Cheryl Backham


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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Life can be challenging, especially when you don't have someone that will be there for you to just listen.
I'm a fully qualified counsellor with over 1000 hours of experience, working with both adults and children over the last 5 years.
My counselling approach is person-centred. This allows you to explore your thoughts and feelings, supported in a safe, non-judgmental way with someone who is empathetic and respects you. I will work alongside you to listen and guide you to a place where you want to be.
I am also a qualified EMDR Therapist though the EMDR Academy, what that means:
The Theory:
The eye movement we use in EMDR seems to unlock the nervous system and allow your brain to process the experience. This may be what is happening in REM, or dream, sleep. The eye movements may be involved in processing the unconscious material. The important thing to remember is that it is your own brain that will be doing the healing and that you are the one in control. Often, when something traumatic happens, it seems to get locked in the nervous system with the original picture, sounds, thoughts and feelings and so on. Since the experience is locked there, it continues to be triggered whenever a reminder comes up. It can be the basis for a lot of discomfort and sometimes a lot of negative emotions, such as fear and helplessness that we can't seem to control. These are really emotions that are connected with the old experience being triggered.
What the model does:
Disturbing events can be stored in the brain in an isolated memory network. This prevents learning from taking place. The old material just keeps getting triggered over and over again. In another part of your brain, in a separate network, is most of the information you need to resolve it. It's just prevented from linking up to the old stuff. Once we start processing with EMDR, the 2 networks can link up. New information can come to mind and resolve the old problems.
Although unpleasant pictures, sensations or emotions may come up as we do the eye movements, you can stop the process whenever you want simply by raising your hand. However, I will encourage you to continue if possible but also respect your decision. The idea is that if you want drive though a dark tunnel quickly, you keep your foot on the accelerator. If you take your foot off, your car slows down and coasts. So, to get us through unpleasant emotions, keeping eyes moving will get us through more quickly. As we do the set of eye movements, try to remember that we are only processing old stuff. It may feel real, but it’s just the old memories locked in the nervous system. The idea is to let the brain become unlocked and let the information pass though.
Setting Expectations:
As we process the information and digest the old events, pictures, sensations, or emotions may arise, but your job is just to notice them, just let them happen. Imagine you are on a train and the scenery is passing by. Just notice the scenery without trying to grab hold of it or make it significant. I will start by asking you to focus on a target. Then I will ask you to follow my fingers with your eyes. After we do that for a while, we will stop and talk about anything that comes up. You can’t keep the picture steady while the eye movements are going on, so don’t try. When we talk, you just need to give me feedback on what is happening. Sometimes things will change and sometimes they won’t. There are no ‘supposed to’s’ in this process. So just tell me what is happening or not. Just let whatever happens, happen. The feedback should be brief, 10 words or less.
Training, qualifications & experience
- BSc Hons Psychology and Counselling
- Post Graduate Certificate in Counselling
- MSc Counselling and Psychotherapy
- 5 years experience in a sexual violence counselling organisation.
- Training in EMDR Therapy from the EMDR Academy
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.

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
£40.00 per session
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£40 per hour
Special rates for students and emergency services personnel.
My EMDR rates are currently £50.
When I work
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Weekend appointments can be made in special circumstances.