Dawn Aitchison MBACP (Accred).

Training, qualifications & experience

I am fully qualified with a Diploma in Person Centred Counselling and Therapy and am an Accredited Registered Member of the BACP (the professional body representing counsellors and psychotherapists).This means that I adhere to the guidelines laid down in their ethical framework and have regular supervision. I also hold a Post-Qualifying Diploma in Counselling Adolescents and Children and am fully insured, registered with the ICO and DBS checked.

I have experience of working with adults, young people and children on a variety of issues including:
anxiety, depression, bereavement and pre-bereavement, bullying at school and in the work place, eating disorders, self-harm, post-natal depression, pregnancy and birth, parenting, relationship difficulties, intrusive thoughts and OCD, sexual, emotional and physical abuse and neglect, suicidal thoughts, domestic violence, trauma, living with long term illness and disability, CFS, fibromyalgia, learning difficulties, work-related stress and redundancy.

During the course of my professional training I have completed:

• Grief Training - Level 1: The theory of Childhood Loss and Grief
• Grief Training - Level 2: Therapeutic Skills and Practical Applications of Theory
• Training on working with clients who Self-Harm and on building Resilience
• West Cornwall Women's Aid Domestic Violence and Abuse awareness training
• Cornwall Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre 20 week course
• FGM awareness
• Mind and Body together - Emotional Wellbeing training
• Training in understanding dissociation and complex dissociative disorders
• Depth of play training - using Sandtray to experience symbolism and metaphor in play
• Counselling and Autism
• MindEd - elearning for professionals working with children and young people
• ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Training

I qualified with a BA Hons. Degree in Fine Art with Qualified Teacher Status from Warwick University in 1992. Before I trained as a counsellor, I spent twenty mostly enjoyable years employed as a primary school teacher. I believe this experience has given me valuable insights into what it is like to work in a challenging environment; highlighting how vital the act of creating space can be for wellbeing. I create space in my life through singing in a choir, playing and listening to music, walking, painting and glass making. I hope I can help you to express your creativity in a way that is meaningful for you.

Further information

Please contact me by email or the contact form on my website. I will then get back to you as soon as I can to arrange an initial consultation, if that is what you would like.

Our initial session will set out what I can offer and what you are looking for; enabling us to find out if we both feel we can work together. Sessions are weekly, at a regular time, last for an hour and are available for as long as you want to come. We will review our work together regularly so that you can decide if further sessions will be helpful.