Alex York
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I work both online and from my practice in Stevenage Old Town in Hertfordshire.
I work with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationship issues and many other aspects of life.
I offer therapy that draws upon techniques and practices from different models of psychotherapy. I treat a number of issues and the integrative style of therapy I offer will be tailored to each client.
The relationship between us forms a great part of the therapy and I believe in providing a relationship where you can feel safe and be free from judgement. I offer more than a blank canvas.
You will be able to gain insight into how your past has shaped you and how you can now begin to shape your present and your future. We will work to understand your emotions, why you feel the way you do and how you can gain more control and feel more content.
We will always take things at a pace that suits you and your natural progression. Some clients will work well with a pro-active solution-focused therapy whereas others need more space and time to find their own answers from within.
To find out more about how therapy can be effective for you, ring me for a free no obligation telephone consultation.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have been working full-time as a therapist in my private practice for 12 years. Before becoming a therapist, I was always fascinated by the mind, how it works and always trying to understand myself and the people around me. I graduated in Philosophy in 2004 and then spent a couple of years working without much focus. (This bit wouldn’t go on a CV…)
I then decided to go travelling for a year, both with friends and then travelling on my own. It was travelling on my own that broke me out of auto-pilot and opened me up to different cultures, people, ideas and emotions.
On my return, I started volunteering with the Samaritans, a 24 hour phone line for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and emotional distress. The two years I was there was a real eye-opener, both in hearing what people had to go through and understanding the emotional struggle we all have. The skills and principles I picked up there form a large part of my practice today. The art of listening and being present with someone while abandoning judgement is a cornerstone of my therapy.
While I didn’t underestimate the great help this counselling style service could provide, I grew frustrated with the limitations that came with it. I started studying and training in hypnotherapy and psychotherapy and began to understand ways to help bring about change within people.
After gaining my first diploma in hypnotherapy and counselling, I started to practice privately and carried on studying further in psychotherapy. I continued to learn about the role our unconscious played in our behaviour and how to change the script we’ve already written for ourselves.
Qualifications and accreditation
- Masters in Psychotherapy at the Minster Centre
- Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapy at the Minster Centre
- Diploma in Hypnotherapy & Counselling Skills
- Professional Diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling
- Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling
- BA in Philosophy
- Accredited Member of the National Hypnotherapy Society
- Accredited Member of the National Counselling Society
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
£60.00 - £80.00
Additional information
I have worked in a number of different ways with clients and I adapt my therapy according to each person's needs.
I work in short-term intensive therapy and long-term weekly therapy.
Fees available upon request.
Further information
For a greater understanding of the way I work, I have given a synopsis for the following treatments:
Relationships
Therapy can help you understand your relationships, not just the romantic types but the relationships with your family, friends and peers.
Many relationships have powerful controlling feelings that are hard to fully understand or express. Sometimes there is an absence of feeling which is equally confusing. Is the relationship you’re in healthy for you? If not why are you still in it or how can you improve it?
The starting point for any understanding of your relationship is an understanding of yourself. Therapy allows you to look for patterns in thought, feeling and behaviour. You can gain insight to fully understand your past and to know yourself more in the present. Working with me will help lift those blind spots of self-awareness and we can begin to help improve your relationships.
The way I work with individuals in helping them with their relationships is by looking at the immediate impact on their everyday lives. If someone is in a dysfunctional or damaging relationship, it may be causing anxiety or depression of some kind. We can work in a number of ways depending on what you’d like help with. It may include improving communication, changing behaviours, helping with intimacy or putting up protective boundaries.
Anxiety
Anxiety comes in various forms whether it be panic attacks, constant worrying or social anxiety. It is a part of the unconscious survival mechanism that will lead us away from threats in our environment. It’s fantastic for keeping us safe from saber-toothed tigers, not so great when we want to talk in public, get on the tube or simply go to sleep.
Our fight or flight mechanism can often become too trigger-happy for various reasons. In therapy we can begin to understand your anxiety. There are many techniques and strategies we can make specific to your life and help reduce the anxiety very quickly and prevent the fight or flight trigger.
The probability of panic attacks can be greatly reduced and you can learn how to stay on top of them. We can work on how to deal with the ‘what-if’ thinking and the catastrophising which can lead us into a panic. We can build your confidence
Hypnosis can be a powerful tool in dealing with anxiety. It can help break the link between the trigger and the anxious reaction. Your thoughts can become calmer as we work with the unconscious and help you heal and feel good about yourself again.
In longer-term work, we can look to go beyond just coping but to really connect with who you are and what you want. When you really know and value yourself, everything else can fall into place.
Depression
There are many causes of depression, from repressed anger to never discovering or accepting who you really are.
We will start work from the first session on ways to cope with the depression; how to deal with negative thoughts and how to maintain your employment or relationships. We will have a clear goal in mind.
I will spend time getting to know and understand you, not just the story you tell people but who you really are. The way we relate to each other and the way you treat yourself is at the core of my approach.
We will be two people sharing thoughts and emotion and working with the unconscious to begin to bring about the change you’re looking for.
Compassion is what the therapeutic relationship can cultivate, for your self and your past. We work together in this process to allow you to experience yourself with freedom, working through any emotion or way of being that hold you back.
