Alison Penfold
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Having established my practice in London for over ten years, I moved to Bath in 2019. I have significant experience of supporting clients with a wide range of challenging life issues, transitions, depression and anxiety. This includes survivors of all historical abuse, sibling abuse, alcoholic parents, bullying and other difficulties in childhood. Also, clients struggling to assert boundaries, in intimate relationships or the workplace. Or perhaps you might be struggling with a more specific issue in the present and have a clearer focus.
It can be distressing to recognise yourself repeating unhelpful patterns that you feel unable to change. I aim to validate your experience and empathise with you, whilst challenging unhelpful beliefs and supporting you to embrace meaningful and lasting change. As an integrative therapist, I'm informed by a range of perspectives and will offer the most helpful for you. The most vital ingredient in successful therapy will ultimately be the relationship between us, as therapist and client.
Primarily, our first consultation is used to discuss your reasons for seeking therapy, to decide the most helpful way for us to work together and to discuss practicalities such as time of sessions and fees. I offer both short and long-term therapy for individuals and couples and offer a limited number of early morning and evening appointments when available.
Training, qualifications & experience
Originally from a Performing Arts background, I worked for many years as a Classical Singer. I am a Registered Therapist for the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM). As a guest lecturer, I've presented workshops on Emotional Wellbeing for Performers, at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. This enables me to work effectively with clients experiencing performance-related (and boundary issues) at work, in educational environments, and in competitive sporting situations.
I have a BA Hons Degree in Integrative Relational Counselling. I have been awarded Accredited Member Status with the BACP as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist and I am always guided by their ethical framework.
I regularly engage in Continuing Professional Development, particularly in the areas of Trauma, Attachment, IFS, Resilience and Healing. In order to support my work with couples, I have a certificate from COSRT (College of Sexual and Relationship Therapy), have attended additional brief CPD training at the Tavistock Institute for Couples Therapy, and more recently attended training seminars with a leading expert in this field.
Over many years of practice I have provided additional support for clients who work the twelve steps of addicts anonymous groups. From this experience, I continue to develop my comprehensive understanding of addiction recovery.
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.
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
My experience within the theatre and performing arts gives me valuable insight into working with performers and also with those experiencing performance-related issues in other types of work environment and competitive sport. I welcome the opportunity to do this. In this capacity, I am an approved therapist for The British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and this means that I update my knowledge in this area by completing regular training with them. I have worked as a visiting lecturer (on psychological issues facing performers) at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
I have extensive experience of working with a very wide range of emotional issues, including adult survivors of childhood abuse and trauma and sibling abuse. I regularly attend further training in support of my work. I also see clients who work the Twelve Steps and are in established addiction recovery.
I frequently work with young adults (from age 18), enabling them to explore any difficulties that they might be experiencing, including conflict with parents, issues arising from peer pressure, self-esteem issues, obsessive/addictive behaviour (including social networking obsession and mobile phone addiction), and other issues.
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Individuals - £70 per 50 minute session
Couples - £100 per 1 hour session / £120 per 90 minute session
Payment is by bank transfer in advance, or in cash at the session.
I am an approved practitioner for Aviva Insurance and WPA insurance.
When I work
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Early morning, daytime and evening appointments available. These vary from time to time, so it's best to make contact and I can advise you of my current availability.
Further information
I am an experienced Performers Therapist and Coach and a British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) Registered Practitioner. This means that I regularly support Performing and other Creative Artists. In addition, I work in Private Practice in Central Bath and online across the UK with all the above mentioned issues.
I have a fully up to date DBS Certificate.
