Catherine Counihan
Verified Professional
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verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
MSc Int Psych, Dip. Couns. UKCP Reg
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
About me
I am an experienced UKCP registered psychotherapist and counsellor with a previous career in Financial Services. I offer you a warm, open and confidential space to work on issues in your life that may be stopping you reaching your potential or causing you pain.
You may find you are experiencing the same problem over and over again or that you are struggling in your relationships or at work. You may have limited capacity to deal with the stresses of everyday life. You may be self-harming or have developed an eating disorder or be shopping compulsively. Anxiety may be crippling you or perhaps you are facing redundancy. Whatever the issue I believe therapy can help.
Therapy allows the opportunity to explore your world in a confidential setting. Seeking and accepting help is a brave step and I am aware you may feel vulnerable or uncomfortable, particularly in our first session.
By taking the time each week to focus on what is troubling you we will together begin to unpick the patterns in your life. By creating a safe space to view, discuss and ultimately begin to accept them (understanding their origins helps with this), change becomes possible. At its best psychotherapy is a very effective change agent.
I work in a relational way and will attend carefully to the dynamics of our relationship in the room. Meta-studies looking at the efficacy of talking therapies consistently demonstrate that it is the relationship between therapist and client that has the greatest impact on positive therapy outcomes. It is therefore vital for the success of your therapy that we develop a warm, trusting relationship. It is important that you feel fully heard and that you can be all of yourself in the therapy room.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a professionally trained trauma informed psychotherapist and counsellor and have completed extensive additional education in this field. I studied at the Metanoia Institute and hold a Diploma in Integrative Psychodynamic Counselling and a Masters degree (MSc) in Integrative Psychotherapy.
Metanoia is currently one of the most highly regarded training institutes in the United Kingdom due to their intense, rigorous practitioner training programmes and focus on the therapist developing themselves and ability to be ‘in relationship’ with clients.
I trained as an integrative psychotherapist. This means my training covered many different therapy schools. As we work alongside each other we will explore what the most effective ways of working together for you are; I will draw on different tools and approaches as necessary. Generally, I draw on Attachment theory, neuroscience, interpersonal neurobiology and the latest research into the most effective, evidence based ways of dealing with trauma to assist you in changing your story as you go forward in your life. We will also attend to re-patterning your nervous system.
I have been seeing clients in various settings across London for nearly a decade. These include private practice, time limited therapy in an NHS GP surgery (IAPT), low cost therapy centres, long term psychotherapy in a Women’s centre and a bereavement service.
Retraining as a psychotherapist has been an important part of my own personal journey of discovery and it would be a privilege to be a part of your journey.
My academic qualifications are as follows:
- MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy, Metanoia Institute (validated by Middlesex University)
- Integrative Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling, Metanoia Institute
- Multiple additional trauma trainings
- Various attachment trainings
- Trained in the therapeutic use of Polyvagal Theory
- EFT for Couples, in training, have completed the first externship
- BA Hons (Economics) (1st class), University of the Witwatersrand
- BA (Economics and Economic History) University of the Witwatersrand
In addition I complete CPD on an ongoing basis and regularly attend clinical supervision. I have the appropriate insurance and am a registered member of the UKCP.
Member organisations
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.
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
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
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
Perinatal Psychotherapy
Post-natal depression
Post-natal anxiety
Mental health in the workplace and dealing with stress, anxiety and burnout
SIDS or cotdeath
Addiction and clients who are in 12 step programmes
Fees
Additional information
Fess vary by location. I work in 2 locations in central London and there is a possibility I could see you in Surbiton (KT6) depending on your time and day requirements. Please get in touch with me for further information.
When I work
Saturday morning and evening appointments available
Further information
Prior to becoming a psychotherapist I worked in the city of London for many years. My original training was as an economist in South Africa and latterly I worked as a management consultant at Deloitte and then UBS in London, prior to moving full time into psychotherapy.
