Alana Sketcher

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she/her
DipHE Counselling, MBACP
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Southampton SO31 & SO40
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Hello and welcome! 

I understand the difficult things that life can throw your way and how overwhelming it can be to find a suitable counsellor to talk through what your experiencing. With this in mind, before committing to anything, I offer a free phone consultation to find out if I am the most suitable counsellor for you. 

As your counsellor, my main aim is to offer you a space where you feel comfortable and safe to be able to talk and work through your feelings. For me, nothing is more important than the relationship between us which is why I will sit with you without an agenda, putting you at the centre of your counselling experience. 

I found my way into counselling through a varied career which has enabled me to work with a wide range of people and see first hand the complexities that people face within their personal lives. I have worked at HMP Winchester, supporting inmates serving their sentences in the prison's education department. I have also worked at a large secondary school as part of their pastoral team, undertaking roles such as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Head of Year. On top of this I have also worked in theatres where I have delivered a range of projects within the community.

Working in these environments means I have had to function in a non-judgemental way, and this is something that I carry with me in my counselling  sessions.  

As well as having my own private practice, I currently work as a school counsellor with children and young people aged between 8-16. Alongside this, I also counsel young people aged 11-19 at a charity based in Eastleigh. Previously, I have counselled adults at The You Trust in Portsmouth. 

I offer private counselling to adults and children aged 10+ from my offices in Totton and Sarisbury Green. Please contact me for with your preferred location so I can send you across my current availability. 

Training, qualifications & experience

Further qualifications include:

  • Level 2 Counselling Skills
  • Level 3 Counselling Skills
  • Level 4 & 5 Diploma in Humanistic Counselling
  • Member of the BACP
  • Full DBS
  • Diploma in Counselling Young People and Children
  • ICO Member
  • Safeguarding

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Therapies offered

Photos & videos

Fees

£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session

Concessions offered for

  • check_circle OAPs
  • check_circle Students
  • check_circle Trainee counsellors
  • check_circle Refugees

Additional information

I offer a free 20-minute consultation on the phone to provide you with the opportunity to ask any questions to help you decide if I am the most appropriate counsellor for you.

Sessions are £50 and payment is due in advance, 48 hours before the session. If sessions are cancelled with less than 24 hours advance notice, payment may still be charged at the full session rate.

Please contact me for concessionary rates. 

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Please contact me for details about my availability. I currently have spaces in Totton and Sarisbury Green, I also have online availability at various times in the week. 

Further information

Free onsite parking is available at Watt Health (Sarisbury Green) and Totton Creative Hub.

Watt Health, 168a Bridge Road, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 7EH

23 Totton Shopping Centre, Commercial Road, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 3BX

Type of session

In person
Online

Types of client

Children (0-12)
Young people (13-17)
Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly