Ellen Garrard
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I work with people from all different backgrounds including individuals, couples, trainee counsellors, adults coming to terms with childhood trauma and abuse, professionals seeking to manage stress and support their wellbeing.
"So how do I choose a Counsellor?"
People often ask this question. I always say choose four or five Counsellors from the profiles on the Directory that you feel drawn to. Ring them up, have a chat or start some dialogue by emailing them. I always say, go and meet with at least two or three people to get a feel for whether they are the right person for you. Counsellors have different styles of working. It is very important that you find the right person for you. Finally, trust your instinct, your gut feeling. It will usually give you the right answer. And if it doesn't work out the first time around, don't give up. Find someone else to work with. .... Good luck! It may be the best decision you ever make!
About me:
In a world that often feels in crisis and full of heightened anxiety, stress and depression life seems to have become even more challenging than ever. Generally, we are able to manage these challenges unaided. Sometimes, however, we may need some support and help. I am passionate about my work and see counselling as a tool to help overcome anxiety and stress and to create change towards living a happier, more enriched, fulfilled and meaningful life. My aim is to offer you a safe, confidential space to help you explore and make sense of your difficulties, whether they are emotional or relational.
By making links between past experiences and your present thoughts, feelings and behaviours, counselling can help you to break free of unhelpful habits and unhealthy patterns of relating. By helping you become more aware of hidden aspects of your personality that can sometimes be difficult to acknowledge and accept, counselling can free you up and help you to move forward in your life and maximise your own personal potential.
We are all unique human beings and my service will be tailored to meet your individual needs. My belief is that a trusting respectful honest relationship is at the heart of successful counselling. Reflecting back non-judgementally how I experience you will help increase your self-awareness and promote your self-development.
I provide counselling for a wide range of issues including anxiety and depression, bereavement, abuse and couples counselling. I have attended creative/art therapy training and can work more creatively if required. This can often be helpful when clients feel blocked or stuck in some way.
Going forward:
If you would like to find out more and to have an initial consultation to see if we are a good match to work together, please contact me. There is no obligation to continue after this first session. It is purely an opportunity for us to meet each other and to talk through your needs and what you would like to achieve from your counselling. If you do decide you would like to proceed, our work together will be reviewed periodically to discuss progress, redefine your needs and agree on how you would like to go forward.
Don't let anxiety to get in the way!
What I would say at this point is that people often make contact with a Counsellor and set up an appointment. Then, when the time comes to go and meet with the Counsellor anxiety often seems to get in the way and prevents them from carrying through with their plan. Either that, or they take what I call "a flight into good health" and decide that they no longer need the counselling. If you are new to counselling, the first meeting with your Counsellor CAN seem very scary. Please rest assured, I will do my utmost to put you at ease and help you to feel as relaxed and as comfortable as possible. Having some counselling may be the best decision you ever make.
I am passionate about and committed to my ongoing learning and Continued Professional Development and to keeping aware of current trends.
I offer short-term and long-term counselling.
I also provide professional supervision.
I teach meditation in groups or 1:1.
Training, qualifications & experience
Thoros/NCS Advanced Specialist Training Diploma in Professional Supervision
Inter Psyche NHS Trust Diploma in Integrative Counselling (Accredited)
WPF Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling (Accredited)
Cruse Bereavement Care Certificate in Counselling
Breathworks Mindfulness Meditation Teacher (Accredited)
My experience includes:
- Private Practice;
- Working with adults in an NHS Primary Care Trust Setting and NHS Medical Practice Setting where I have experience of working short-term focussed therapy within the IAPT setting (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies);
- Working with adults and young people in a local Community Service Setting providing both short-term and long term therapy;
- Working for Cruse Bereavement Care Services;
- Working in schools with children and families.
I am based in Lympne, near to Hythe in Kent, close to the towns of Folkestone, Ashford, Dymchurch and New Romney.
Member organisations
school 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.
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
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
£45.00 - £65.00
Free initial in-person or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Please contact me to discuss fees.
I offer lower-cost sessions to those on benefits and lower income.
I provide clinical and professional Supervision.
When I work
Weekdays. I aim to respond within 24 hours of contact.
Further information
Testimonials:
"Extremely experienced and professional therapist/counsellor. I have gained lots of insight and coping strategies."
"This experience has been so useful to me in helping to rationalise thoughts and bad experiences which have happened recently. I am not sure I could have coped on my own without Ellen's help. I am a much stronger person now and realise that as a Mum I am not doing a bad job! Thank you!"
"Very helpful and understanding. Has helped me deal with situations so I can control how I feel."
"A very good experience to talk to someone about your emotions."
"I have found the counselling sessions most beneficial. It has helped me rationalise my thoughts and prompted me to attain personal goals."
"At every point from initial consultation I have felt valued and listened to. Ellen has been such a help to me and the sessions have been so useful. I don't think I will ever by able to thank Ellen enough."
"It has been a very wonderful and positive experience for me. My only regret is that I didn't come sooner."
"I feel the whole experience has helped me. I feel more confident about my life. All thanks to the counselling."
"It's been very beneficial to work one to one with Ellen over a period of months and I hope to sustain the very good progress made going forward."
"Ellen has been amazing. Very understanding and acted on the information I gave her. In the first session we worked out the best course of action and went from there."
"Fantastic service. Can't praise enough! Thank you!"
"Excellent. Really professional and made me feel at ease."