Carla Preston
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
If you find yourself struggling with low moods, anxiety or you are going through a difficult period in your life, you may find therapy helpful to work through thoughts and feelings that you can't talk about with the people closest to you.
The foundation of my practice is to work with you towards relieving acute feelings of anxiety and distress towards a place where you can reflect for greater self-knowledge, understanding and awareness.
Depending on what you would like to address you might chose to have short-term (6-20 sessions) or more open ended and in-depth therapy (20+). Sessions are typically 50 minutes long and weekly. I would recommend meeting initially to talk about what brings you for help at this time and for you to see how you feel talking to me. I usually review after six sessions when we can discuss whether we will carry on or not.
I have worked for 20 years as an Integrative Humanistic and Relational counsellor in a lovely variety of settings and with people presenting with many different issues.
Short-term counselling
Short term counselling can help with more immediate concerns; for example a block with study or a situation at work, a specific anxiety, bereavement or traumatic event. This type of work is suitable for people who are, generally, happy in their lives but have an issue that is pressing which they would like to address.
Long-term counselling and psychotherapy
Longer therapeutic work allows for more time to explore making deeper changes in our lives, this space can facilitate greater knowledge and understanding of how we feel in relation to ourselves and the world around us. It might involve examining the past, exploring more chronic states or recurring patterns of anxiety, depression and behaviours. We can take the space to thinking about current difficulties and future hopes and the patterns and core beliefs that underpin our way of being.
Where do I work?
I work in private practice at The Practice @ 322 in West Hampstead
https://www.thepracticeat322.co.uk/psychological-therapies/psychotherapy
My West Hampstead practice is close to Finchley Road and 7 minutes walk from the tube, Thameslink and London Overground.
I am currently working face to face at The Practice on Tuesdays from 1pm-8pm and on Zoom on Thursdays from N2.
I also work at the Courtauld Institute of Art two days a week with students studying at undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate levels.
Historically I have worked at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama as a therapist and mental health mentor; London School of Economics (student therapist); Bedfordshire University (student therapist); Goldsmiths University (student therapist) and Optum Health (telephone counsellor & f2f affiliate).
Training, qualifications & experience
I have worked for 16 years in higher and further education; corporate employee assistance and private practice to help clients with long and short term difficulties. My training is in the Humanistic Integrative School which encompasses traditional and contemporary approaches to talking therapy including psychodynamic, Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, Intersubjective and Relational models
I hold certificates, an advanced diploma and Masters Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I regularly attend and maintain Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for my personal and professional growth. Prior to becoming a therapist I graduated from DeMontfort University with Art History & Media studies and worked for over ten years in galleries, museums and with photographers.
I have been awarded accreditation by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists and adhere to their code of ethics. http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
My work with students:
I have worked as a counsellor and mentor with undergraduate and postgraduate students of all ages for 10 years. I have extensive experience of higher and further educational environment and can offer short or long term counselling to students who may not have ongoing counselling facilities offered by their school, college or university. I have a limited number of concessionary rates for full-time students.
Mentoring:
I have eight years of experience mentoring undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Mentoring is a tailor made process to help you work towards specific goals, primarily in academic life but not exclusively. I have worked successfully to help people with procrastination, perfectionism, writers block, time-management etc.
Please feel free to ask me about working in this way.
Therapies offered
Fees
£80.00 - £90.00
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Please contact me to discuss fees and making an appointment.
* I offer a 15 minute telephone session which I do not charge for, ahead of booking in for an initial full assessment.
** I am happy to discuss negotiation and consesions on fees on an individual basis.
When I work
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Currently I am working f2f on Tuesdays in West Hampstead and on Thursdays in Finchley.
Please contact me to discuss further.
Further information
I am registered with Aviva, Axa PPP and BUPA as an eligible practitioner and provider of psychological therapy/ counselling. I am on the Private Practice Register.
