Steve Shears
About me
I am an experienced psychotherapist/counsellor operating a digital and telephone practice and have been in practice since 1989 providing individual therapy around trauma, depression and anxiety and couples therapy. I have a particular interest in trauma-based problems and anxiety disorders and have a number of different approaches to this including EMDR, Rewind Therapy and EFT. As well as psychological trauma I have an interest in the on-going effects of acquired brain injury and physical trauma and have worked for many years in that field.
Trauma memories are very unsettling and tend not to get processed properly in the brain like other memories, so treatments like EMDR help you process or digest the disturbing material into more normal memory. It doesn't make you forget events or people but does process the emotions and cognitions attached to them in a more helpful way so that you can get on with day to day life better.
As an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy MBACP (Accred) and abide by their code of conduct. I am also working towards accreditation as an EMDR therapist. Please call me on 07425 908470 and I will be happy to have an initial discussion with you.
Training, qualifications & experience
MSc Psychology, BSc Hons Psychology
Certificate in Marital and Couple Counselling -Relate.
Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy -Relate
Human Givens Diploma (Distinction) -Mindfields College, Chalvington, Sussex.
EMDR Training (2019 -2020) completed with the EMDR Academy.
This is a wide-ranging mixture of counselling, therapy and psychology training. My post-graduate interests have been in neurosciences and I also see people for counselling who have survived traumatic brain injury and other forms of acquired brain injury. This approach would be termed Neuropsychotherapy.
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 see individuals for depression and anxiety disorders (Including PTSD)and loss and adjustment issues following brain injury. I see couples for relationship work and psychosexual therapy. I have also done further training in the field of cognitive rehabilitation therapy to help improve a person's cognitive skills that can be disrupted following brain injury.
Therapies offered
Fees
£40.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£40 per session. Fees negotiable if on low income.
Availability
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I have daytime and evening appointments (generally Monday and Tuesday) and Saturday appointments. Currently working online only.
Further information
I use brief and collaborative approach to therapy and I negotiate with clients a pattern of attending that suits their needs and that is in line with the outcomes that they want to work towards.
I also provide training in acquired brain injury, such as, understanding acquired brain injury, cognitive rehabilitation, managing challenging behaviour issues following acquired brain injury. This training is delivered to organizations who employ support workers, social workers, healthcare staff and counsellors.
I provide a video call and telephone therapy service via ZOOM as I have found it an effective medium for therapy with individuals and couples since the pandemic lockdowns started and intend to continue a digital service that is of course available to clients outside of my geographical area.
