Charley Venables-Bland, BACP Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Email meAbout me
Hello and thank you for taking the time to discover more about me.
How can I help?
It could be that you are feeling stuck, frustrated, in a rut, struggling with anxiety, relationship issues or depression. Our aim together is to be able to identify areas or options that may help you to feel better. We can work in a brief and focused way with the aim of bringing about change in a few areas quickly. Or we can work longer term and explore more about what brought you to this point and look at how you can feel better.
My approach
I follow a Humanistic and Integrative model, meaning that I follow your lead as a client and join you on your journey as you explore your world with the sessions. I draw on various theoretical models in order to assist you in understanding your thoughts and emotions more. I aim to build trust between us and develop the relationship between us so that you feel safe to explore your world alongside me.
Where it feels appropriate I also use mindfulness and meditation, creative materials and body awareness, if you would like us to work this way.
What next?
After our initial contact, you may choose to book an initial session with me where we would meet for an hour. This is a mutual assessment and allows me to determine if I have the right skills and experience to meet your needs and for you to decide if you would like to work with me. At the end of this session we can make a plan for where we would like to go next.
Specialist areas
I have a specialist interest in working with issues around body image and disordered eating. I believe that health comes in all different body shapes and sizes. I advocate that it's vitally important that for good mental health that we learn to respect and engage positively with our bodies.
I also have a passion and experience with working with people who identify as having alternative genders and sexualities. I work from the perspective that you are the expert in your life and that my role is to support you to live your life in the fullest and richest way possible for you.
Training, qualifications & experience
My training at the well-renowned Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute (SPTI) in Nottingham led me to gain BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy. This training over three years was intensive, rigorous and comprehensive and it went beyond most shorter counselling courses in terms of preparing me to support my clients fully. Having been on my own personal therapeutic journey I understand what it can feel like to seek therapy and to open up to another person.
I have extensive experience working in private practice, in several charities and organisations across the Leicestershire area and with clients referred through workplace Employee Assistance Programmes.
In private practice I have experience of working both on a long term, open-ended basis and with short term and focused work.
I am also an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Continuing professional development is key to ensure that I am personally and professionally developing and some of the topics I have covered since my training are as follows:
- Principles of relationally focused work
- Ethically minded practice
- Disability awareness
- Working with issues surrounding rape and sexual abuse
- Mindfulness
- Attunement
- Dissociation and the effects of trauma
- Body positivity, body acceptance, body image
I also attend regular supervision to ensure that I practising ethically and in the interests of my clients.
Areas of counselling I deal with
- Abortion
- Abuse
- Addiction(s)
- ADHD
- Affairs and betrayals
- Anger management
- Anxiety
- Asperger's syndrome
- Attachment disorder
- Autism
- Behaviour problems
- Bereavement
- Binge-eating disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Bullying
- Career counselling
- Carer support
- Child related issues
- Childhood bereavement
- Childhood bullying
- Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME
- Dementia
- Depression
- Depression and anxiety in children
- Disabilities
- Discrimination
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorders
- Emotional abuse
- Family issues
- Feeling sad
- Gambling
- Gender dysphoria
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- HIV/AIDS
- Hoarding
- Infertility
- Internet addiction
- Loneliness
- Low self-confidence
- Low self-esteem
- Miscarriage
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Passive aggressive behaviour
- Phobias
- Physical abuse
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Postnatal depression
- Redundancy
- Relationship problems
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Separation and divorce
- Separation anxiety
- Sex problems
- Sexual abuse
- Sexuality
- Smoking
- Spirituality
- Stress
- Suicidal thoughts
- Trauma
- Work-related stress
- Young carers
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Parenting
Low mood
Feelings of sadness
Feelings of worthlessness
Body image
Anti-diet
Disordered eating
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
The initial assessment session will be 1 hour and I charge £50 for this appointment.
If you decide that you would like to work with me in counselling, all subsequent sessions are 50 minutes. The fee for these are £50.
I may be able offer a discount to counselling students - please contact me to discuss this further.
Maps & Directions
Leicester, LE19
Type of session
| Online counselling: | Yes |
| Telephone counselling: | No |
| Face to face counselling: | Yes |
Practical details
| Sign language: | No |
| Other languages: | None |
Accessibility
| Wheelchair access: | Yes |
The front door of my premises is a UPVC so involves a small step but once inside, there are no steps. There is a small toilet next door to the counselling space.
Availability
Please contact me for further details - I have daytime and Saturday morning availability
Types of client
| Adults |
| Older adults |
| Organisations |
| Employee Assistance Programme |
