Alison Dean
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Are you experiencing difficulties in your life such as distressing or unexplained emotions, problems in personal relationships or at work, feelings or behaviour that you don't really understand and may wish to change? You may have been through painful circumstances or traumatic events, recently or in the past, and be finding it hard to understand what is going on in your life. You may just have a feeling that something is 'not right' but feel unclear as to why. You don't always need to wait to have a clearly defined reason before seeking counselling.
As a counsellor I can offer to you a dedicated time and space within which you can talk about your difficulties and explore the meaning of your distress in an atmosphere of acceptance and without judgement. Through engaging in this therapeutic relationship the feelings that may once have been very confusing and even unbearable can begin to make some sense and become less difficult to manage. I don't offer direct instruction or advice, but instead can help you to understand yourself a little better and as a result of this to develop your capacity to make choices and bring about changes.
I offer counselling to individual adults and young people (16+) on a long or short term basis. Sessions are usually on a weekly basis, though occasionally more frequent sessions may be agreed. I usually work face to face with clients at my consulting room. Remote sessions may occasionally be offered, subject to assessment.
If you would like to explore further how we might work together please get in touch and we can discuss this, usually by means of a brief phone call, with a few to arranging an assessment session.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a fully qualified and accredited counsellor and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, to whose ethical framework I adhere. I hold a Post-graduate Diploma and MA in Counselling. My approach to counselling is primarily psychodynamic. Issues that frequently work with in counselling include anxiety, depression, stress (including work-related problems), bereavement, physical illness, relationship difficulties, addiction and dependency, and physical, sexual, emotional or spiritual abuse.
I also work with those who wish to explore their difficulties in relation to their faith and spirituality, and those who have experienced spiritual abuse.
In addition to my private practice I have worked in a university counselling service, a family counselling service, drug and alcohol services and other community based counselling agencies. I take referrals from some health insurance companies.
I am also ordained in the Church of England.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
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.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
My fee is £55 per session for self-paying individuals.
Some fee reductions are possible where financial circumstances would make the full fee difficult. This depends on my availability and on individual circumstances, and can be discussed at the first appointment. The first face to face assessment session is about an hour, and subsequent sessions last 50 minutes.
When I work
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Further information
My consulting room is in Thatcham, West Berkshire. It is close to public transport routes and has on-road parking outside.
If you would like to find out more about counselling and whether it is the right way forward for you at this point in your life the first thing to do is to arrange a face to face assessment session.
For some people a short period of counselling is beneficial (eg 6-12 weeks) and for others it is more appropriate to have a longer or open-ended period of time. This is discussed and agreed at the outset of counselling.
Sessions are usually at the same time each week, on a once-weekly basis. Occasionally more frequent sessions may be agreed.
