About me
Hello.
My name is Alison Colvile.
I am an accredited and experienced Psychotherapist who sees teenagers and adults, but not at the same time !
I am also a Supervisor working with other Therapists and supporting them in their work.
My aim is to offer you a safe , supportive and caring counselling relationship, working alongside you, with you, and together, with what ever you wish to explore. I am a good listener.
I practice as an Integrative Humanistic Counsellor and Coach. This means I can tailor your needs to the therapy I can offer. I am very happy to explain this , so please do call me as it makes more sense when we talk about it. At the moment I am offering remote or online counselling . My face to face work is walking and talking in the Surrey Hills. This walk and talk therapy suits those who prefer to move and be outside, rather than sitting still. However, it is most definitely not a route march and sometimes we do sit down on a comfortable seat or log and take stock of things.
I work short-term and long-term which means that you decide how many sessions you feel work for you, and how to space them. I am happy to help with that. If I am working using CBT strategies then you may want to go away and try them out and come back to review how it is going. If it is around loss and family then it may feel more supportive to have weekly sessions, certainly to start with.
The counselling sessions last for 50 minutes for adults, tailored down to a shorter time for children . The first meeting is an opportunity for you to see if counselling is helpful at this time and for us to meet and see how we feel about working together. It is very important that you have a counsellor who you trust and feel comfortable with, so you get the most out of therapy. I fully appreciate that this may be the first time that you have considered 'talking therapies' and I am happy to discuss any part of your therapy with you.
When I am working with the younger age group I like to meet/talk with Mum/Dad/Carer so that we are all supporting the child in the best way possible. I am happy to discuss any of this and how confidentiality works when children come to therapy.
Training, qualifications & experience
BA (Hons) Degree in Counselling 2008,
Foundation Degree in Humanistic (integrative) Counselling
BACP accredited and Certificates in Counselling, Counselling Skills & Theory.
Post Graduate Diploma in Supervision.
BA (Hons) Degree in Drama (1978).
Member of the BACP counselling children and young people division
I have undertaken additional training including:
Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy (OCTC)
Safeguarding Children and Young People
Loss and Bereavement, grief counselling
Anxiety, low mood, depression
Trauma
Adoption and Fostering
Supporting Adults and Children facing life-threatening illness
Supporting Students with Specific Learning difficulties
I am a Graduate of Mindfulness, Sussex
I am an accredited Member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy and abide by their Ethical Framework for Good Practice. I am CRB checked (required for working with young people) and my therapy practice is fully insured and supervised.
I haven't always been a counsellor, which I think is a positive thing. Prior to training as a psychotherapist I was a professional Actor and later a Broadcaster . This career spanned several enjoyable years working in theatre, radio and television. I am still a member of Equity and I am an experienced voice-over artist. Back then as an arts graduate, I worked in schools and colleges with children and students combining theatre and education. Following on from this early work, I now offer 'play therapy', story telling, shells, sand trays and clay as a different medium for expression in the therapy sessions. I also work with imagery and encourage writing and drawing if that helps.
As a counsellor and supervisor, I have several years experience of working in Primary Care within two G.P surgeries, College and University, Schools and in the Voluntary sector with Hospice work.
My other interests are sport, yoga, mindfulness, walking, music, caring for various animal additions, and getting out of the washing up !
Member organisations
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
My other interests are low mood, low self -esteem, anger, relationship struggles, and issues around loss / bereavement, including still birth and miscarriage.
As a Supervisor I work with individuals and groups, counsellors and trainees. I offer support for your work with Children and Adults.
I hope that helps and please do get in touch. I am happy to support you in your search to find a counsellor or supervisor that suits you.
Therapies offered
Fees
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual counselling: £45- £ 75 per session (50 minutes) dependent on time and numbers
Supervision sessions are £60 per hour.
On line sessions , over the phone , £ 60
Availability
I can offer appointments weekdays and early evenings. I offer flexibility with times and dates on a weekly basis
Further information
I can be contacted on 01306 730126. If I am not there to answer your call at the time, please leave your name and number on my answering machine (plus when it is a good time for me to call you back). We can then have a twenty minute free confidential conversation about what is happening for you at the moment and if counselling may be of help.
Similarly, if you contact me by e-mail, and then leave your number, I can also call you back if you wish.
Flexible appointment times including daytime and some evenings.
Free parking available
Holmbury St Mary is a small village set in the Surrey Hills about twenty minutes from either Guildford, Cranleigh or Dorking
