Craig Coventry

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MBACP(Accred.), MA, BSC
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Guildford GU2 & Woking GU21
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I am a registered and accredited member of the BACP and an EMDR practitioner. I work in private practice in Guildford and Woking. I also provide remote therapy online via encrypted email or video call.  As a practitioner, I have worked successfully with a wide range of client difficulties, however, I specialise in trauma therapy and work regularly with what I call trauma based response, such as: PTSD, BPD/EUPD, CPTSD and Dissociative personalities.

Trauma covers a wide range of situations. A situation that was too overwhelming at the time to integrate into personal experience in a helpful way can be considered as a trauma. This is not a defect in the individual, it is a a result of overwhelming experiences, often with unmet needs as a historical backdrop. It is physical and psychological response to distress rather than a the event/s itself and can stem from singular or multiple traumas of commission (things that happened which shouldn't have) as well as traumas of omission (things which didn't happen which should have). It does not need to be diagnosed to be considered as trauma and can be very subjective- see additional info at bottom of the page for more. I also provide EMDR therapy (Eye-Movement, Desensitisation and Reprocessing)  and I am registered with several health insurance companies. My Primary training consisted of a BSC in Psychology and Counselling, plus an MA in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. Since then, I have undertaken several other courses and continue to do so as part of my professional development. Many of the trainings have been focused around Trauma work.

What can I offer you?

As a Humansitic therapist, my approach to therapy is to help you to unravel and connect to your lived experience in order for you to be able find inner clarity, direction and healing. My approach is therefore primarily non-directive, however, I will use my experience and knowledge to actively suggest areas of exploration. Being non-directive does not mean passive, it means that you are in the driver’s seat, in control of the process, and my role is to help guide you in your journey through deepening the process, and sometimes challenging decisions. I may at times, depending on the situation, offer direction in regards increasing certain activities and practical management techniques. As a therapist, I cannot tell you the best way to deal with the situations in your life. I can, however, help to bring the answer out of yourself and help you to find confidence in your own decision-making process.

Sometimes, my clients are not able to enter into this process fully due to the severity of symptoms, such as in cases of high anxiety or trauma for example. In which case, I may integrate other approaches to therapy, mindfulness, grounding, Psycho-education and self-soothing techniques to aid emotional regulation so that you can find a level of safety within yourself; which can then enable the process to continue and work towards the inner healing.

The therapy I provide also aims to be "symptom lead". Which keeps the therapy relevant to what the current difficulties are and working on the past and present experiences that related to current difficulties whilst also looking how you would like things to be different moving forward.  

Initial Discussion

I offer a free, 20-minute telephone discussion prior to booking the first appointment. This is for me to get an overview of why you have decided to make contact and how I can help. It is also for you to ask any questions that you have for me before booking in the first appointment. Sometimes, people cannot make the timeslots in which I am free for the initial call. In which case, we can book in the first session, however, it is chargeable and non-refundable. This remains even if, in the rare case, it is clear at the beginning of the session that we cannot work together; whether that be you need a different service, or a practitioner with different, specialist areas of expertise etc. I do advise to try and make the time for the 20 minute discussion.

Sessions

I usually offer weekly sessions, which last for 50 minutes and are at the same time each week. Some clients with more severe trauma opt for double sessions or twice weekly or similar, however, this is limited to people suffering trauma or people going through a particularly distressing situation.  EMDR therapy is best using 90 minute sessions in which the fees are doubled- although processing should be quicker thus shortening the length of therapy. 50 minute EMDR sessions are possible and will be ok but 90 mins is the ideal if funds and diary space are there. 3-4 intensive processing sessions are also available where diary permits for current clients with specific processing needs.

There is limited scope for fortnightly or flexibility in regards to days/times of appointment, please check prior to booking the initial discussion; I do try to be as flexible as I can- diary permitting.

Working Agreement

As with most therapists, I do have a working agreement in place for all ongoing work. This includes my commitment to you and your commitment to therapy and cancellation policy. All agreements are open-ended: ongoing until I am given 1 week’s notice. I will give you a copy of the agreement at the first session (or email it over prior to) and then hold your slot for 3 days for you to reflect on the session and make a decision on whether it’s right for you to commit to the process. There is no obligation at this stage, if you feel another practitioner/service may be better suited for you, then I support your decision.

I feel it is important for you to take this time to reflect, your well-being is important and worth thinking about seriously. Sometimes people are unsure at the beginning, I would say there is always the option of starting for a couple of weeks and then ending the agreement if you feel it is not for you.

Trauma Therapy

Traumatic experiences cover a large number of experiences such as sexual or domestic abuse, bullying and violence, accidents and ongoing manipulation, neglect and even bereavements and surgery to name but a few. Trauma is a subjective experience, one person may not experience a lasting trauma response where others would do. It is not the event which dictates trauma, it is more about the effect, the lasting response and the disruptions in daily life which can often decrease an individual’s sense of trust and safety. This is also influenced by the age when the event/s happened, if it happened over a prolonged period of time, and the level of support received at the time and previous attachment history. Indeed, attachment wounds are traumas which can and do have long lasting and complex effects if unhealed.

What differentiates Trauma therapy from standard Therapy, is that, in Trauma work, there is an initial phase of safety and regulation, prior to coming to terms with (or processing) traumatic memories and current experiences. There is a lot more needed in this process than "standard therapy" and will usually involve more psycho-education, management and grounding techniques and more of a structure to keep you safe and building skills re-orientate to present moment instead of being pulled into traumatic memory intrusions. After this, standard therapeutic approaches are used along side trauma informed theories, in order to heal underlying wounds and relational disruptions and integrating new experiences and knowledge into daily life. Returning to the safety phase is often a regular and natural part of this work. EMDR can be used depending on client preference and readiness. On occasion, safety and regulation phases are not possible until some processing has been achieved. In this case, co-regulation (regulation through connection with the therapist) and methods of titration (breaking trauma down into chunks) and pendulation (tapping in and out of the trauma) can be  way of achieving that to avoid overwhelm. This way, once some a little bit of processing has been done, felt safety increases a little, which then allows for a little more processing, which then allows for more increased safety and strengthened sense of self 

Many people who have survived traumatic experiences often get diagnosed with BPD/EUPD, PTSD, C-PTSD or DID and other dissociative disorders.

Training, qualifications & experience

MA Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

BSC Psychology and Counselling.

BACP Registered and accredited Member.

Certificate in Trauma Therapy.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Essentials: training provided by the APT.

Member of UK Psychological Trauma Society

Member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Committed to Continued Professional Development through regular workshops and ongoing training.

Member organisations

school Registered / Accredited

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
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Fees

£70.00 - £75.00
Free initial telephone session

Concessions offered for

  • check_circle Low income
  • check_circle Students
  • check_circle Unemployed

Health Insurance/EAP

  • check_circle Aviva
  • check_circle Axa Health
  • check_circle Vitality
  • check_circle WPA
  • check_circle BUPA

Additional information

*Optional free 20 minute telephone consultation

Woking (Mondays  until 10pm and Fridays until 8pm.)
£70 per 50-minute session, or, £140 per 90-minute session

Guildford (Tuesday 5pm-9pm, Thursday 6pm- 10pm)

£75 per 50-minute session, or, £150 per 90-minute session.

Video sessions

£60 Tuesday daytime, or, £70-£75 depending on the office I am usually in (refer to the above).

EMDR Therapy

50-minute sessions as above, 90-minute sessions fees are doubled.

Covered By Health Insurance?
I am a registered practitioner with BUPA, AXA PPP, Cigna, Allianz Healthcare Worldwide, WPA, Aviva, Healix and Vitality Health. I can also provide invoices for clients to claim back fees from other healthcare providers- please check with your individual healthcare provider as each provider works differently.

Concessions
Limited concessions may be available for those on low wages or have financial difficulties, please call to discuss prior to the initial consultation.

When I work

Weekdays Only 10am - 10pm.

Further information

Ongoing Sessions

Depending on your situation, the work could mean reviewing how past events and relationships have shaped who you are, how you view the world and how you respond to life's challenges. It could also mean looking at different parts of your personality and the level of conflict between the different parts (e.g. a part of you that wants to succeed and a part that feels incompetent and unworthy). Many of my clients have also found it beneficial to work through negative perceptions of reality which have been 'internalised' from negative experiences and working towards a more accurate view of reality.

As human beings we acquire an ideal picture of ourselves, and how our life should be. However, at times these can be at odds with the reality we are faced with or sometimes even unrealistic for anybody to achieve. This can give rise to states of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and difficulties with stress and anger. Understanding your self-concept and beliefs of how life should be, and finding acceptance of the life you currently have is a prerequisite for growth and change and this is often one of the central tasks in therapy.

Trauma Therapy

I have a particular interest in working with trauma. Trauma is a psychological state which can arise from one-off events such as car crashes or ongoing events such as sexual, physical or emotional abuse, neglect, and many other situations. Trauma can simply be defined as someone 're-living' their past experiences as if the past is actually happening in the 'here and now'; it is a 'whole person response' including mind, brain and body. Trauma often happens when an individual's experience is overwhelming and the individual feels stuck, helpless, powerless and unable to escape or prevent the situation from happening. There can also be attachment and neglect trauma which disrupts the ability to form a sense of self, to form healthy relationships, and the ability to regulate emotions which can lead to addictions, difficulties controlling behaviours, severe anxieties and a wide range of presentations. Much of my CPD (Continued Professional Development) is centred around working with trauma survivors, the effects it can have on their lives and, more importantly, how individuals can recover from it. For more info on trauma and trauma therapy please visit my website: https://craigcoventrycounselling.co.uk/common-concerns/trauma-therapy/

The Eaves, 3 Paris, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9JX

10 Chertsey Road, Woking, Surrey, GU21 5AB

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people (13-17)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

I regret to inform you there is no wheelchair access in my Woking practice.

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