About me
Welcome. I'm Liz, a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor and a registered member of the BACP, abiding by their ethical framework.
Perhaps you are wondering whether counselling can help you. Life can feel messy, full of challenge and uncertainty. You might feel trapped or disheartened; unsure how to move forward. When things feel overwhelming, it is easy to feel isolated and alone. Sometimes, all that's needed is some moral support from a good friend. However, this may not always be enough.
As your counsellor, I will stay alongside you as you explore your life experience and emotions. I offer a calm, supportive space where you can be open, and talk about issues without having to hide or mask your true feelings. You can bring the difficult stuff to our meetings, the side of you that may not feel heard or supported elsewhere. Counselling isn't about "mending broken people", but a pathway towards greater acceptance of yourself, your choices and your possibilities.
I work with the humanistic approach, meaning that I meet you wherever you are in your world and help you find your own purpose and way-of-being. Our work together will be collaborative, with the direction chosen by you. We may look at recurring patterns of behaviour, whether these still work for you. Together, we will work out what is important to you, and how you can live a meaningful life.
My many years as a holistic health therapist have shown me that the body and mind are clearly linked. My counselling work reflects this, allowing exploration of the connection between the physical and the emotional within us, and how we may experience this somatically.
We are all capable of change and growth throughout our lives, but sometimes need support to find our way. My own experience of therapy showed me the importance of the quality of the therapeutic relationship. So, the first session will enable us to get a feel for each other, and decide whether we can work well together.
I offer short and long term therapy, face to face and online, and am open to working with whatever is important to you.
I have a particular interest in relationship difficulties, issues faced by adult adoptees, times of major life change, grief, infertility, baby loss and chronic illness.
Training, qualifications & experience
PGDip in Humanistic Psychotherapy and Counselling. Level 7. University of Brighton.
BSc(Hons) Psychology. University of Plymouth.
I currently volunteer as a counsellor at the Macmillan Horizon Centre, working with people whose lives have been affected by cancer.
I volunteered with the Samaritans for five years.
As part of my ongoing continuing professional development I have attended training sessions in various fields including: working with adult adoptees; safeguarding; boarding school syndrome; suicidal ideation; living with cancer.
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
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
I offer a free initial 15 minute phone call.
If you feel you would like to move forward, I then suggest an introductory session so we can meet and get a feel for whether we will feel happy to work together.
If you feel you would like to continue, we can schedule further weekly sessions. These will be 50 minutes long.
When I work
Please get in touch for up to date availability. I offer daytime and evening sessions.
