About me
First of all, thank you for taking the time to look at my profile.
I have watched this Directory grow since I first joined and found myself looking at other profiles recently and was struck by how difficult it can be for someone looking for a Counsellor to work with, when there are so many therapists to choose from. I really don’t envy you. All profiles - including my own previous ones, are comparable, yet offer varying prices for what appears to be a similar service. This made me reconsider my own profile. What would I want to know if I were in your shoes and secondly, what do I consider to be my biggest professional asset?
First criteria has to be qualifications, experience, specialisms and cost. Let me tackle these:-
Qualifications - In my opinion, it is really important that your counsellor has achieved a minimum of a two year Level 5 Diploma in their chosen model of therapy. Has this been achieved from a reputable academic establishment - as opposed to a fast track qualification? Has the therapist extended their qualifications and growth by further enhancing their skills? Also, does the therapist undertake monthly supervision in accordance with BACP ethical standards?
Experience - this depends on when a counsellor qualified. They are obviously not going to have many years experience under their belt if they only recently qualified. I would expect their fees to reflect this.
Specialisms - this is important, particularly if you want someone experienced in the issue you will be taking to therapy. For example, an addiction would be better suited to someone who specialises in addictions. It can be very upsetting visiting a therapist for your first session, only to be told that they are not qualified in that field. Should this happen, a good therapist will hopefully signpost you to another Counsellor who can help.
Cost - does the highest fee mean you are getting the highest quality of service? In contrast does the lowest fee suggest your therapist is rubbish? It might simply mean someone is starting out, with minimum experience and reflects this in their costings. There may also be other factors relating to a therapists costings.
The second criterion is, for me, the bit that made me think about what I personally offer. You will see from the qualifications and specialisms listed that I tick a lot of boxes. Following completion of my placement at a counselling agency in Nuneaton, I secured a job working for Relate immediately after graduating at Warwick University. Whilst working for Relate I trained and qualified as a couple counsellor. Both agencies welcomed clients with a whole variety of issues and enabled me to gain a wealth of experience. I worked as a Relate counsellor for 8 years before becoming independent and until 2023 was a resident counsellor at a grammar school and secondary school in Warwickshire.
I also have 23 years counselling experience under my belt, so I guess I must be doing something right! All therapists should be trained to provide their clients with a safe space to be themselves by offering, among other things, 3 main Core Conditions: Empathy, Respect and Congruence. Congruence means being a real person in the room. This is, and has always been my biggest gift to clients. Even the most anxious and guarded people leave our session feeling safe, accepted and appropriately challenged after meeting me. I am a real person in the relationship and not someone who will simply paraphrase and reflect. We definitely work together during therapy and I love it when my clients complete counselling feeling in control of their lives, rather than life controlling them.
To summarise, I cannot overemphasise the importance of building a good working relationship. Training and expertise are essential, but that means nothing if you cannot connect to the people you work alongside. I believe what I have written in my profile enables you to get a flavour of who I am, allowing you to decide whether I might be the right therapist for you.
Finally, my fees are £55 for a one hour session based on weekly or fortnightly sessions. I love my job and I charge enough to warrant time being taken away from my family, alongside not wanting people, who are already struggling with life, to have to struggle with finances too. Therapy is not our main source of income it is my passion.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Diploma in Integrative Counselling (Warwick) MBACP
- Qualified Couple Counsellor (Relate)
- Certificate in Schools Work Training (Relate)
- Certificate in Group Skills (Relate)
- MBACP Registered Member No: 59471
Member organisations
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I charge £50 per session which lasts for one hour on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
When I work
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