Caroline O'Brien
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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
Life can be challenging and making sense of ourselves and the things that happen to us can sometimes feel overwhelming. Whatever is going on for you, whether you are trying to work through a recent event, finding yourself stuck and repeating patterns from the past, or needing help to untangle your thoughts and work out where to begin, I welcome you.
Why counselling?
However big or small the problem, talking about things and exploring your thoughts in a safe space can make all the difference. It is my firm belief that we are each our own expert and that by stepping into that space and working with someone who accepts us exactly as we are, we can tap into our own wisdom and find our way forward.
How I work
My approach is holistic, recognising that we are each the sum of many parts and have a unique story to tell. I am interested in who you are and how you are, your personal and cultural context, what defines you and makes you tick, what helps you thrive and what gets in your way.
As an integrative counsellor I draw on humanistic, psychodynamic, and behavioural counselling approaches, guided by what you want to achieve and the time frame available to us. I am warm and relational and will work with you to help you unpack all that you want to bring. Together we can identify things that hold you back or keep you stuck in patterns of behaviour that are no longer serving you. We might look at recent events that have challenged you or visit early experiences that have informed how you think, feel, and respond today. Whether you are trying to process and make sense of a recent event, struggling with an unexpected life change, or revisiting issues you have previously explored, I welcome you and will walk with you, helping you gain insight and empowering you to make change.
Who I work with
I work with adults and young people (aged 16 and over). I am trauma informed and offer support for a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, anger, loss, attachment, trauma, gender identity, relationship difficulties, bereavement, suicide ideation, and self-harm. I enjoy working with people at every stage of life and have experience of supporting challenges associated with, pregnancy, abortion and loss, parenting, single-parenting, separation, divorce, empty nest syndrome, menopause, ageing, and bereavement.
Creative and inclusive approaches
My work is informed by my love of art, my background in education and wellbeing, and a passion for working inclusively.
I am creative and able to use a range of media to help you express your thoughts or connect with less conscious parts of yourself. If you find it easier to write things down or to use creative activities to explore what you are feeling, we can do this. If you prefer to talk, then let's talk. What matters most is that you feel comfortable and fully able to be yourself.
I am experienced in working with neurodiverse adults and young people and can adapt sessions to suit individual strengths and needs. Whatever you are dealing with right now, whether you are navigating assessment and diagnosis, trying to manage feelings of difference and barriers to acceptance, or simply trying to thrive and negotiate life and relationships in a neurotypical world, I welcome you.
How I work
I believe that counselling should be a collaborative process and it is important to me that you feel empowered from the outset. With this in mind, I offer a 20 minute telephone call without charge, as a chance to chat and ask questions. If you prefer to have an initial consultation session (face to face or online) we can arrange this. During this session we can discuss any goals you might want to set and agree a time-frame for working together.
Cost
Initial consultation sessions and all subsequent sessions last 50 minutes and cost £55 in person and £50 online.
How to contact me
You can contact me here via the Counselling Directory website, text, call or email me using the contact details above.
Training, qualifications & experience
Experience
I originally trained as a teacher and later as a Specialist Mentor to Higher Education students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Alongside my private practice as a counsellor, I currently work as Wellbeing Mentor to Art, Performing Arts, Film, Media, Business, and Education students in Further and Higher Education. I enjoy working with creatives and understand the particular challenges of entering and sustaining a career in the creative industries. I also understand the demands of employment, training, and study at all levels of the education sector.
I have worked in a voluntary capacity throughout my life including work in pre-school settings, residential care homes, hospices, church community groups, and most recently as a helpline volunteer for the Bristol-based charity, Nacoa (https://nacoa.org.uk/). I continue to support their work with young people and adults affected by a parents drinking.
Qualifications and training
MA Counselling & Psychotherapy (University of the West of England)
Level 4 Certificate in Counselling Skills (University of the West of England)
PGCE Secondary Education (University of Nottingham)
Advanced Inter-Agency Safeguarding L3 (South Gloucestershire Council)
Bereavement Support Foundation Course (CRUSE, Bristol)
LGBTQ+ and Trans Awareness Training (The Diversity Trust)
Understanding Autism (National Autistic Society)
Autism and the SPELL Framework (National Autistic Society)
Supporting Dyslexia and Co-occurring Difficulties in Adults and Young People (Dyslexia Action)
ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Training (Living Works, South Gloucestershire Council).
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA, Cheltenham)
DNA-V (Enable Trust)
Introduction to CBT for Anxiety & Depression for Young People. (Off the Record, Bristol)
Resilience Lab Training (Off the Record, Bristol)
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
£50.00 - £55.00
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Fees are £55 per session in person and £50 online, payable by bank transfer on or before the day of meeting.
When I work
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Further information
I am based in Bristol and work both in person and online from the Practice Rooms in Westbury on Trym (BS9) and Stokes Croft (BS2). I regret that neither of these premises is able to offer wheelchair access.
