Bear Burns

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he/him
MBACP
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Exeter, Devon, EX2
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Available online and in-person Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and early evenings until 7pm | I can help you explore issues including anger, anxiety, depression, loss, shame, self-hate, loneliness, childhood trauma and attachment, body image, men’s issues, sex, sexuality, gender, relationships, neurodivergence, porn addiction, and chronic illness.

When life is a lot for you to process, counselling can help you restore balance by helping you understand more about the patterns which have brought you to this point. Wherever you're at right now, let's start making sense of it together.

I offer a warm, informal (swearing welcome) and grounded presence where you can just be you - without judgement. Together, we can find ways that empower you to move forwards, whatever that looks like for you. 

As well as a diverse range of therapeutic approaches, I bring an unconventional realness, humour, warmth, and understanding to our sessions. 

Email me today to book a zero cost 15 minute introductory Zoom call to find out more. 

About me / how I work

I believe behind all the symptoms and behaviours and uncomfortable feelings you’re having is a story. A story which might explain a lot about why you’re feeling and behaving in ways that don’t feel good. This is what we’ll begin to explore together.

At the beginning, counselling is like a pressure release valve. It’s a place where you get to be all the versions of you you can’t be in everyday life that want to bubble up from below. It’s a place where you can have all of your rage, your resentment, all your despair, your sadness. This is a place where you can let your feelings free range for an hour. You're allowed. 

Simply bring yourself and whatever you most want to talk about. Sometimes it’s enough that someone really sees your feelings and your pain to enable you to process it. At other times, we’ll work together on identifying common themes, patterns, beliefs, behaviours, thoughts and feelings that might be holding you back.

As an integrative counsellor I weave together a variety of approaches including person centered counselling, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, parts work (IFS informed), neuroscience, Gestalt, neurobiology, somatic approaches and compassion based therapies. Together, they bring a unique flavour to our therapeutic conversations underpinned by realness, warmth, care and understanding.

Before training as a counsellor, I was a remedial massage therapist for 9 years. Working with over 1200 clients over thousands of hours gave me tremendous experience of working well with clients from all walks of life with non-judgement, compassion and empathy. 

In my spare time, I'm a dog dad, a keen reader of psychology books and enjoy weightlifting.  

Training, qualifications & experience

  • Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling, Iron Mill
  • Certificate in Counselling, Iron Mill
  • BA Hons English & French, Leeds University

I have worked as a counsellor in the NHS in Exeter and for the Intercom Trust with LGBTQ+ clients. 

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

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I have experience of and interest in process addictions such as gaming and porn addiction. 

Therapies offered

Photos & videos

Fees

£60.00 per session
Free initial online session

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check info

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

Online platforms

Whatsapp
Zoom