Carol Gordon

About me

Carol Gordon - Counsellor Psychotherapist, Counselling Supervisor, MBACP (Registered)

Counsellor Psychotherapist/Clinical Supervisor/Life Coach
Mob: 07572 113 517

Hi, my name is Carol and I am a qualified registered accredited trained experienced independent accredited BACP registered qualified Counsellor Psychotherapist with over 11 years experience and I am registered member of BACP (Membership ID Number: 641017)

I am also a BACP, MBACP accredited qualified Clinical Supervisor. As well as a Life Coach.

I am a qualified Counsellor Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor and Life Coach

My client base are adolescents from 14 years and adults. I have experience in individual counselling, couples counselling and family counselling.

As a person of dual culture, Black Afro Caribbean and born British, I have the the dual blessing of being able to explore the impact of culture on identity, diversity, and of cultural differences and experiences on interaction. I feel it is important to consider how one might take a client′s cultural context into consideration. I practice CBT, Person Centred, Gestalt, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Existentialism.

I truly believe that having a relationship with yourself, is like any relationship; difficult and full of many ups and downs. Without carefully tending to it however, living a fulfilling life with self and others becomes difficult.

Why did I become a Counsellor?

I chose a career in counselling because of my personal therapeutic experience with my Counsellor, which left me with a strong desire to support and help others in dealing with their anxieties and challenges of daily living.

I am based in South East London and my practice is within easy reach of Catford Bridge Train Station as well as Catford Train Station. 8 minute walk.

Primarily I work from a humanistic/Person-Centred perspective and I truly understand that sharing one's thoughts can be a challenging process, as it sometimes speaks the unbearable and can become over-bearing, triggering underlying emotions such as panic attacks, depression, anxiety and behaviours.

Therapy often begins with curiosity into the unknown and my role within the alliance is to have NO judgments or condemnation, just respect and to provide you with a safe confidential place to explore according to your agenda.

As a Counsellor/Psychotherapist, I work from a psychotherapy theological approach, which aims to provide an environment in which the client does not feel under threat or judgement. This enables you the client to experience and accept more of who you are as a person and reconnect with your own values and sense of self-worth facilitating a re-connection with your inner-self, finding your own way to move forward positively. As your Counsellor, the alliance is to understand your experience from your point of view empathically and to positively value you as a person in all aspects of your humanity while aiming to be open and genuine. The extension of my attitude is without judgments or prejudices and with the acceptance of diversity which facilitates your inner awareness to become self-actualized. As you the client experiences myself the Counsellor within the relationship, what I bring to you the client is total acceptance of humanity from an integrative approach fusing them together which is crucial for the success of therapy and positive growth. My clients find me insightful, intuitive, humorous, pragmatic and down-to-earth, which in turn brings integrity within the alliance -'A Vision of Transparency'

Clinical Supervision

My role of a Clinical Supervisor is to provide support and advice upon issues that arise during the therapist's clinical work i.e. therapeutic techniques, therapeutic relationships, difficult problems, ethical decisions or issues that impact personally upon the therapist caused by the therapeutic process. I offer a 1:1 or small groups, a space to reflect and clarify what is evoked by the work and explore reactions to those experiences, ensuring that the work is done in such a way that can be accountable for the monitoring and quality of the work being done.

With my experience as a Clinical Supervisor, my approach can now only be described as eclectic and thus very much 'tailored' to the individuals or groups I work with.

Training, qualifications & experience

Gaslighting: The Narcissist's favourite tool of Manipulation July 2019

Understanding Suicide and Suicide Prevention - October 2019

Focusing - Revisited - February 2019

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) - November 2019

Taming Minds - September 2018

Westmeria College September 2017 - Supervision Qualification

Unconscious Bias - March 2016

January 2015 - The Coaching Academy – Certificate in Personal Coaching

Feb/March 2013- Telephone Counselling training

December 2013 – Trained as a Trust Mentor/Coach

March 2013 – GSCB Training course: Safeguarding Children: Working Together’

September 2012- LC&CTA – Understand suicide and Suicide Prevention

June 2012 - Working with accomplishment – Reflective Process

Introduction to Focussing:

January 2012 – Working therapeutically with clients with perinatal issues:

• Impact on mother & child

• Identification – signs and symptoms

• Treatment

April 2011 - Understanding Psychiatric medications

Medication in context – Implications for therapeutic work

January 2010 - Engaging with Clients in Private Practice

July 2010 - Client Assessment in Counselling

June 2010 - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Working with Endings

March 2010 - Using Core in Routine Evaluation:

• Counsellor Self-care: Importance and strategies

• The couple relationship

2009 - 2010 2nd Year BACP Accredited City & Guilds Higher Professional Diploma in Counselling - Distinction Grade

2008 – 2009 1st Year BACP Accredited City & Guilds Higher Professional Diploma in Counselling – Pass

May 2009 - LGBT orientation and discrimination

December 2009 - Domestic Violence – Working with Victims and Perpetrators

June 2009 - Certificate in Drug Awareness Training Level (1)

2009- Woman in danger:

• Domestic Violence

• The so called ‘Honour Killing’

• Female Genital Mutilation (FMG)

• Forced Marriages

2008: Parenting Skills Greenwich

2007 – 2008 CPCAB Level 3 in Counselling Studies

Member organisations

Accredited register membership

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Gaslighting:

In some cases, gaslighting can be seen as a form of abuse especially when it it done repeatedly over a long period of time. It can have the effect of making someone doubt their own ideas about things even question their sanity. It can have a highly negative effect on a person’s self-esteem and confidence. In certain situations, someone might deliberately gaslight their partner/friend or colleague as a way of controlling them, which is a serious form of emotional abuse that is never acceptable.

E.g. A person may include questioning your memory of events (‘Are you sure it was like that? I don’t think it was’, 'you are not listening to me') or trying to convince you that your emotional reaction to something is inappropriate or disproportionate (‘you’re acting crazy’, 'this is all in your head', or that you're making a big deal out of nothing). Whilst you may be aware that what they are telling you is an outright lie, they continue tell you this lie with a straight face. Why are they so blatant? Because they're setting up a precedent. They tell you blatant lies with the aim of keeping you unsteady and off-kilter which is their goal.

Emotional/Couples Counselling

Healthy relationships with your partners and family are vital to our health and wellbeing. As we move through life, we experience changes and transitions that can put pressure on our relationships and it’s good to know that there is support available to help you, your partner and your family cope with both the emotional and practical impact on your lives together.

As your Counsellor, my role is to be totally unbiased, to provide couples with the support to slow things down, to recognise and de-escalate the distance/pursuer dance. I will facilitate, mentor, counsel you both to a place where you will be able to name and normalising where you may be stuck. Through the process, you will learn how to replace the negative emotional patterns/behaviours with positive ones, leading to you openly dealing with your emotions, hence being able to talk things through in a safe place.

Therapies offered

Fees

From £55.00 to £70.00

Concessions offered for

Low income
OAPs
Students
Trainee counsellors
Unemployed

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE, THAT DUE TO DISINGENIOUS BOOKINGS FROM CLIENTS, I WILL HAVE TO TAKE A RETAINER OF £10.00 IN ORDER TO SECURE YOUR SESSION. THIS WILL NOT BE REFUNDED IF YOU FAIL TO ATTEND.

Working Mode(s)

Home Visits

Long-Term, Face-to-Face

Short-Term, Face-to-Face

Time-Limited

Individual Counselling: £55.00 - 50 minutes

Couples: £65.00 - 50 minutes

Family Dynamics/Therapy : £30.00 per member 6-8 sessions) - Sessions last for 1 hour

Coaching: £55.00 - 1 hour session

Home Visits: £70.00+ Depending on the locality (Some areas are outside of my catchment) - 50 minute session

Walk-and Talk Therapy: £50 - £70.00+ Depending on the locality (Some areas are outside of my catchment) - 50 minute session

Supervision: £55.00 - 1 hour

Supervision Concessional rates for Trainee Counsellors/Psychotherapists: £40.00 - 50 minutes

I also offer 15 minutes assessment by telephone (at a fee of £5.00), as I believe it is important to give you an opportunity to explore and externalize some of the difficulties you might have in your life. I also feel it is important as your potential therapist, to make an informed decision about your suitability for therapy or recommend an alternative form of help that might be more appropriate, to hear your expectations of your therapeutic journey and explore the reality of what can be achieved together.

Cancellation Policy: A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule a session. If cancelled within 24 hours there will be no charge. Missed or cancelled appointments outside of 24 hours will be charged at 100%. Payments will be taken 24 hours prior to the session. Those on concessional rates 100% fee is expected.

THE SAMARITANS - They can be contacted day or night. Whatever you're going through, you can call them at any time, from any phone for FREE. Call 116 123
You can also contact them via email - www.samaritans.org
Sometimes writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand them better.