David Whistance
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I aim to offer a calm and creative space where we can meet and gently untangle whatever thoughts and feelings you're struggling with to support positive change in your life and relationships. Whether you're feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or just feel stuck at some level, hopefully we can do some good work to build up your wellbeing resources and support valuable moments of healing.
Listening deeply to you and unpacking the psychological processes we can all get lost in are the bedrock of my approach. You may enjoy using creative methods to help slow things down, explore your experiences and build new possibilities. Practising mindfulness (Autogenic Therapy) and energy psychology (Gestalt Acu-balancing) stress management methods could also bring welcome balance and relief.
I love using strengths coaching to help people feel more energised and purposeful in their lives and am also an experienced careers adviser.
If you're caught in challenging currents of your mind, I believe you've got the potential to ride the waves of thoughts filled with emotions such as fear, sadness and anger and find your way to sparkling streams and calmer waters - see 'Healing reflections' on my website to find out more.
Training, qualifications & experience
An accredited counsellor registered with the BACP, I've used counselling and guidance skills to help people work through stuckness and confusion for almost 30 years. Time sure flies!
Key qualifications include:
- Dip (HE) Humanistic Gestalt Counselling.
- PG Cert Autogenic Therapy.
- PG Dip Careers Guidance.
- BSc (Hons) Psychology.
- Evidence-based EFT skills.
- Strengths Profile Coach.
I worked as a Touch for Health kinesiology practitioner before doing my counselling training and remain committed to working in a holistic and embodied way. For example, I've used soothing and restoring energy psychology methods for many years and have developed my own approach which brings together my interests in:
- Internal Family Systems: This can give profound insights into what keeps us stuck.
- Using creative methods: A fantastic way to support counselling and coaching.
- Working with trauma: We can use strategies that help reduce unnecessary distress.
As well as offering individual therapy and coaching, I also run workshops to help therapists use creative methods and in March 2025 I'm offering a comprehensive Diploma in Creative Application of the Five Elements.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£40.00 - £70.00
Additional information
I offer a free 20 minute phone or video call and £40 first session to help you find out more. Most people pay £50 a session thereafter but I also offer a sliding scale based on ability to pay. Further details are on my site at Counselling > Appointment FAQs.
Hopeful words from some past clients
'You were flexible, understanding and patient.'
‘Really valued being able to explore and understand things more.’
‘The intensity of anger I was feeling has lessened significantly.’
'I can cope better even though life is still very stressful.'
'A valuable experience which was a great help to me.'
When I work
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Please check Appointment FAQs for latest availability and feel free to call or send a message if you've got any questions. I look forward to hearing from you.
