Barbara Sarmias
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
For new counselling enquiries: please contact me initially via email to give me a brief idea of what you are looking for and I will respond quickly. Please also indicate if you would like to be seen in Callington or Morwenstow, nr Kilkampton, Bude.
I offer face to face counselling for couples and individuals as well as telephone counselling sessions for individuals.
I have a well ventilated, hygienic counselling room and I am up to date with Covid vaccinations.
I offer both individual and couples counselling. I can help people who are struggling to cope with everyday life or dealing with a wide range of issues especially helping to develop coping strategies when suffering with anxiety and depression and many other mental health issues.
In couples therapy, I am happy to see both parties together or individually if required and can offer help with a wide variety of problems/challenges such as rebuilding trust and helping with better communication also, dealing with the aftermath of an affair and helping to cope and move on after a break-up to name a few.
Reasons for seeking private counselling may vary but don't ever think that it is a sign of weakness wanting help...it is the opposite, it is very much a sign of strength! Don't underestimate the power of just simply talking to someone and lightening the load. The difference with counselling and just talking to a friend is that you can talk completely openly and honestly, you don't have to worry about hurting a friend's feelings or fear being judged. Often people try to offer solutions and advice but this isn't always helpful when you are struggling to cope with your feelings. A trained experienced counsellor can help you make sense of what is going on for you and give you the help and support you need to paint a picture of how you would like your life to be...the counsellor helps you to colour in that picture!
I counsel people with a wide range of issues as I have a vast working knowledge of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, OCD and bi-polar disorder and I have worked with people to support them in the community for many years. I integrate different approaches into my Person-Centred counselling including some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Transactional Analysis to name a few.
One of the benefits of being a private counsellor is that I can offer hours to suit my clients. For instance, I can offer weekend and evening sessions and there is no waiting list.
Making the decision to start counselling or even just to enquire about it is a very positive step.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and I am a Registered Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I hold a BACP Register Certificate of Proficiency and I am listed on the BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
I have a lot of experience working with couples who are struggling to communicate or are trying to get over an affair and rebuild trust. I have also worked with many individuals with a variety of problems from anxiety, depression, self-harm, alcohol related problems, relationship issues and more.
I have over 19 years experience of working in the NHS and in the mental health field and have undertaken many related training courses. I attend relevant courses regularly to maintain my continual professional development as well as study and use research materials to keep my practice both safe and current.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Support with health issues such as eczema, asthma and allergies.
Therapies offered
Fees
£45.00 - £70.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer reasonable and competitive rates of:
Face to Face counselling:
- one hour individual session £45
- one and a half hour initial couples consultation £70 and follow up couples counselling after the initial session is £55 per one hour session
Telephone counselling: - one hour individual session £45
Fees payable in advance by bank account transfer.
When I work
Hours available to suit my clients including evenings and weekends. No waiting list.
Further information
I also have a particular interest and a vast practical knowledge in the care of eczema, asthma and allergies and I have run a support group to help support people with severe allergies which can result in life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis.
I have a blog that I publish on my website barbarasarmiascounselling.co.uk which you might find interesting to look at, where I discuss various topics to do with counselling.
