Bonita Wood
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
About me
Hello and welcome to Bonnie Wood Counselling, and thank you for taking the time to visit my profile. I am an experienced counsellor, clinical supervisor, and accredited member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). I have over 12 years’ experience working with adults, couples and young people - both in private practice and educational settings.
As a humanistic therapist, I work mostly in a person centred way which means that I am guided by you and that the relationship we build together plays an important part in the counselling process. I often draw from many other approaches within my practice including TA (transactional analysis), Gestalt, mindfulness based C.B.T and A.C.T (acceptance and commitment therapy).
How I Work
My main aim is to support you in finding happiness, self-acceptance and improve your overall wellbeing. Life can sometimes leave us feeling a bit stuck and overwhelmed. At times, it can feel difficult to make sense of our thoughts, emotions, or the patterns we keep finding ourselves in. Therapy offers a safe, compassionate space to begin exploring those feelings and understanding yourself more deeply.
I am passionate about helping my clients build confidence, develop a kinder relationship with themselves, and find a way forward that feels right for them. I offer a warm, welcoming, and non-judgemental environment where you can talk openly about whatever is going on for you. I welcome clients from all backgrounds, identities, ages and life experiences.
My work is deeply informed by an understanding of trauma, the connection between mind and body, and the ways our early experiences can shape how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Together, we can focus on the here and now and moving forward, or we can gently explore how past experiences may be influencing your current thoughts, feelings, relationships, and responses. Alongside this, we can work to help your nervous system feel safer and more regulated.
I can support you in developing practical tools to manage anxiety, panic, emotional overwhelm, low mood, anger, burnout, grief, or a general sense of feeling lost. I can support women navigating the menopause and other women's health concerns.
Whether you are looking for short-term, solution-focused support or longer-term counselling, our work will be guided by your needs, pace, and what feels most helpful for you.
I offer clinical and non-clinical supervision to:
Individual practitioners (qualified and trainees)
Counselling students (CIT's) and groups
Workplace staff and education professionals
Safeguarding leads or those needing supervision support in their roles.
I feel that the relationship between supervisor and supervisee is fundamentally important, in the same way as it is between counsellor and client. I approach supervision very much focusing on building a positive working relationship and ensuring that supervision is a collaborative process. I aim to make my supervisees feel safe, respected and comfortable so they are free to explore their client work as well as their personal experiences. I am able to adjust the level and type of support offered in a way that matches your own level of experience and what you need from supervision.
Professional Background
In addition to private practice, I’ve worked extensively in a Further Education college setting where I have supervised and mentored trainee counsellors, provided group supervision sessions, group therapy sessions and workshops and coordinated counselling services.
I currently offer support for NHS staff, schools, and KCC through 'Supportline', and I am also a registered provider for BUPA, AXA, Aviva and Vitality health.
Adoption Counselling
I am trained in working with adoption through The Albany Centre and Barnardo’s Link. I offer specialist support to adopted adults, adoptive parents and families, birth parents and relatives and anyone affected by the experience of adoption. Please feel free to contact me for further information.
EMDR
I am an EMDR therapist in training and can offer EMDR, this is a treatment primarily used to help people recover from traumatic experiences and the negative effects they have on mental health. It's particularly well-known for its effectiveness in treating trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, EMDR can also be used to address other mental health difficulties.
First Session & Locations
In your first session, we’ll complete a brief counselling and wellbeing assessment and discuss your goals and hopes for therapy. I offer face-to-face and online sessions available in my room in Canterbury (Lombard House) and Supervision from my rooms in Canterbury and Herne Bay.
Online sessions available via Googlemeet or Zoom.
Contact
If you’re considering counselling or supervision, I’d be happy to have an informal chat to see if it feels right for you. Please feel free to get in touch via Counselling Directory.
Agencies and other organisations.
If you are interested in working with me as an organisation, your first point of contact will usually be an email. I am happy to arrange a discussion with a view to establishing whether I am the right person to work with you. If I am are unable to help, I will do my best to refer you to a practitioner or service that can.
Training, qualifications & experience
- BACP Accreditation
- Level 6 Clinical Supervision
- EMDR Part 1&2 Certificate
- ACT accreditation Level 2
- Level 5 MBCBT Advanced Diploma (Mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy).
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Humanistic)
- Level 3 Counselling skills
- Level 2 Counselling Concepts.
Recent CPD training -
- Certificate in Adoption Support Counselling - The Albany Centre in partnership with Barnardo's link.
- Mothers and daughters - relationship/attachment CPD - Victoria Settle
- The nuts and bolts of attachment theory in practice - THEO/Victoria Settle
- Nervous system regulation and polyvagal theory. THEO/Dr Nicole Shnackenberg
- Working with the Menopause - THEO/ Diane Danzebrink
- The Family Dance: An Introduction to Systemic Practice
- ACT Essentials (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)
- Couples Counselling using Systemic Therapy - Online
- Essentials of Trauma Therapy (trauma informed therapy) The Grove Practice, London - August 2022
- Working with Survivors of childhood sexual abuse and Trauma - The Grove Practice - July 2021
- Working with Children & Young people with bereavement - Cruse Bereavement Support.
- Working with individuals from dysfunctional families.
- Mental health first aid
- Mental health awareness training
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
- Counselling £70 per session (50 minutes).
- EMDR £70 per hour - please note that usually a longer session is required 75/100 mins.
- Supervision £70 per hour
- Couples counselling £80 per session (60 mins).
- Trainee counsellor supervision concession £60 per hour, I will provide all reports needed during your placement for free.
- Concessions - I offer student counsellors a concession rate and I also offer other concessions -please contact me for information and to discuss a reduced rate if needed.
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When I work
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Further information
Useful information.
I work from my room in Canterbury - Room 117a Lombard House, Health & Wellbeing Centre in Upper Bridge St.
Lombard House is directly opposite the bus station behind the old city wall.
There is a waiting area, lift access and has receptionists available.
From the bus station - you will need to walk along St George’s Lane (pass Next and Fenwick) and towards the old city wall, turn right at the end of the road on St George’s Street and head towards the underpass. Once you resurface, turn right along Upper Bridge Street and towards Dover Street. We are located just after the Bupa Dentist.
Parking - Holman’s Meadow car park, at the rear of Lombard House, can be accessed by Old Dover Street or Dover Street. There is disabled parking, motorcycle parking. You can pay by card, cash or through their app.The address for the car park is Old Dover Rd, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3JB.
