Alison MacGregor

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MBACP
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Sandbach CW11 & Chester CH2
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Have you experienced a significant loss or had a major transition recently. Perhaps you've had a nagging sense that there's something wrong with you all your life, but you can't understand why.

For many of us, we try to soldier on in spite of very challenging life experiences, be they from childhood or in adult life. We push down difficult thoughts and feelings and fill our lives with ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’ and people-pleasing.  We lose sight of our true selves. This can leave us feeling unsettled, anxious and depressed. It's like holding a beach ball under the water; it takes so much energy and eventually it'll burst up from under the surface.

If any of this feels familiar, I’d like to help. By offering you a safe, compassionate and non-judgemental space, you can allow yourself to begin to connect with your true self; to test out how it feels to be you.

How we will work together

As an Integrative therapist, I draw on a number of different therapeutic approaches: Person-Centred Therapy, Transactional Analysis and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This means that I can be flexible; adapting my approach to best suit your individual needs. 

My aim is to provide a safe, confidential space in which you will feel heard without fear of being judged, and where you will feel valued and accepted for who you are. I endeavour to meet you with compassion, warmth and genuineness.  My role is not to advise you, but to support you as we explore the issues you bring to counselling. I believe that you should feel in control of what we cover and how we work together in our sessions. I aim to help you to gain a greater understanding of yourself and how you experience life, and to encourage you to tap into your inner resources to make positive change. 

I have experience of helping clients work through a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, low self esteem, self-harm, transitions, bereavement and loss and childhood trauma. 

I work with individuals - both adults and young people.

Getting started

If you would like to make an appointment, call or email me; whichever feels most comfortable for you. I aim to get back to you within 24 hours of your enquiry. During this initial contact I may gather some details about you and your presenting issues. If you are happy to go ahead, we will make a first appointment.

How many sessions will I need?

It is not possible to give a time limit for therapy, as it depends on the nature of the problem. In our first session together, we will talk about the issues that have brought you to counselling and what you hope to gain from us working together. This session will also give you time to consider whether I am the right counsellor for you.

Towards the end of this session we will discuss how the session has gone. If you feel that you would like to work with me, and I think that I can offer you the support you need, we can book a session for the following week. On the other hand, you may prefer to have some time during the week to reflect on this initial session before booking another appointment.

Training, qualifications & experience

Qualifications

  • Complex Trauma Certification Training Level II (CCTP-II)
  • Complex Trauma Certification Training Level I (CCTP)
  • Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

Experience

In addition to working within my private practice, I have worked for a national mental health charity providing in-person counselling to adults, children and young people and I have been a volunteer providing online and telephone sessions to children and young people.

Professional Membership Details

I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and am guided by their ethical framework and procedures. In order to enhance my practice, I engage in regular supervision. I am committed to keeping my knowledge, skills and expertise up to date and I attend training and workshops regularly.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I have a particular interest in the psychological effect boarding school can have on later life. 

Sometimes it's not always easy to find the words to express how we feel. I am very interested in the use of visualisation to overcome this and, if clients feel comfortable with this way of working, I will encourage them to tap in to their own visual representations.

Fees

£45.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Keyworkers
  • Trainee counsellors

Additional information

£45 for a one hour session in-person, online or by telephone

  • Sandbach - availability on Tuesdays
  • Hoole, Chester - availability on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings






When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Further information

I hold Professional Indemnity insurance for my counselling work.

Brightstone Clinic, 11 Hope Street, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 1BA

55 Hoole Road, Hoole, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3NJ

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older Adults

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

I use a room on the second floor at Brightstone Clinic which is accessible by a lift. The rooms in Hoole are upstairs and do not have wheelchair access.

Online platforms

Zoom

Social

Alison MacGregor
Alison MacGregor