Ali Harris
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Depression, anxiety and grief can really take it out of you - leave you feeling like a shadow of your former self, drain your energy and your self-confidence, and make you feel like you can never feel happy again.
I want to use my counselling skills and experience to help you to build yourself back up until you feel like there's nothing you can't manage, no matter what life throws at you.
How Counselling Helps
Counselling is way a of talking about your difficult 'stuff' - feelings, thoughts, experiences - so that it becomes easier to deal with & doesn't stop you living your life the way you want to.
If you think about your difficult feelings & experiences as a knotted ball of string, counselling is the process that gradually teases out the emotional knots until your mind can flow instead of getting caught in loops and tangles.
What happens in a counselling session?
- We sit together and talk about whatever you want to share, without any pressure to say more than you want to.
- There are no subjects off-limits, no words you can't use, and no feelings you express will be judged.
- We can talk about very ordinary things, we can talk about difficult or frightening things, sad things, happy things, funny things - whatever you talk about will be useful, so don't worry, you can't 'do it wrong.'
Finding the right counsellor for you is very important
No counsellor is right for every person. The 'fit' between counsellor and client needs to be good if you are going to get anything good out of your counselling.
I have quite a few testimonials attached to my profile in the pictures section, if you'd like to know what others think of me and my work.
In the end though, it is what you think of me that matters.
This is why I suggest to everyone who is interested in working with me that they come and meet me for a bit of a chat first - there's no charge for that, it's just an initial meeting.
If you feel comfortable talking to me, that's a good sign.
You can tell me about what's bothering you, ask me questions about how I work, and by the time we have finished we will have a good idea if we are going to work together or not.
How will I feel after I have finished my counselling work?
On the basis of experiences I have had with previous clients, once we are done I would expect you to feel:
- Happier in yourself - you will notice it and so will other people.
- Stronger inside - feeling that when life knocks you down you will feel able to 'bounce back'.
- More confident and more accepting yourself, flaws and all.
- More able to manage difficult people and situations with a cool head.
Who is welcome to come for counselling at Ali Harris Therapy?
I work with people over the age of 18, no matter their gender, background, sexuality, race, size, ability, or religion.
What next?
If you think you might be interested in working with me and you would like to find out more, please drop me a message and we can arrange that chat.
Sound good? Click the button now and let's get started!
Training, qualifications & experience
My Counselling Experience
- I spent a year working as a volunteer counsellor for The Road Victims Trust, supporting people who had experienced trauma associated with road traffic collisions.
- I have worked and volunteered at The Counselling Foundation for the last eight years and I still see Foundation clients, conducting assessments and doing counselling work that is short term (6-8 weeks,) mid-term (20 weeks) and long-term (open-ended,) at the St Albans and Luton centres.
- I regularly attend training seminars and CPD talks to keep my skills up to date.
My Qualifications:
- BA in English and Comparative Literature from Goldsmith’s University of London.
- Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling from the University of Hertfordshire
- Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling from the Counselling Foundation, St Albans.
- Advanced Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling from the Counselling Foundation, St Albans.
- I am currently training with the Institute of Family Therapy in London on a course run for Relate in Systemic & Psychodynamic Approaches to Couples Counselling.
My Accreditations & Licenses
- I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and I abide by their code of ethics.
- I am currently working towards BACP accreditation.
- I have an enhanced DBS.
- I have the requisite professional indemnity insurance.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Body image - particularly working with distress around negative attitudes to larger bodies, and helping people to love and accept themselves at any size.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 per session
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Additional information
My sessions are weekly, last 50 minutes and cost £65 per session.
I offer everyone a free intial 60 minute chat in person, over the phone or over Zoom.
When I work
- I always make time every week to meet with people for a bit of a chat (online or in person.)
- I have some week day & evening appointments available
