Deborah Spraggon Registered MBACP (Accred)

About me

Coming to counselling for the first time can be daunting. But everyone experiences difficulties at certain points during their lives. You may be feeling stress, anxiety or panic, depression, be experiencing relationship or family issues, or have undergone a significant life event such as a bereavement, illness or redundancy. Or perhaps you just have a general sense of feeling low, lonely or isolated and don't understand why. Asking for help with these issues is a positive step.

I am an integrative practitioner which means that I use a number of different theories and approaches when I'm counselling including psychodynamic and humanistic therapy. I adapt my approach to suit the needs of the individual client - because every person is unique. However, I believe that if you feel listened to, that I empathise with you and that you can trust me, you will feel more able to talk about your most private worries and concerns without fear of being judged. Exploring difficult thoughts, feelings and issues can help you to understand why you feel the way that you do and to work out, in a safe and supportive environment, what you can do to feel better.

As a fully Accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I  work according to the BACP's ethical framework. I am also on the BACP's Voluntary Register.

I have experience of working in a variety of organisational settings including Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham for two years. I currently see clients in private practice, as a student counsellor in a University setting. I am also the Clinical Manager and a clinical Supervisor for an organisation which provides secondary school counselling services.

The clients that I see are from diverse ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds and are of all ages. Some of the issues I have helped clients with include obsessive compulsive disorder, anger management, work and other stress, general anxiety, bereavement, depression, low self-esteem and confidence, panic attacks, relationship breakdown, life transition issues, exam and course stress, procrastination, managing self-harm and suidical thoughts. I have also worked with clients who have been diagnosed as having bi-polar disorder (sometimes still referred to as manic depression) and schizophrenia.

Before qualifying as a counsellor I worked for many years in business management in the corporate sector.