This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello, I’m Dom, a qualified Counsellor offering counselling for men.
As a man today you may be feeling overwhelmed; struggling with burnout from work, financial pressures, strained relationships, expectations of fatherhood, feelings of inadequacy, body image and low self esteem. Holding it all together can cause stress, anxiety and depression which in turn may lead to coping strategies such as alcohol or substance abuse.
And as a man you might feel you have to cope in silence conditioned by traditional concepts of masculinity to endure, stifle your emotions and be strong. This can hinder your ability to express emotions and make seeking help seem like weakness.
Counselling provides a secure place to unpack these issues without judgement. Making sense of the pressures you're under can help you understand how you’re really doing. In counselling you can also develop practical tools to help manage stress, lessen the load and find some relief.
Before qualifying as a Counsellor, I worked in a creative sector. I’ve experienced how juggling our job, home, family and relationships with life events such as loss can all cause stress and anxiety, while past life events influence how we deal with our everyday challenges. And how this can easily spiral out of control. I have experienced how counselling can lessen the burden and help to find healing. I understand the stigma around a man seeking help with their mental health, how it takes courage to reach out, to open up, to talk and allow yourself to be vulnerable.
My approach
As an integrative counsellor I practice a blended approach that helps create an honest and human relationship between myself and my client. Together we reflect on the present, explore the past and visualise a positive future. And I promise I won’t constantly ask you ‘how that made you feel’ as not everyone finds that easy and counselling is not just about telling me your feelings. I will only ask you to bring the stuff you are comfortable sharing but I will help you explore your emotions if we think it will help.
How I work
In your counselling sessions I create an environment that is supportive and empathetic, enabling you to explore and understand yourself without fear of judgement. My training has taught me that we all have the inner resources to foster personal growth and positive change. We all have the ability to heal.
My process
In your early sessions I will invite you to ‘unpack your shed’ to help you understand how your life history has impacted on you. We all carry trauma, like a heavy sack our back, weighing us down in a never-ending test of emotional endurance. By emptying this out and exploring what lies within we can unburden ourselves. And by understanding the root causes, we can adjust our perspective, find acceptance and initiate change.
What you can expect
There is no magic wand or bag of miracles. Although there is no advice I will always be 100% honest with you and there will be absolute faith that you have the resilience to find your pathway to change. I will accompany you on that path, by your side every step of the way. Your journey may be challenging, and at times raw but you will not be alone.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have been awarded the following qualifications through the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body:
- Level 2 Certificate: Counselling Skills
- Level 3 Certificate: Counselling Studies
- Level 4 Diploma: Therapeutic Counselling
As well as my private practice I volunteer at a not-for-profit agency, Counselling For Life that provides affordable counselling for people with a low income.
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
£55.00 per session
Further information
My first session
Taking the first steps on your counselling journey can be daunting and I do appreciate how choosing a therapist is a big decision. I recommend an initial session to help us understand your needs and goals. In this session we will also agree how we will work together and answer any questions you may have about counselling. We will start as we mean to go on – with warmth, empathy and above all at your pace.
There are no obligations by attending this consultation session and it may help you decide if I am the right therapist for you.
If you would prefer a short call before booking I am happy to do this.
Please do reach out to me to agree a convenient time.
