Dominic Mathias
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I've spent the last decade being passionate about the importance of effective therapy providing lasting relief from distress and offering a service uniquely devoted to what makes you and your relationships tangibly better - practically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually . Whilst it can be a daunting first step, if you’re frequently experiencing grating or intolerable anger, self-hatred, shame, worry, loneliness or sadness, don’t go it alone any more. Instead, please contact me for a free 30-minute session and we can begin to think about and safely explore the roots of these experiences together, whether that’s through individual, couple, child, young-person or family therapy.
Uninterrupted, take the time you need to discover the imprinted legacy of childhood learnings that have shaped how you see and speak to yourself, your relationships with others and the world in general, and ask yourself this: are they still working for you?
If not, this is your courageous invitation to find out why limiting beliefs may be keeping you or your relationship stuck and locked in destructive and self-sabotaging cycles; ones which constantly prompt you to ask the same painful question inside: ‘why does this keep happening to me (or us)?’
The aftermath of painful historical experiences can all too often inhabit day-to-day living, and frequently leads to fixed ways of coping, where you’re left stuck with beliefs about yourself that make you feel not-good-enough, angry, ashamed, misunderstood, lonely, scared, anxious and/or depressed.
It’s true, we may not have time machines to change experiences of the past, but together, we can understand what they meant for you then and change what they mean for who you believe yourself to be now.
In powerful collaboration, find the words to re-write the narrative of your identity, the agency to author the story you want told and the passion to forge a life full of purpose.
As anyone looking for a good therapist would expect, I am professional and fully-qualified, with extensive experience working for the NHS as well as in private practice and offer a safe, trustworthy and confidential environment. My approach is effective with anxiety (generalised anxiety disorder, OCD etc.), panic attacks, stress, anger management, depression, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, bereavement, trauma, family issues and relationship issues, sexuality, and gender-related issues, or simply exploring. This can include coping with the aftermath of historical, painful and complex traumatic experiences, such as those found with 'post-traumatic stress', neglect or abuse.
In working with couples, typical issues have included exploring subjects of betrayal and affairs; separation and divorce, while focusing on building communication skills, trust and emotional resilience.
Broadly, my work is informed by a Person-Centred Approach, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Body-based, Trauma-focused and Systemic Psychotherapy, which research has shown are all effective with a varied range of issues that bring clients to therapy.
I work with individuals, couples and families, along with children and young people too (mostly because they're awesome).
I am located at The Workshop, along Tontine Street (not far from the Harbour). Parking is available in Tram Road or at Payers Park. Please note the front entrance is closed during the weekends so access is at the back of the building, accessed via Harbour Way and St. Michael's Street. Please note my cancellation policy.
Answers to common questions asked by clients:
How do you work with clients?
Importantly, I aim to create a safe place where my intention is for you to feel less alienated and more deeply understood. By collaboratively working together, greater choices can be created in how you respond to the world, other people and yourself so previously fixed ways of relating can become more flexible. With the gradual integration of painful past events comes better beliefs, empowering you towards a richer, happier and more fulfilling life. At your own pace, you can begin to understand your relational responses and develop resourceful ways to feel better able to cope, progressively re-discovering a sense of purpose and meaning for yourself, your relationships and your life!
How might therapy benefit me?
- Provides the space, time and attentive listening to work out what you would like to gain from therapy.
- Develops greater awareness of your automatic, learned responses that were once good ways of childhood coping, but which now restrict your day-to-day living.
- Encourages you to clarify what gets in the way of having the kinds of relationships you would like and seeks to foster closer and stronger bonds.
- Offers you ways to re-regulate powerful and sometimes overwhelming emotions.
- Supports you in developing effective ways to re-regulate trauma-related responses, sometimes called the five 'Fs': 'fight', 'flight', 'freeze', 'flop' and '(Be)friend'.
- Enables you to begin the process of coming to terms with what happened in the past and to find new meaning to the 'trauma' and/or painful childhood events.
- Helps you identify internal conflicts and provides a means for you to foster compassion and empathy for yourself.
- Sets you on the path to a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Can I afford it?
Like any other professional healthcare service, therapy is an investment in your physical, emotional and mental well-being. An initial 30-minute consultation is free-of-charge. Please see my fees and cancellation policy are below.
What can I expect?
- Free, initial 30-minute consultation:
Understandably, it can feel daunting to meet a therapist for the first time. However, you can relax knowing our first session together is simply a gentle opportunity to think about what you (and if applicable, your partner) want from therapy and your thoughts about what might be missing or perhaps what is needed. It’s also for us to consider whether or not I am the right therapist for you and what has been troubling you or your relationship lately. Either way, there is no obligation and if you're not sure or have any questions, please feel welcome to give me a call or send an email.
- Subsequent sessions
Usually, I work with clients on a short-term (generally 12 weeks) or long-term (open-ended) basis depending upon their needs. The choice is yours and this is something we would discuss at our first meeting. Sessions are usually weekly, normally at the same time, last 50-75 minutes (depending on whether individual or couple) and our time together is regularly reviewed. Occasionally, during more intensive work, clients' may ask for more than one session a week.
Training, qualifications & experience
Experience:
Currently, my work is split between training, seeing supervisees and clients. I have worked holistically with children, young people and adults over the last decade in a variety of settings, including colleges, schools, the NHS and private practice. My experience as a therapist includes teaching and training potential counsellors at all levels, with well-established training providers, as well as supervision and group facilitation.
QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Body-based (trauma-informed) Training
- Bodynamics - 3 Year Practitioner Course, Bodynamic International (currently completing)
- Bodynamics - Foundation course, Bodynamic International
- Level 1 Sensori-motor psychotherapy: affect dysregulation, survival defences & traumatic memory
- Level 2 Sensori-motor psychotherapy: Emotional Processing, Meaning Making, and Attachment Repair
Emotion-focussed Training
- Level 1 Emotion Focussed Therapy
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) - AEDP Institute, New York
Family-based Training
- Certificate in Systemic Practice (families & couples) - Institute for Family Therapy, London
Child and Young-person based training
- CPCAB Level 4 Certificate in Counselling Children (practice)
Group Facilitation, Education & Training
- Certificate in Group Facilitation - Re-vision, London
- Level 6 Professional Graduate Certificate in Education & Training (ProfGCE), Canterbury Christchurch University
- 2:1 BA in Management, Birkbeck College, University of London.
Supervision Training
- Diploma in Integrative Supervision of Individuals and Groups - The Grove, London
Coaching Training
- Mastering the Coach Approach, ITS London (International Coach Federation Accredited)
Other Therapy Training
- Level 1 Internal Family Systems
- Somatic Internal Family Systems Practices by Susan McConnell
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
Ethical Practice and accessibility:
- There is wheelchair access
- I take my work to a BACP senior accredited supervisor.
- I have professional indemnity insurance.
- My service is open to everyone, regardless of gender, age, sexuality, religion, race, or culture.
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
£65.00 per session
Free initial in-person or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Fees are discussed during the initial session and although there is some variation, these are typical fee arrangements for the area.
My fees for individuals per session are £65 for 60-minutes and my fees for couples counselling are £90 for 75 minutes. Fees for family sessions are charged on a case-by-case basis. Fees for supervision are charged differently, but typically £90 per the usual 1.5hrs.
Payments are welcome in advance of the session or at the latest within 24-hours. Alternatively, payments can be taken at the beginning of sessions by cash. Invoices are available upon request.
Concessionary sessions: although limited and day-time only. Fees are based on a sliding scale and are assessed by clients' personal circumstances (for example, being a full-time student, a pensioner, unemployed or on a low wage). Please note: concessionary sessions can be subject to cancellation at short-notice, even though every effort will be made to prevent this.
IMPORTANT:
Cancellations
Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will be charged the FULL amount for the session so please take this into consideration if you begin to feel unwell or are planning events in advance.
Holidays
Notice of planned holidays with greater than 7 days notice will not be charged for.
When I work
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Please contact for availability.
Further information
FOLKESTONE:
Free parking is available at the back of The Workshop after 5:30pm, accessed via St. Michael's Street.