Patsy Bolton Senior Accredited Counsellor
About me
COUNSELLING For in depth help - or briefer assistance.
In a world of innumerable stresses it can be an achievement to balance necessary priorities and still leave time for you. The problem is, that without personal breathing space for self- care and self-reflection, your hopes and good intentions can get lost. You may in fact have forgotten what you need!
As a British Association of Counselling Senior Accredited Practitioner, with over 25 years of experience, I work in a variety of ways therefore am able to offer the most accessible and relevant approach for you. I can assess whether past events, your current relationships, loss or confidence issues are preventing you from moving on now. Counselling can attend to these.
As well as the traditional analytic talking therapy model which I continue to use, I have found that my clients report feeling better faster as well as more understanding of their issues through a methodology which originates from the United States (as many do) called Advanced Integrative Therapy or AIT. It is particularly effective at easing early and current trauma which is often unwittingly held in the body and the mind through physical and psychological symptoms.
I always combine talking and AIT together.
For more information please see www.ait-uk-europe.com
For the last 15 years I have also integrated other innovative and proven energy therapy approaches, working with the mind/body interaction. These include a method which can sometimes bring relief even in minutes called Thought Field Therapy. It can be learnt as a self help technique further to being shown where to tap on your body. In doing so your worst feelings and fears may be reduced.
*I offer brief interventions with couples in relation to parenting/ permanency - adoption related/family concerns and not specifically couple resolution issues.
Training, qualifications & experience
BA Arts Degree University Of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Msc. Psychological Counselling, Surrey University.
Certificate in Life Coaching, Newcastle College, England.
Thought Field Therapy Diagnostic Level and Parts Field Therapy (UK training) Accreditation: Callahan Techniques, USA.
Certificate in Advanced Integrative Therapy with ongoing trainings annually.
Certificate Qualification in Social Work, London.
Advanced Programme for Social Workers, Tavistock Clinic, London.
One year specialist adoption training for work with individuals, couples and families.
I work for PAC-UK as a freelance counsellor in permanency and adoption issues and as a trainer for PAC-UK offering workshops to several London Boroughs. I continue to update my skills regularly in this field of work.
I have enjoyed being in private practice in Teddington since 1998, having worked in NHS settings for several years in the community prior to that.
In addition to my work with adults and adolescents, I've had extensive experience as a member of a multidisciplinary child and adolescent mental health team "CAHMS" .
In my previous role as a mental health social worker, I'd previously been part of an adult community mental health team. I have first hand experience of the more severe psychological and psychiatric issues. I have also worked in a post permanence service assisting families and adults who have been placed for adoption, fostered or in kinship care.
As an expatriate of many years standing - having lived in Canada and parts of Africa I understand the issues relevant to living somewhere far from home, even if that was many years ago.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£ 60.00 per 50 minute session for individuals.
I currently offer AIT at the same fee but for a longer session lasting up to 75 minutes.
In this case the fee is £65.00.
Couples fees: £100
I do consider individual financial circumstances and can discuss a reasonable fee scale.
I am willing to offer FaceTime or Skype sessions. It is preferable if we are able to meet first of all depending on your location.
Further information
I work with individuals; adults, adolescents and offer couples work. I have undertaken pre and post-adoption counselling with couples when referred through agencies such as their local authority.
I can see people for brief interventions as well as longer term options. Many individuals looking to understand more indepth issues prefer open ended contracts. I am flexible when considering how often to see a client as long as clinically I feel the counselling will be beneficial in this way.
I frequently deliver training on attachment and permanency issues for the voluntary organisation I do freelance permanence/adoption counselling for.
