Caroline Stanford. MBACP, MA, FCIPD
About me
About me
Hi, my name is Caroline. Thank you for viewing my profile and taking time to read about me and what I can offer you. I have supported clients experiencing a wide range of issues and difficulties in their lives including; relationship issues, anxiety and panic attacks, anger abuse emotional and physical, depression, sadness, loss, bereavement, overeating and obesity, OCD, trauma, family relationships, identity development, life transitions, phobias, couples counselling, separation and divorce, work related issues, low confidence and self esteem, empty nest syndrome, EAP Employee Assistance Programmes, Career Counselling and many more.
When someone comes to see me they are often struggling to make sense of what is happening in their world. Life doesn't come with a manual, so finding the support of someone who is experienced in offering a friendly, sensitive and professional service to individuals and couples makes the whole process of change easier and more satisfying. I believe that each client is unique and has differing needs and my approach is not a 'one size' fits all.
Working privately as a counsellor and psychotherapist with rooms in Stratford Upon Avon, I have supported individuals of every background and age to explore, understand and analyse their current situation with total honesty and confidentiality, and to rethink what they want from their personal and professional lives. Typically clients travel from Coventry, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Alcester, Shipston on Stour, Moreton in the Marsh, Chipping Norton, Chipping Campden, the Cotswold's and sounding areas including Oxfordshire and Worcestershire and beyond.
I work in a way that is contractual: we agree together to explore what the client is aiming to achieve. I create a very safe therapeutic space for clients and use empathetic listening and active relational involvement to help facilitate the therapeutic process.
People seek therapy for many different reasons. You may be struggling to come to terms with an event, tired of feeling depressed or anxious of longing for better relationships. As we go through our lives we may experience shock or traumas that we feel unable to deal with. You may only know that you want something to be different. What ever your reasons I do hope that you will get in touch.
My Approach:
In my thriving private counselling and psychotherapy practice I provide a supportive, safe, caring, confidential and non judgemental environment in which I help you explore your problems and difficulties and help you decide what you want to explore: your beliefs about yourself, other people and the quality of your life. I also provide support in putting into practice new ways of living your life, moving towards fulfilment. I believe it is a profound privilege to be a counsellor and psychotherapist and it is incumbent on me, as a clinician, to keep developing my understanding and honing my skills to reach the deeper insights of the client and the heart of the work.
How Counselling and Psychotherapy can help:
Counselling and Psychotherapy can help you explore and understand the past, how the past may be affecting and impacting the present, what you want from today and for your future ultimately supporting you in discovering different ways of thinking, feeling, relating and being.
Couples and Relationship Counselling can help couples or other significant relationships who are going through difficulties to gain a better understanding, resolve conflicts and improve their relationship. My approach helps gives couples tools and techniques to improve communication, negotiate differences and cope more positively and effectively with the changes that work, family and life demands bring.
How long does it last?
I offer short or long term counselling and psychotherapy.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have undertaken extensive training in supporting people in corporate, commercial and office based settings before changing career to retrain as a therapist.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, in private practice as a counsellor and psychotherapist. I trained in Advanced Training in Relational Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy Oxford and previously the TA Foundation Year TA 101 Oxford and am working towards final certification as Certified Transactional analysis and accreditation with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). TA provides a rich theory to help us think about and understand about ourselves, explore links with the past, strengthen inner resources and move on from emotional and psychological blocks.
I hold a Certificate in Depression from Salford University and I am currently working towards a Certificate in Overeating and Obesity.
Early in my career I undertook a Certificate in Counselling Skills: Central School of Counselling and Psychotherapy. London as a way of enhancing the support I offered to individuals in both organisational and personal settings.
I hold Certificates in Voice Dialogue Levels 1 and 2 Blackdown Foundation, The voice dialogue technique facilitates a deeper sense of inner wisdom, understanding and opportunity to identify the voices within and to helps clients to understand they are made up of many parts. With this awareness, clients are able to create balance, knowing ones to silence and which ones to accentuate. Being armed with this powerful knowledge provides a greater resource for making and sustaining change.
Throughout my life I have always been involved in working closely with people in providing a service. the beginning of my career was in hotels. Later I worked as a principal lecturer in further, higher and adult education. I have extensive experience as an Executive Coach and Team Facilitator supporting individuals and teams with leadership career development and behavioural and relational change in global and blue chip companies. I am on the Register of Qualifications and Psychometric Profiling in Test Use - British Psychological Society, hold a Coaching Skills for Business offered by the Oxford Psychological Press, Masters HRM and HRD – Warwick University and Post Grad Dip Management –Oxford Brooks University.
Memberships: MBACP, UKATA, IARTA, ITAA FCIPD
Ethics and Professional Practice
I work in accordance with the following codes of ethics and professional practice:
The BCAP ethical framework of Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy
The code of ethics and professional practice of UKATA which is a registered member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.
Member organisations
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
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
Why counselling, psychotherapy or personal development?
There are many situations or circumstances that can lead people to feel the need to seek additional support that goes beyond friends and family.
Issues that clients commonly bring to me include:
Family and Relationship issues,
Separation and Divorce
Anxiety
Life transitions and life crises
Building resilience, the capacity to cope and bounce back.
Overeating and obesity
Depression and low mood
Low self esteem and self doubt
Self and personal identity
Desire to understand who you really are
Issues around anger
Bereavement, grief and loss
Empty nest syndrome
Work related difficulties
Career transitions
Low mood and mood swings
Lack or loss of confidence
Lack of motivation
Abuse: physical and emotional
Therapies offered
Fees
I usually suggest that clients come for a initial appointment. In this session we can begin to explore what problems or difficulties you are experiencing. We will discuss what you want from counselling or psychotherapy and agree when we will meet. There is no obligation to continue past the first meeting. if you decide to continue with therapy we may decide to meet for a couple of weeks and take it from there.
Individual Therapy £50 per 50 minute session before 17.00
£60 for evenings [after 17.00]
Couples Therapy £85 per session
Employee Assistance Programmes - can be arranged
Concessions are available for students and those on low incomes
Training or workshops - please contact to discuss individual or organisational needs.
Some people are apprehensive about becoming dependent on counselling and psychotherapy. Be reassured therapy is a process with a beginning, middle and an end with the ultimate aim of creating independency.
Career Counselling - £65 per session
Further information
Throughout my life I have experienced a number of transitions, leaving education, operating hotels, growing a career, getting married, having and bringing up two children, coping with the teenage years and ultimately the ‘empty nest’ syndrome whilst holding down a demanding job, coping with role changes, taking voluntary redundancy and I’ve done a ‘BIG’ Birthday. I have a background in business and significant understanding of work related issues and provide short term solution focused therapy for Employee Assistance Programmes.
Life has helped me understand that everyone has different needs from the therapy process and all therapy is unique to each individual.
Please contact me direct to discuss your options further 01789 296560 or email me at caroline@carolinestanford.com
