Andrea Gavin
Verified Professional
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Counsellor, psychotherapist, wellbeing coach
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
About me
A warm welcome to my profile,
My name is Andrea and I am an online counsellor and psychotherapist (fully trained, registered and accredited both in-person and online). At the moment I currently work with NHS patients, university students and private clients and this is mostly online (webcam, telephone or chat). I appreciate it can be really hard to get a sense of a therapist through a written profile so I am happy to offer time to speak by phone or webcam before any commitment so you can ask questions and get a sense of how I might work. I can also make suggestions if you or I feel there may be a different type of therapy or therapist that might suit your needs better. Do get in touch if you feel this could be useful.
Training:
After completing training in psychology I completed professional training as a psychotherapist in 2008. This means I can work at depth where needed as well as brief work if preferred. In 2017, I qualified as an online counsellor which rubber stamps my ability to work with webcam, telephone and instant message - the choice would be yours. My therapy approach (Integrative) is to hold in mind all aspects of a person - sometimes it might be how a person thinks that is causing unhappiness or dissatisfaction in their life. Other times we can feel overwhelmed or numb from our emotional or feeling self and need support to notice, name and connect with difficult or powerful emotions. Similarly, how we act or behave may be causing us some distress and at times the focus of our work might be on the quality, lack of or loss of significant relationships in our lives. I find that, some people want to focus on present issues or future concerns whereas for others the impact of the past on the quality of their lives in the here-and-now might be the priority. For me, ongoing training is vital to being a therapist. I learn/refresh my knowledge continuously through courses, professional training, supervision and of course through my work with clients.
Examples of some areas of my work and experience to date...
In addition to my private work, I have worked in:
- the NHS within adult mental health services and NHS wellbeing and talking therapy services (i.e. IAPT).
- Prison services (Rehabilitation & Recovery)
- Wellbeing Clinics
- Colleges / Universities
- Employment Services /EAP services
I am passionate about ...
- emotional and psychological wellbeing (emotional range, self-esteem etc)
- personal development (Growth, changes, achievement)
- improving mood (sadness, feeling stuck, low motivation or drive to include clinical depression)
- restoring sense of balance (stress, anxiety, worry and panic)
- Processing change (grief/bereavement, life transitions - loss of a job or loved one)
- Enhancing the self (self-identity: family role/status, cultural identity; self-esteem and self-worth)
- Emotional-regulation: difficulties in managing/experiencing emotions
- Supporting through change or conflict (relationships: divorce, domestic violence, childbirth)
- Choice/control and power (Uncertainty/loss of direction)
- Experiences of culture
I am unable to provide crisis services and recommend that anyone needing immediate support contact the Samaritans, Befrienders International GP or local A&E
Training, qualifications & experience
Professional Training:
- BSc Psychology, Birkbeck University
- Diploma in the Therapeutic and Educational Application of the Arts
- MA in Integrative Psychotherapy, IATE/Metropolitan University
- (In training) Counselling for Depression, Metanoia
- (in training) Clinical supervision, OCST
Additional Training:
- Introductory courses in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) , mindfulness (MBCT) and EMDR
- Online counsellor (2017)
BACP Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist (BACP Reference 600084). BACP Registered (041101)
Member organisations
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.
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
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
From £55.00 to £65.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I currently offer a sliding scale ranging from £55-£65 per hour
When I work
Please contact me for availability as this varies
Further information
I am currently offering clinical supervision at reduced rates for newly-qualified therapists.
