Chris Arridge
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Therapy isn't an indulgence and can help people from all walks of life with different difficulties and experiences. I offer kind and non-judgemental counselling in a safe, confidential and quiet space in the centre of Lancaster.
In a counselling relationship I place great importance on accepting you as you are, on warmth, and on human connection. I see my job as trying as best as I can to get to know what it's like to be you, to have experienced the things you have, to feel the things you feel, and to be alongside you as we explore the memories, experiences and thoughts that cause you distress, pain, and also happiness. It's my job to help shine a light on things that might be difficult for you to see clearly. It's my job to go with you to the places that are difficult for you to go to alone. It's my job to hear the words and try to sense the feelings you can't express anywhere else. I never want you to feel alone during the moments we spend together, nor do I want you to feel like I'm intruding. I want you to be free to go to the places that you need to go to for your own healing and self-exploration.
Although I have a professional background in science, I do not view counselling as something scientific, technical or medical. I do not believe in just hearing about your symptoms and then giving you a prescription of things you need to fix or change. You are the expert on yourself.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Cumbria and am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This means I meet the required standards to practice as a professional therapist.
I have experience working with people who are experiencing a range of difficulties. I particularly have experience working with abuse, addiction, ADHD and autism, anxiety, bereavement, self-confidence and self-esteem. My training included providing counselling specifically in drug and alcohol addiction services.
I have particular interest in ADHD, Autism and other neurodivergent experiences of being in the world.
I also have a background in higher education and have more than a decade of experience supporting and mentoring students, and working with disabled students.
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.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£30.00 - £50.00
Free initial in-person session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I operate a sliding scale of £40-50 per session. I may also be able to offer you a concessionary rate of £30 per session. This rate is usually offered to those who are unemployed or on low incomes, students, and pensioners. You can pay via card or cash in person or bank transfer. If paying by bank transfer I request payment within 48 hours of our appointment. If you find yourself struggling to pay then please talk to me as soon as you can and we can discuss possible ways of managing that between us.
When I work
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I may also be able to see clients in the evenings or weekends by special arrangement.
