David Brookes
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am David Brookes, a qualified counsellor based in Cheshire.
As a counsellor I provide a safe space for you to work on the issues that you consider are the most important. I will tailor the pace and style of counselling to what works best for you. The backbone of the approach I take is known as person-centred therapy which believes that you have within you the knowledge to move on and find better ways forward.
Gentle challenge in a safe environment gives you the opportunity to reflect and grow. I will help you focus and develop your thoughts and feelings on the aspects of your life that are of most concern to you.
This is achieved by providing a confidential and non judgemental space for you to explore your sense of who you are, the people you care about and the things that align with your core values.
The counselling approach I use is founded on the belief that everyone has a solution within them to the issues that they find troubling. Talking through what is going on for you and hearing the relevant parts reflected enables you to get some traction on your ideas rather than the wheels of your brain spinning and getting seemingly nowhere.
The approach is known as person-centred counselling and is the work of Carl Rogers.
Training, qualifications & experience
BACP Qualified counsellor
Below are some of the issues I work with and some thoughts on them. These are not intended as a template for treatment but to give a sense of how they might be approached.
Anxiety
A fast and complex world can seem overwhelming and anxiety may often result. Learning to recognise and cope with anxiety can help liberate people from having to avoid situations that provoke anxious thoughts.
Overthinking
Recognising that we are more than our thoughts and having the chance to explore persistent ideas can enable people to start to make sense of and move beyond these. Providing traction and movement to unstick from a cycle of thoughts.
Recovering from domestic abuse
Even once an abusive relationship has finished the effects of that time can continue to impact life. Building an understanding of how a difficult relationship can affect our thoughts and feelings can start to enable recovery and rebuild a healthy sense of self worth.
Trauma
Working to build a sense of how events in the past can still affect you today and cause you to react in ways that seem disproportionate to what is going on - a bit like a smoke alarn sounding when the toaster is merely hot. Awareness and practice can help to free your body and your mind from past events.
Depression
Exploring how we protect ourselves from a seemingly hopeless situation by shutting down and considering what is going on can help rekindle ideas on ways forward.
Anger
Can sometimes be a cover for other emotions that are harder to handle or acknowledge. Not always the case but sometimes, exploring how and when anger appears can help to anticipate and self regulate more.
Suicidal ideation
Being in a place where this is seen as one of the few options can be lonely and distressing. Being met in this space without judgement or persuasion to act in a particular way can give the opportunity to assess and re-evaluate which may start to open up other choices.
Dissociation
The brain may protect itself by "leaving the scene of the danger", great at the time but if it continues then there may be a sense of being removed from day to day life maybe experienced as a lack of vitality. Understanding how the past might have impacted and reconnecting with lived experience can help.
Testimonials
"David made me feel very welcome and safe from our first session to our last. I felt I could really talk to him about my issues with no judgement or embarrassment, I felt like he really listened and understood. I've left with techniques on how to help me in day to day life which I am very grateful for."
"The counsellor was amazing and I can't thank him enough for listening to me even though I wasn't that good at talking about me. Thank you for listening to me."
"I just wanted to say thank you for your help and guidance over the past month, speaking to you really helped me."
"I'm in a really good mental place at the minute and I'm feeling very happy. I appreciate all the time you've spent helping me get back on track. Almost finished my exams and your sessions really helped me to find motivation."
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
Fees
£40.00 - £50.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Additional information
I am based in Cheshire and offer counselling by phone or online. If you are close to Lymm then face to face or outdoor counselling may also be possible
Online and telephone counselling is £40 per session and face to face or outdoor counselling at £50 per session. I offer a free 20 minute telephone or online consultation to enable you to choose if I may be able to help you.
The number of sessions needed to achieve the change you seek will vary on many factors. Weekly sessions often work well but other approaches are also possible.
When I work
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