Ben Ford
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I bring compassion, honesty, and a depth of psychological awareness to help work through your struggles and challenges. I am a trauma-informed psychotherapist, who recruits parts work, EMDR and polyvagel therapy. I have spent the last 5 years working with clients to navigate their mental health, with 4 of those in private practice. Prior to this, I spent 2014-2022 working in a team of eco-therapy retreat leaders for people in addiction recovery.
I predominantly work with the multi-mind theory. Simply put, there’s a part of me that wants to go to the party, and another part of me that wants to stay at home. It’s the dynamics between these inner parts and how they relate to the outside world that causes us to suffer. Getting to these parts in more detail provides us a framework to work together on the common mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, addiction, OCD, e.t.c.
The idea that ourselves are made up of parts features in many forms of therapy. I draw from my training and experiences in Internal Family Systems, Transactional Analysis, and Jungian Archetypes.
The problems we face are not just biological, or a problem of the self. Economic, social, political, and relational environments also affect our mental health. I enable clients to explore their current and historical contexts, as these can be huge contributing factors to our suffering.
Our bodies, too, play an important role in feeling well. When we experience emotion, we feel it in our bodies. I can help clients to understand how regulate their thoughts and emotions, through experiential practices and discussions. The working theory is adverse experiences and trauma is not just stored in the brain, it's embodied. I also hold an understanding of working with neurodiversities like dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD.
More About Me
Since 2013 I have been on my own journey improving my own mental health, and recovering from adverse experiences. This has exposed me to many different workshops, trainings, therapies, and support groups well beyond my role as therapist. This doesn’t mean that I immediately understand all of my clients issues, but I do share the common experience of seeking help and figuring out how to thrive in life, in spite of all the adversity.
When not working, I am a great lover of the outdoors, a musician, and a lurcher owner (or does she own me?!).
Next steps
If you’re interested in working with me, I usually have a free 15 minute call to discuss what you’d like to work on. If you don’t like talking on the phone, we can skip straight to a full paid initial session.
Email me, or call, if you have any questions or want to book in. You can book sessions at a time and frequency that suits you, and I run an online booking system.
Good luck in your search, and I hope you feel better soon.
Training, qualifications & experience
- 2024 Level 3 Accredited Mediation Skills Training
- 2023 Standard Accredited EMDR training
- 2021 Awarded Accredited status with BACP
- 2020 MSc Integrative Counselling (Distinction)
- 2014 BA English Language & Philosophy (1st class)
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
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Sessions cost £60 and last 50 minutes.
Payment is made either by bank transfer, or cash, before, on during the session.
You can book weekly, biweekly, or adhoc, depending on your situation.
Cancellations within 24hrs of the session or missed sessions are charged the full fee.
When I work
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I run an online booking system. I can be more flexible with online and phone sessions, whereas face to face sessions are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
