Derek Mason MBACP (Senior Accredited), BA (Hons)
About me
I am an experienced Senior Accredited BACP counsellor / therapist, having worked full time in the counselling field since 1996, in the NHS, voluntary and private sectors. I am currently offering telephone and online sessions. A return to face-to-face sessions is under review. I am approved by major health insurers including BUPA.
My approach is integrative, which means that the most effective approach is used to meet the needs of each person. This is underpinned by a humanistic philosophy that assumes the capacity of each individual to shape their own life. I draw from approaches including cognitive-behavioural, person-centred and existential therapy, with an emphasis on empowering the individual.
If you are interested in the possibility of counselling, I am happy to talk through options without obligation on your part so please feel free to get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have experience of helping with a broad range of difficulties such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and relationship issues. Particular areas of expertise include bereavement, trauma, problems with drugs or alcohol and employment issues. As well as long term work, I do a lot of short-term, time-limited work. This is often with people using counselling for the first time so I appreciate that this can feel like a big step.
I have extensive experience. From 1993-2002, I worked in the substance misuse field including four years in a South London NHS community alcohol and drug team. Since 2000, I have provided workplace counselling, mediation and management support in organisations ranging from finance, healthcare, retail, hospitality, railways and the public sector. I provided support for HMP staff working with sex offenders for over five years. I have attended more than 120 critical incidents, supporting managers and staff after traumatic events such as accidents, suicides, assaults and the London terrorist attacks. I have had a busy private practice in East Dulwich since 2004.
Training includes:
- Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Counselling (1995)
- Certificate in Trauma and PTSD
- Certificate in Supervision
- Certificate in Life Coaching.
- BACP Accreditation since 2004.
- I am committed to continuing professional development and regularly attend training events to support my work.
I am a Senior Accredited Member of the BACP, abide by the BACP Ethical Framework and am committed to non-discrimatory practice.
Member organisations
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.
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
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
My fee is £60 per session for individuals.
Each session is 50 minutes in duration. Sessions normally take place on a weekly basis.
I am approved by several healthcare insurance providers and am happy to provide sessions via this route if covered by your policy. Please get in touch to discuss.
Further information
Parking is unrestricted outside my practice and I am a few minutes walk from the 12, 176, 185, 197, 363 and 63 bus routes.
The station closest to my practice is Peckham Rye, with services via London Overground and from London Bridge, Blackfriars and Victoria.
