Cathy Orchard
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello, I’m Cathy.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, here’s what you need to know. I am an accredited integrative psychotherapist and counsellor with extensive experience helping individuals navigate a wide range of challenges—from deep-seated trauma to improving daily life and becoming your best self. I provide a safe, warm, and non-judgemental space to explore your experiences, understand yourself better, and heal both conscious and unconscious wounds. Using a blend of therapeutic approaches, we can work with language, your body, and your nervous system to create meaningful change.
If you’d like to learn more, please continue reading.
I am a UKCP accredited and BACP senior registered psychotherapist practising in person and online in Folkestone and online with clients in London and around the world.
My therapeutic approach is about creating a safe, warm, empathic, non-judgemental space for you to explore what troubles you, develop self-understanding, change your behavioural and thinking patterns and heal past trauma so that you can learn self-compassion to move more comfortably into your future and build the life you want to live.
Adults of all ages arrive at my door seeking support for a wide range of challenges. I work both long-term and short-term, although many of my clients stay for a while, as it takes time to heal trauma. I am experienced in helping clients navigate through anxiety and anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, complex trauma and (C)PTSD, low self-esteem, shame, and self-criticism; family and relationship issues; childhood relational and developmental trauma; issues of identity; obsessional thinking and OCD; addiction; loss and bereavement, childhood sexual abuse, and chronic pain. I also have experience of working with Boarding School Syndrome and Adult Children of Alcoholic Parents. I support clients with issues arising from Autism and ADHD, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. I have worked in both Primary and Secondary NHS Care, as well as University Counselling, so whatever the struggle may be, I am here to provide understanding and support on your path to healing and growth.
As an Integrative Therapist, I use a range of approaches to tailor the therapy to each unique client. We can work ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’. From the ‘top’ we can work with your mind and use language to better understand yourself and your experiences with compassion and perspective, and to change your less helpful unconscious and conscious processes. From the ‘bottom’ we can work somatically, engaging directly with your nervous system to regulate, ground and build flexibility. This way you can support and release the psychological, emotional and physical pain that is stored in your body and draw on your body’s innate wisdom and strength. This combined way of working enables us to transform our own processes and how we relate with others to find emotional freedom.
The range of therapeutic methods on which I draw include Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (working with our unconscious), Attachment Based Psychotherapy (exploring our earliest relationships and changing how we relate to ourselves and others), Somatic Psychotherapy (harnessing the power of our body), Polyvagal Therapy (working directly with our nervous system), and CBT, Compassion and Mindfulness techniques. In line with Humanistic Principles I recognise, value and work with the whole person, and believe that we all have potential for growth and transformation.
I am also an Internal Family Systems therapist. IFS therapy enables me to offer a direct, transformative way of working with our own system to harness your deep self-knowledge and potential power.
Training, qualifications & experience
I completed my four year Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy training at The Minster Centre, in London, awarded by Middlesex University. This is one of the UK's leading Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling Institutions. I hold a Diploma and an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling and an MA in Integrative Psychotherapy. I have completed Internal Family Systems level 1 training, and will soon attain level 2. I completed my Foundation Certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at WPF, in London.
I am accredited with the United Kingdom of Psychotherapy (UKCP) and senior registered with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). I strictly adhere to their ethical guidelines, ensuring the provision of the highest standards of care.
I maintain an Enhanced DBS check to ensure my clients' safety.
I have experience of working in University and NHS Primary and Secondary Care, as well as working in Private Practice.
Member organisations
school 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.
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.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Adult Children of Alcoholics
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£80.00 - £125.00
Free initial telephone session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
My fees range from £80 - £125 a session. Please discuss this with me. I want to make therapy accessible so I offer flexibility, depending on your location and circumstances.
When I work
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My core practice hours are from 9.00 am to 5.30pm. I also offer evening sessions, by arrangement.
