Bear Burns
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi, I'm Bear. Wherever you're at in your journey, expect presence, unconditional acceptance (swearing is fine) and an open mind. You will be met with understanding in an atmosphere which allows you to experience and process your feelings safely. This is a safe, private container where you can feel seen and heard.
Counselling with me is client-led. You bring what you want to talk about, explore and process each week, and over time our discussions evolve as we notice themes and patterns together that lead to trialling, working with and developing adaptive behaviours, perspectives and approaches to life.
As well as a diverse range of therapeutic approaches, I bring an unconventional realness, humour, occasional swearing, warmth, and understanding to our sessions.
About me / how I work
As an integrative counsellor, I weave together a variety of approaches including person centred 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.
My background
Before moving to Devon in 2007 I spent 7 years in London, with a career in publishing. Before training as a counsellor, I was a remedial massage therapist for 9 years in Exeter. Working with over 1200 clients over thousands of hours gave me tremendous experience of working with minds and bodies in an integrated way, listening to, working with and understanding pain - both emotional and physical.
In my spare time, I'm a dog dad, a keen reader of psychology books and enjoy weightlifting, beaches, forest and getting out on Dartmoor.
Next Steps
Contact me to find out my current availability and book a free 15 minute introductory Zoom/WhatsApp video call to find out if we might work well together.
Training, qualifications & experience
- BACP Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling, Iron Mill
- Certificate in Counselling, Iron Mill
- BA Hons English & French, Leeds University
I have worked with NHS, Intercom Trust and private practice. For 9 years prior to counselling, I was a DBS checked body worker and massage therapist.
Through this work, I have developed experience in working with: anxiety, anger, shame, depression, living with autism and/or ADHD, self esteem, CPTSD, child abuse and trauma, domestic abuse, masculinity issues, femininity issues, family and relationship issues, porn addiction, self-acceptance and compassion, grief and loss - to name a few.
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
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
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Please contact me to check my current availability.
