Dean Richardson

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Dean Richardson - "a proper counsellor…"

During the Emergency Times many counsellors (re-)added a video service to their practice. When considering who you might want to work with on Zoom/Skype, etc., it's helpful to know that Dean ALREADY had more than 14 years of experience working online via webcam/video conferencing and never removed the service when we moved out of each Lockdown.

So... that'd be 14 years more experience of online therapeutic work with couples (in long-distance and local relationships), individuals and groups (gay, lesbian, straight and investigating) than a significant number of other therapists in your area.

It's worth thinking about.

By the way... where does the term: "Proper Counsellor" come from?
I ran into an old colleague at a Hampshire Mental Health exhibition about five or six years ago. She told me that over the years she'd referred people to me, but when it came to my specialties in men's and sexuality counselling, she told me about a student of hers who had described the therapists she thought she liked the look of.

"Oh no !!" - exclaimed my colleague. "You don't want to work with someone like that. You need to see a proper counsellor; go see Dean Richardson…"

I think the term is rather appropriate. Counselling is not a protected title, so anyone can call themselves a counsellor and provide a counselling service. This is where my colleague's student got into trouble; she was about to see someone who wasn't properly qualified or experienced to handle her therapy needs.

Services Available.
Over my 22+ years practice, I've amassed a great deal of experience and focus upon particular areas of counselling:-

• Individual Counselling: where the individual seeks understanding and symptom relief.
• Couples Counselling: where a couple wish to resolve their own issues and not become dependant upon a therapist for the rest of their lives.
• Counselling for Small Groups: where a relationship between 6-to-8 people is in conflict.

I'm also a skilled Zoom & Skype operator - offering tele-counselling for those who cannot reach my physical locations, or who simply want to work with me from their remote location.

What Others have Said.
I always ask a new client "how did you hear about me?" in order to learn what they are looking for, and how they thought I'd be able to help.

Some responses stand out in my memory (paraphrased):-

• "I like how frank you come across, not like the fluffy-template websites!"
• "You're the only one who says: 'f***' !' on their website"
• "No-ones website actually stated they worked with gay men [...who thought they might be straight]."
• "You work with polyamorous groups over Zoom."
• "You speak my language."
• "I thought you seemed very kind."
• "I wanted a frankly-speaking bloke."
• [as a gay couple] "we wanted an older gay couple counsellor".
• "You were the only one working with MOMs [mixed sexually-orientated marriages]"
• "No other website explicitly discussed transvestism."
  
• "We're in a long-distance relationship and you(r website says that you) counsel couples living over 1,000s miles apart."
• "My doctor / GU Clinic / friend / work recommended you.'

But, of course, you too will take your own impression of me when you read this profile and look through my website (go look, now!). Maybe soon I'll be asking you too: "how did you hear about me?"

There's a lot more to say, but rather than trying to fit it all into one box here, I'd recommend you visit my website, where you'll find a wealth of information organised into relevant pages for you to consider.

See you over there...