Cathy Russell
About me
Sometimes the thought of counselling can be frightening. You might believe that, if you really say how you feel, others might think you are crazy. So you just get on with it and tell yourself that everything is okay or it will get better... one day.
Talking things through with a qualified counsellor can help you to understand your thoughts and emotions. We will begin to recognise how unhelpful thoughts can affect us emotionally and physically as well as impacting on our behaviour. We can then work together so that you can begin to live more effectively as an individual and socially, in your everyday life.
I offer short and long term counselling to adults, young people and children. I am also a recognised practitioner with the private health insurance company Axa Health.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a Registered and Accredited Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Northern Ireland Counselling Forum. I also hold an up-to-date Certificate of Enhanced Disclosure with Access NI and Civil Liability Insurance.
- BA Hons Psychology & English
- PGCE
- Certificate in Person-Centred Counselling
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
- Mental Health First Aid Northern Ireland
- Awareness in Bereavement Care Level 2
- Making Sense of Self Harm
- Introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Overview of Mental Health Disorders
- Managing Anxiety
- Building Self Esteem
- FdSc Counselling
- Cruse Bereavement Care Training
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) A Cognitive Behavioural Approach
- Introduction to Building a Coaching Approach
- Level 5 Dip. In Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills and Theory
- Level 5 Dip. In Counselling Children and Young People using the CSSO Model
- Treating Intrusive Thoughts and the Inner Critical Voice
- Mindfulness Practices for Adults and Children
- Open University Coronavirus Primer - Working Online
- Certificate in Telephone & Online Counselling
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.
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
Therapies offered
Availability
Monday - Friday 9am -5pm If you choose to contact me by phone and I do not answer then please feel free to leave a voicemail or send a text and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Further information
I work in two GPs' surgeries in the Armagh area and I also offer private one-to-one sessions in a separate location. Please feel free to contact me with any questions so that we can consider whether or not my service will best suit your needs. If we find that other services may be of more benefit I am happy to discuss this with you and either signpost you or provide you with suitable literature to help you make that decision.
Unfortunately, due to the on-going pandemic, I am unable to offer face to face counselling, instead I am working with clients via telephone or online video. For many this seems a bit strange at first, particularly if you've always pictured yourself working face to face with a counsellor. If you have any queries or concerns about working in this way please call me to have a chat, it doesn't suit every person or every issue but research states that telephone and online counselling can be as effective as face to face counselling.