with further training opportunities with a view to broadening my thinking. This has included Family Therapy with The Bridge Foundation in Bristol and the Family Project in Stroud. I also have an Advanced Specialist Diploma in Relational Supervision with Severn Talking Therapy in Bristol.
I am in private practice at The Isbourne Centre, based in the centre of Cheltenham. My consulting room is in a quiet location and offers a comfortable space to explore your issues and needs. The setting is private, safe and confidential. There is ample car parking space around the Town Hall area and Rodney Road carpark is right opposite the building,
To find out whether what I offer is what you need, please contact me either on email gien.donovan@btopenworld.com or on 07845 907 999.
Our initial meeting is an 'exploratory session', in order for you to see whether what I offer is right for you.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training:
1995 - 2000 Psychodynamic Therapy
1999 - 2000 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome specialist training
2002 - 2004 working with couples and families - Bridge Foundation Bristol
2002 - 2005 Teens in Crisis
2002 - 2005 Childhood bereavement training
2003 - 2007 Family Project GCS
2005 - 2007 Infant Observation
2017 - 2018 Advanced Specialist Diploma in Relational Supervision
Qualifications:
1998 - Diploma Psychodynamic Counselling
2000 - completed Graduate Training GCS
2000 - Accreditation MBACP, UKRCP registered
2010 - Senior Accredited
2017 - Advanced Specialist Diploma in Relational Supervision
Regular Continuing Professional Development
Experience:
1998 - onwards Working with individuals on a wide range of presenting problems.
1999 - 2004 Working with people who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
2002 - 2005 Working with young people and their specific issues
2002 - 2011 Experience of supporting bereaved children and their families.
2003 - onwards Working with couples.
2003 - onwards Working with families, or with individuals whilst keeping the family in mind.
2005 - 2011 Working with individuals who have suffered a childhood bereavement.
2011 - 2013 Working with Foster carers and their specific issues
2017 - 2018 Advanced Specialist Diploma in Relational Supervision
Member organisations
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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership

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.

Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I will see a client for an initial exploratory session, in which an assessment is starting to be made. If I feel at any time that the client needs more specialised intervention, I will assist in an onwards referral.
- Pre-bereavement issues i.e. when a terminal illness has been diagnosed. That is often a time in life when it is good to talk.
- I work with general parenting issues and will also work with mothers/fathers and babies where necessary, in order for parents to gain confidence in their parenting skills.
Therapies offered
Fees
My fees:
£55-£60 Working with individuals
£75-£90 Working with couples or families
£50 - private practice supervisees
£55 - organisational supervisees
Concessions are considered in specific circumstances.
Availability: I work weekly on Tuesday and Thursday and a session will last 50 minutes, or one hour if working with couples or families. I work both early morning as well as into the evening, in order for clients to be able to engage with therapy on an ongoing basis.
Supervision is 50 minutes, either weekly or fortnightly.
Supervision:
I am offering supervision on a fortnightly basis or weekly if preferred. My fee is £50/session for private practice or £55 for organisations
Further information
I have extensive experience in bereavement issues, particularly in childhood bereavement.
This includes generic death as well as bereavement through suicide or murder/manslaughter.
I am BUPA registered as well as BACP and UKRCP registered