Alexandra Pomeroy MBACP (Registered) Couns Dip.

Qualifications
Counselling Diploma - NHS                                
Certificate in Counselling Skills - NHS                                 
PGCE Further Education - University of Greenwich              
BSC (Hons) Psychology - Kent and Canterbury University  
Counselling Children and Young People - Place 2BE                                   

Training

High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) trained at Christchurch University.

Dissociative Identity Disorder Training. (DID) & Trauma friendly Therapist.  IAPTS Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training undertaken.

• Suicide Awareness
• Risk Assessment and Management (DICES)
• Mental Health First Aid
• Working with Trauma (Child and Adult survivors of complex trauma, sexual violence and domestic abuse)
• Domestic Violence
• Child neuroscience
• Level 2 Mentoring people with Mental Health Issues
• Disordered Eating
• Awareness of child abuse and neglect core V5

Experience

In addition to my private practice in Maidstone I am a freelance counsellor for various Kent based services. I facilitate mental health recovery and psycho educational groups as well as providing training to external organisations, schools and groups.

I have provided one to one and group therapy and psycho-education to adults with eating disorders and obesity.  I currently work with self and GP referred clients providing short term CBT.

I spent five years working in the community providing support to adults suffering various mental health illnesses and addictions. I managed a supported scheme housing adults with severe mental health and learning disabilities. I have also provide talking and behavioural therapies to people suffering from agoraphobia.  Play therapy has been utilised with young children suffering a variety of behavioural and emotional issues. Prior to qualifying as a counsellor I worked as a pastoral support manager within both secondary and junior school settings. The specific areas in which I have gained mental health and counselling experience are as follows;

Crisis Café intervention Counsellor – Providing group and 1:1 counselling to clients experiencing suicidal ideation, depression, self-harming behaviour. The clients suffer a range of mental health issues such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), anger issues, Bi-polar, schizophrenia etc. I also facilitate Mental Health Recovery and Wellbeing Groups and utilise CBT recovery action planning to clients with complex needs.

Providing freelance counselling to a children's bereavement charity  providing 1:1 therapy to children and young people who's behaviour or emotional development has been negatively affected by the death of a loved one.

Counselling within a grammar school setting for young people identified as requiring therapeutic interventions, due to family breakdowns, bullying, self harm, exam stress and general anxiety disorder.

Providing counselling to clients and employees of a nationwide charity who where suffering from a variety of issues including anxiety, stress, feeling sad, being stuck and unable to move forward in life.

Voluntary 1:1 and group CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to clients who self medicate with alcohol and various substances, to numb negative emotions from the past.

Offering support in the community to those suffering with mental health issues, such as agoraphobia, anxiety/panic attacks, PTSD, depression, Bi-Polar disorder, schizophrenia etc.

I worked as a residential scheme manager for 9 clients suffering from a range of severe diagnosed mental health illnesses.

I worked within a pastoral support team providing 1:1 support to pupils and families within junior and senior school settings.

My role was to provide play therapy within 1:1 sessions to children identified with behavioural problems.

I have experience of working with people who suffer from Agoraphobia, offering talking and behavioural therapies to overcome fear of the outside world. Many mental health organisations offer therapeutic interventions outside the home which is unhelpful to people who are afraid to step outside, I work with clients in their homes. I also provide therapy to people who have hoarding issues.

For home visits charges are based on distance of location and session time.  An initial assessment is carried out prior to commencement of regular therapeutic sessions.