Benita Giles

Hi, I’m Benita Giles, a fully qualified, experienced counsellor and CAT practitioner.  i work from home in a small village, just outside Dorchester, where I offer therapy in a quiet and confidential setting.

Being human can be a real struggle at times and therapy can provide an opportunity to explore what is going on for you with a trained professional - someone who will listen wholeheartedly and empathically to help you better understand yourself and empower you to find a way forward from whatever is troubling you.

Even, or maybe especially, with those closest to us, we can often avoid sharing our concerns for fear of how others might react or what they might think - my aim is for you to feel safe enough to talk about your issues openly and be heard with compassion and sensitivity, in order to discover what is meaningful for you.

My down-to-earth approach, firmly rooted in humanistic, person-centred values, deeply respects each person’s uniqueness as an individual, offering an integrated, creative and collaborative therapy experience, tailored to meet your individual need.     I am particularly interested in how childhood events and relationships impact on adult patterns of relating and, as an ACAT accredited CAT practitioner, believe that understanding childhood experiences  not only empowers us to do things differently, it improves our relationships, both with others and, most importantly, with ourselves, leading to greater self-worth and self-confidence.   

My therapeutic practice is informed by extensive experience and many years continuing professional development and additional training.   As well as working in  private practice, I am also a Senior Psychological Therapist offering cognitive analytic therapy for an NHS Talking Therapy service.   For more than ten years prior to this, I worked in an NHS IAPT  service as a counsellor, supervisor  and counselling team lead offering high intensity 1:1 therapy to adults.   

If, as a first step, you would like an informal chat about the possibilities for therapy with me, then please give me a ring without obligation.

Appointments are available face to face or via video or phone and I am happy to work flexibly in negotiating a 'blended' approach that meets your individual requirements.    

WHAT I OFFER

I offer counselling long-term or within a time-limited (short-term) framework.   Cognitive Analytic Therapy is a time-limited approach, usually 16 sessions. 

I also work as a Counselling Supervisor and have a CPCAB Level 6 Certificate in Counselling Supervision.

I welcome enquiries from both trainee counsellors seeking supervision or personal development and also trainee supervisors.

YOUR ASSURANCES

As an accredited member of both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapists (ACAT) and listed on the BACP Register of Practitioners,  I uphold the values and principles of the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and the ACAT Code of Ethics and Practice, assuring you of my professional and personal integrity.

I have full insurance and a DBS certificate.

Counselling sessions last ONE HOUR and are £65 per session.

I am available for appointments all day on Mondays and Fridays and also offer some evening appointments.