Alison Balfour
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This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Counselling is a safe space to allow you to explore past or present issues that are impacting on your every day life. I have over 20 years of counselling experience to enable me to come alongside you on this journey. I specialise in working with complex trauma, abuse, C-PTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and dissociative disorders like DID (Dissociation Identity Disorder). I also have a lot of experience working with anxiety, depression, addiction, attachment and relationship issues, as well as the everyday issues many people struggle with.
I offer face to face counselling and I also offer counselling through the zoom platform or via phone.
I will work with you to help you deepen your awareness of your feelings, thoughts and body sensations, working towards a more integrated sense of self. Getting to know and connect to your deeper self is essential in your growth and to enable you to learn new strategies to manage every day life. I seek to create a safe space for you to explore any deeper underlying issues that may be at the root of what you are experiencing, and will pace the counselling to suit you. I am an integrative counsellor which means that I am able to draw from different models of counselling rather than being restricted to one. This means that I can tailor the counselling to fit you as a unique individual.
Training, qualifications & experience
I began my initial counselling training in 1997. I have qualification in:
- Certificates in Advanced Counselling
- COSCA Diploma in Counselling
- COSCA Certificate in Counselling Supervision
- Over 80 professional CPD training in Structural Dissociation Model
- As well as extensive CPD, training conferences and workshops.
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
I started a generic counselling practice with a colleague which I helped run for many years. I also helped manage a well established counselling agency in Edinburgh who specialised in working with complex trauma and addiction for over 5 years.
I have been mentoring and supervising other counsellors for over 10 years.
I have written and delivered CPD training to counsellors, psychotherapist and other professional on 'The Neurobiological effects of Trauma', as well as co-delivering training on 'Working with Substance Use' and 'Safeguarding' for counsellors and psychotherapists with a college Ruth Galloway-Kirkland.
I have been running my own private practice in counselling and supervisor of counsellors for over 7 years now.
I am a Counselling Practitioner member of COSCA and follow their ethical framework.
Member organisations
COSCA is the professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland, and seeks to advance all forms of counselling and psychotherapy and the use of counselling skills by promoting best practice and through the delivery of a range of sustainable services. COSCA Counsellor Accreditation is a pathway to entry onto the UKRC.
It is a requirement of all individual and organisational members of COSCA to abide by its Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice and be accountable to the Complaints Procedure. 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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I specialise in working with Complex trauma, C-PTSD, and dissociative disorders like: DID (Dissociation Identity Disorder) DDNOS (Dissociation Disorder Not Otherwise Specified).
Therapies offered
Fees
£65.00 per session
Additional information
I charge £65 for a 50 minute counselling session
£65 hr for clinical supervision of counsellors and other professionals.
When I work
I offer appointments Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the day with the last session starting at 4pm/4.30pm.
Further information
The main models I draw from are;
Psychodynamic, Person Centred, CBT, Structural Dissociation Model, Sensorimotor Model, Internal Family systems, and I will use creative resources and work somatically where the client finds this helpful.
