Chris Wake
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
About me
Hi, I'm Chris - a psychotherapist and mediator. I work with individuals, couples and families in the UK and around the world. I love helping people improve their lives through better relationships - with themselves and with others.
As an individual therapist I have experience in helping people manage a range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship issues, low self-esteem, addiction and trauma recovery. In my work with couples and families I've supported clients with issues including improving communications, managing conflict, affair recovery, navigating relationship breakdown and managing mental health difficulties within the family.
I am currently based in South Africa and working with clients online only.
My approach
I work in an integrative way, meaning that I draw on a blend of different counselling approaches, depending on your priorities and needs. Overall, my approach is to provide a relaxed and safe space for you to untangle your problems - and figure out ways to manage them better.
I do this by asking questions which shed light on what is driving your difficulties, from the past and present. These may include exploration of your underlying emotions and associated needs, fears and protection mechanisms, narratives and patterns from your family and culture, the influence of formative relationships on how you navigate the world, and how traumatic events in the past may be shaping your experiences today.
Drawing on these insights, I then collaborate with you to figure out effective ways to improve your wellbeing and relationships. These could include tools and techniques proven to be effective from recent research; as well as the approaches which work best for you based on your own context, skills and experience.
Evidence shows that the effectiveness of therapy reflects the quality of the relationship between the counsellor and client(s). An important common thread of my work as a therapist is therefore to facilitate a relationship between us which is authentic, warm and (hopefully!) enjoyable.
Memberships
I'm a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I'm also a registered member of the Association of Christians in Counselling (ACC) and am happy to discuss issues of faith, religion and spirituality where that is relevant to you.
Exploring counselling
If you are interested in exploring counselling with me then I offer a free initial consultation without any obligation to proceed. This provides an opportunity to get to know me, ask any questions and gauge whether I would be a good fit for you as a therapist.
If you would like to arrange an initial consultation then feel free to get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
My training and qualifications
I'm a qualified psychotherapist with an MSc (Distinction) in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. This trained me to use a blend of different approaches in my work with clients.
One is Attachment Theory, which explores how our formative relationships shape how we navigate the world and relationships. Another is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which considers how our emotions, thoughts and behaviours interact. The third is Person Centred Therapy, which emphasises the importance of the relationship between the therapist and client, and explores where our self-worth comes from. My training also took a trauma informed approach, namely exploring how traumatic events in the past can affect our experiences in the present.
I'm also a Systemic Practitioner at Intermediate level with the Association for Family Therapy (AFT), having completed two years of training in Family and Couples (Systemic) therapy. This means that I am interested in understanding how our family and cultural contexts can shape our difficulties, as well as using Systemic techniques to bring new insights into what is causing our problems - and how to manage them better.
My experience
I have worked with individuals, couples and families in the NHS, the mental health charity Mind, and the London based agency Heart and Mind. I now run my own private practice.
Alongside my work as a therapist, I'm an accredited Mediator with the UK Civil Mediation Council (CMC) and have completed training in civil, commercial and workplace mediation with the London School of Mediation. I mediate disputes in communities, workplaces and within families.
I'm also a trained debriefer for members of the aid and international development sector, and can provide end of posting or critical incident debriefing for individuals and groups.
Prior to becoming a therapist, I worked in international development and peacebuilding for the UK government and charities, and have lived in countries around the world including South Africa, South Sudan and Afghanistan. I draw on this experience in both my therapy and mediation work.
Member organisations
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.
The Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC) is a Christian professional membership organisation for those involved in counselling/psychotherapy and linked professions, i.e. pastoral care, coaching and spiritual direction, in the UK. The organisation is made up of various different membership categories, including Counsellor and Accredited, and requires all members working as counsellors to undertake Continuous Professional Development on a regular basis.
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.
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
£50.00 - £110.00
Free initial online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My counselling fees are charged on a sliding scale based on your annual gross income, starting at £50 for individuals and £70 for couples/families.
When I work
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