Carolyn McBain
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I provide therapeutic support for people who might be experiencing difficulties or seeking change in their life.
I work using the existential-phenomenological approach, which really simply means exploring the ways you might have chosen to be. You will be encouraged to focus on contextual issues and put into words the feelings you have about your life, so that we can discover the options you have before you, even when choices may seem to be few or non-existent.
The existential-phenomenological approach is about facing up to our situations and understanding that sometimes we choose to be deeply unhappy rather than face personal change. It is about developing the perspective and skills to try and live one’s life with greater self-awareness.
There is compelling research which appears to show that the best outcomes in therapy depend upon the degree to which the therapist and client form a therapeutic relationship.
I will work with you to truly engage with what matters most to you and to understand the way in which you experience the world and the meanings it has for you. I am trained to recognise people’s assumptions, and in some ways, can help you to feel or state things honestly, which can be challenging.
Although you may feel very stuck about what to do with your life, I will not offer interpretations or advice about what you should do. You will be expected to share the difficulties you are experiencing, your hopes, desires and fears, and by simple questions, we will work to look at the situation from different perspectives, including consideration of choices and the consequences of those choices. Sometimes there is significant healing in simply sharing pain and difficulties.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have completed training up to BACP Registration level and am pursuing further training towards UKCP accreditation.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), and the Society for Existential Analysis (SEA).
I have experience working within IAPT (NHS Primary Care) where I worked with a range of patients who self-referred to our service. I also provide therapy within a community counselling service, with clients from many different backgrounds, nationalities, ages, gender identities and sexualities.
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 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Additional information
Before we begin therapy, I offer a free telephone conversation (30 minutes) to talk about what brings you to therapy and what you might hope to get from it.
Then, if you're interested in starting, we find a time & day each week that works for you, and a session fee that is affordable to you.
Our first session and all subsequent sessions will be 50 minutes long, at the same time weekly.
Further information
Getting in touch does not commit you to anything. But if you are curious, you are welcome to send an email, ask any questions, and see what comes from it naturally.
