Abigail Hardiman
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Are wounds from the past affecting how you are functioning in the present and your thoughts of the future?
I am an integrative counsellor and I offer face to face therapy to adults and young people (16+) in Exeter or online from wherever you are in the UK.
Our early experiences can create patterns of trust and distrust which affect how we are in our relationships with others and ourselves, as well as how we respond to trauma and stress throughout our lives on many different levels. However, whilst we may be shaped by the past I believe that we do not need to be trapped by it.
Working in an integrative way means I draw on a number of different therapeutic theories to support you and your unique needs. I have a particular strength in working with the spiritual aspect of who we are, that sense of being part of something more, whether your sense of the spiritual is linked to a particular faith, or something more individual.
We will work together gently and compassionately at your own pace. You can choose whether you prefer sessions to be traditional talk therapy or if you'd like to engage with more creative options such as sand tray therapy, visualisation and inner child work.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications:
- Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling
- BACP Counselling Young People (11–18 years) Stage 1
- Certificate in Counselling
Additional qualifications:
- MSc Bristol SW; MPhil (Cantab) Historical Studies; MA Hons (Cantab) History
Recent Continuing Professional Development:
- Trauma and the Body: Dissociation and Somatisation
- Compassion in Therapy Summit
- Trauma Super Conference
- The Discovery of Will (Psychosynthesis)
- Working with complex trauma
- The neurobiology of compassion
- Online and telephone counselling course
Experience
I have a great deal of professional experience and training to draw on, not only as a counsellor, but also through many years of work in the helping professions. This has included supporting individuals and families through Action for Children and Barnados, as well as working with survivors of domestic abuse. Currently, alongside my private practice, I continue to volunteer for a national helpline for those experiencing severe distress. Alongside the life experience that we all gather along the way, these roles have enabled me to gain a strong understanding of how our experiences when we are younger influence the way we respond to stresses and relationships as adults. Moreover, the resilience and insights of the many people I have worked with have taught me a lot about what is needed for healing after loss and trauma.
Member organisations
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£45 per session. I also offer a limited number of reduced cost spaces for those on a low income - please contact me for more information.
Free initial 20 minute phone or zoom conversation to help you decide if I'm the right therapist for you.
When I work
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Further information
I work 1:1 with adults and older teens (16+), either face to face in central Exeter or online. My working hours are 8am-2.30pm on weekdays and some evenings.
I offer both short-term and open-ended work - how many sessions we have together is led by you and your needs. I review this regularly with clients.
