About me
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Who am I? Hello I provide a highly professional, sensitive and confidential counselling Service. I am a Registered MBACP Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist (having gained senior status) with 25 years’ experience and a Clinical Counselling Supervisor with 17 years’ experience. Also, I trained with Barnardo's to become an Approved Adoption Counsellor. In respect of my ethical and professional standing, I ensure I am GDPR compliant, and I am registered with DBS, ICO plus I have a Level 2 in Advanced Adult Safeguarding. Having had experience in many settings including NHS, I now work exclusively in Private Practice, gaining referrals from GP's, Health Insurance Providers such as BUPA, AXA, Aviva, Vitality, WPA etc. and recommendations. I value my connections with Peers, G.P.s, Psychologists and other health care experts. These experts enable me to provide the best help possible for my clients. My Approach I use an Integrative Humanistic Approach, making use of Person-Centred, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Models. I have also integrated a Psychodynamic, Task Orientated and Cognitive Behavioural flavour to my work, which I find very useful. My Approach provides me with the tools to offer my client(s) various ways of exploring their feelings and emotions. By looking at how they communicate with me, I can vary techniques according to the needs of my individual client(s), in order to avoid confusion/misunderstanding. I attend regular workshops/courses, and I have Clinical Supervision to aid my professional development. Work Experience NHS During my 25-year career, I have worked in a team and on my own, with age groups varying from teenagers to the elderly. This has given me the ability to obtain a great deal of knowledge regarding the different aspects of health/wellbeing, which I find intellectually stimulating. Equal Opportunities I have made a serious commitment to working with issues of difference and equality. Therefore, I regularly attend workshops focussing on these issues, along with other regular training courses to inform my practice and enable me to provide a safe and highly professional service. What is Supervision? As do all Counsellors, I have ongoing formal consultative support (Supervision) for my work in accordance with professional requirements. This is so that I can regularly monitor and review my work to maintain good practice. During these meetings, I will only be discussing what my thoughts were in our sessions, therefore maintaining client confidentiality. Confidentiality I provide a highly professional, sensitive and confidential Counselling Service which is GDPR Compliant. In accordance with the GDPR and British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy Code of Ethics, I will offer you the highest possible level of confidentiality, to respect your privacy and create the trust necessary for counselling. This means that anything you say to me is confidential and no information will be given to any other person without your permission. However, there are exceptions to this policy, and they are if I feel you to be at risk of causing harm to yourself or others or I am summoned by a Court of Law. These exceptions apply to all counselling agencies and counsellors, and I will be happy to provide further information if required. How does Counselling work? Counselling can be described as a space for you to meet yourself. An hour of your time where you do not need to think about anyone else but you. I am acutely aware of how daunting this may seem but by reading this you have taken the first step on your journey. We will spend most of our time together talking, but it won't be like the conversations you are used to. You will be in charge of the 'agenda', and I will do my best to understand what you want to achieve and help you to do so. You may find that there are times when you don't really know what to say or you might want to think about something before you say the words. You might even feel like saying nothing for a while which is fine by me. I will be happy to wait until you want to talk. I will empathically listen to your story, to try and understand how you are experiencing your world. Consequently, I will often reflect back to you that I have understood you to be saying and how you might be feeling. You will then have an opportunity to check on how well I understood you. If you change anything at all about yourself it will be because you want to, not because I think you ought to. If you get upset during a session that is ok with me. Tears are a way of expressing emotion and it is better to cry outwardly than inwardly. My commitment to you I will see you as a unique individual and I will endeavour not to form an opinion as to what kind of person you are or judge you in any way. Can I have Online Counselling? Yes. I can speak to you on most platforms e.g. Teams, WhatsApp, Face Time. Where do I come to see you? We will meet in a calm, private, non-clinical, room on the side of my house, which I hope you will find a safe space for you to explore what is happening in your life. There is plenty of parking space available and I have a toilet next to the room, which is only used by clients. I will ask you to arrive at the allocated time and, if early, to wait in your car at a discrete distance away from my house. This because I do not have a waiting room, plus I can maintain your confidentiality and that of others that I may be seeing before you. Why do I need an Assessment of Needs/Consultation? This is an hour session where I can ask more detailed questions about what has brought you to counselling and we can decide how you would like to proceed. During this session I will take notes as you describe your difficulties. At the end of the session, there will be no obligation to book another appointment. What days/times are you available? Daytime and evening appointments. Weekdays only (Monday to Thursday). How many sessions will I need? You are in control of how many sessions you have. However, it is important to note that counselling is not generally a quick fix. It takes time to explore issues and find a route out of them. What next? If you are ready to take the next step, please do not hesitate to contact me. E'mail - amandaasseraticounselling@gmail.com Telephone - 07790169235 Initial contact I offer a free 15-minute telephone conversation, in order that you can ask any questions prior to booking your Consultation/Assessment of Needs. Please note that this is not a therapy session. It is important that you feel comfortable working with me, otherwise you will not gain the most from your sessions. Consultation/Assessment of Needs After booking your first appointment (Consultation/Assessment of Need), I will email you a welcome letter, confirming your appointment, giving directions to my practice and ways to make payment. Attached to the email will be a couple of documents for you to complete, asking general questions. I send these out prior to your first session to save time when we meet. I ask that, once completed, they be emailed back to me. If this is not possible, I am happy for you to print and bring them to the appointment with you. At the end of the session, there will be no obligation to book another appointment. If you decide to proceed, I can either book a regular time slot for you or I can be flexible. What should I do if I have questions? I am always happy to answer any questions or concerns that you have before or between sessions. The best way to contact me is via email (amandaasseraticounselling@gmail.com). I aim to respond within the same day or early the next day. |
Training, qualifications & experience
M.B.A.C.P. Senior Accredited - British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy
N.C.P.S. Senior Accredited - Counsellor/Psychotherapist
N.R.M.S.A.C. - National Register of Male Sexual Assault Counsellors
Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Counselling
Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision
IAPT Counselling for Depression
Approved Adoption Counsellor via Barnardo's
Certified Rape & Sexual Abuse Counsellor
Certified Relationship Counsellor
Certified & Accredited Bereavement Counsellor
Certified Drug/Alcohol/Gambling Counsellor
Certified Critical Incident Debriefing/Defusing
Plus many other training Courses attended.
Work Experience
Private Practice - Counsellor and Supervisor
Registered Provider for many Private Healthcare Insurance Companies (Employee Assistance Programmes) NHS IAPT & NHS Primary Care Trust (GP Surgeries)
NHS Drug/Alcohol Service
Relate
Rape & Sexual Abuse Crisis
Cruse Bereavement Care - Counsellor and Supervisor
Drug & Alcohol Service
Surrey Trauma Support - Critical Incident Debriefing/Defusing
Experience
Depression
Stress
Anxiety
Adoption
Rape & Childhood Sexual Abuse
Relationships (inc. Gay/Lesbian relationships)Divorce & Seperation
Bereavement/loss (inc. infertility and miscarriage)
Addictions - Drug, Alcohol & Gambling
Critical Incident Debriefing/Defusing
Trauma
Work Related Problems (Including bullying)
Low Self Esteem
Infertility
Life Skills
Terminal or long term conditions
Employee Assistance Counselling (Registered by most well known providers)
Counselling for Student Counsellors
Clinical Supervision for Qualified Counsellors
Also, I run Workshops/Training on various subjects
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I am registered by Barnardo's to offer counselling for Issues associated with Adoption.
Rape and Childhood Sexual Abuse
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 - £70.00
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
To get the most from your counselling, it is important that you feel comfortable working with me. To this end, I offer a free 15 minute telephone call for you to ask any questions you may have. Please note that this is not a counselling session.
Our first meeting will be a Consultation, where we can discuss your expectations and needs before you decide to commence counselling and I can also see if I am able to help you. You will be under no obligation to book another appointment.
Individual Counselling:
£60.00 (Daytime)/£70.00 (Evening) for one hour
Clinical Supervision:
£60.00 (Daytime)/£70.00 (Evenings) for 1 hour
£75.00 (Daytime)/£85.00 (Evenings) for 1.5 hours
Student Counsellors:
10% off individual session price (Daytimes only) plus additional discount for block bookings paid for in advance.
In certain circumstances, I may offer a concession which will be discussed during the Consultation. Please note that I can only offer two clients concessions at any one time, and for a limited time.
I would be grateful if you could ensure that my fee is paid 24 hours in advance. I am happy to accept online payments or cash (no cheques please).
CAN I USE MY PRIVATE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE?
Yes. I am a Registered Provider with most well known Private Healthcare Insurance Companies (Employee Assistance Programmes).
Please find me via the Company Website where you will be given an Authorisation Code or contact me for details.
When I work
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Further information
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As I am unable to fill slots that are cancelled at short notice or missed, I charge the full session fee. Obviously, there may be exceptional circumstances, which will be taken into consideration. |
