About me
Hi my name is Dawn. I have been a Counselling Professional since 2005. I have a lived experience of depression and life and how we build building blocks, one upon the other, carrying all these blocks within us. I have a depth of experience both professionally and personally especially with mental health issues with children and adults.
I love counselling and being with people. I live in reality and know the depths of pain that we can hold inside and the depths of pain this has on those around us. I also know the beauty that acceptance of this pain leads to and the creativity, the freeing and the emergence of who you really are. Over the years I have gained much awareness and experience of working with individuals with Autism, and ADHD. I am aware of the struggles that are present in every day life; masking, anxiety and more and recognise that there is not enough support and awareness out there which can add to the struggles of each individual.
Alongside this, I specialise in working with neurodivergent and trauma-impacted clients. Many people I support struggle to put their inner world into words, and I work gently with the emotional and nervous-system patterns beneath the surface - the shutdowns, pauses and protective responses that can feel confusing or overwhelming. I offer a deeply attuned space where we explore whats happening beneath the surface alongside practical coping strategies to support you day-to-day.
I am very creative and grounded. I feel truly listening is very important.
I have done counselling over the years in numerous settings such as within schools, fostering communities, Live Well Kent (a mental health and wellbeing organisation), doctors surgery and counselling charities as well as my own private practise. I am a registered member of the BACP, I have an ICO Certificate for GDPR and insurance. I offer face to face sessions, walk and talk at the beach, Zoom online therapy. Zoom is face to face online therapy which is very easy to use and confidential. I am also doing telephone counselling which is also confidential and suits some clients better.
Please get in touch by telephone or email me to arrange a free 15-30 minute initial session, this is to enable you to feel comfortable and also as to whether you wish to start counselling with me, it is very important that you feel you can connect with me and also to explore what you would like to get from counselling. If you are happy to continue after your initial session we can then arrange counselling sessions, which is normally on a weekly basis.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Diploma in Professional Supervision Level 6 (NCS Advanced Specialist Training Status)
- Diploma in Person Centred Counselling Level 4 (incorporating Bodywork and Emotional Release and Neuro Linquistic Programming)
- Certificate in Person Centred Counselling/Introduction to Counselling
- Care Certificate
- Child Play Therapy
- Understanding Safeguarding Procedures in Counselling
- Understanding Self Injury and Self Harm
- Creative Arts and Play Therapy Techniques
- Child Protection in Counselling
- Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome – An Understanding
- First Steps in Relationship Counselling
- Relationship Counselling Advanced Skills
- MacMillan Cancer Support Training
- Working with survivors of rape and/or sexual abuse
- Dealing with Distress: Working with Suicide and Self-Harm
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Working With Shame
- Child Protection Policies and Procedures
- East Kent Rape Line Training
- 8-week intensive learning support assistant course working with children
- Moving your Practise Online
- Life Coaching Diploma
- BACP proficiency certificate
- Gabor Mate's Compassionate Inquiry in Action
- Somatic Therapy for Complex Trauma Certification Training Body-Based, Polyvagal & Neurobiological Techniques for Mind Body Healing
- Child Sexual Abuse - Hope for Healing
- Mindfulness Diploma
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
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual Therapy - £50.00 per session
Supervision - £70.00 per session
When I work
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Further information
Key Skills and Personal Abilities
- Excellent communication and rapport building skills
- Empathy, warmth, congruence and deep intuitive attunement
- Creative, adaptable and grounded presence
- Practical application of emotional intelligence and nervous system awareness
- Supportive team member – liaising with external agencies and health professionals
- Advanced counselling skills developed over 20+ years
- Specialist experience supporting clients with depression, overwhelm and shutdown
- Neuro Linquistic Programming techniques
- Bodywork and Emotional Release techniques
- Trauma-informed, ND-attuned approach (masking, anxiety, sensory overwhelm)
- Ability to read emotional and somatic patterns beneath the surface
