Esther Pinder
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Welcome to Step In Counselling… I’m Esther, a qualified counsellor, working in Launceston, Cornwall. I provide face-to-face sessions in my office as well as remote sessions on Teams or by phone. I work with young people (age 16-17) and with adults (age 18 and over).
I recognise the courage that it takes to notice when you are struggling or feeling stuck, and to look for help. I therefore believe that acknowledging that you may need to talk is a positive and hopeful step.
I strive to listen, really listen, so that I can understand how you see yourself and your world. Clients have shared with me how important it is that someone “gets” them, without judgement, and that is the cornerstone of my work. I work gently, at your pace, so that our work together is guided by what works best for you.
I support my clients in stepping into the different parts that make up who they are. As we go through life we may become defined by a particular experience, role or label which can cause us to view ourselves in a narrow way. My aim is to provide you with an environment in which you can share the burden of those things and begin to discover, or to rediscover, the parts of you that have been hiding.
As you and I work together we may become aware of patterns that exist in your life that are unhelpful, or possibly harmful to you. I have noticed that these patterns tend to change naturally as we develop our understanding and acceptance of ourselves. I will never tell you what to do – I believe that you are the expert on you, and I see it as part of my job to help you discover that.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling from the Iron Mill College in Exeter. I also have a first class honours degree in Psychosocial Studies from Goldsmiths College, University of London.
I have experience of working with people of a range of ages and from a variety of backgrounds. I have worked with clients experiencing issues that have arisen recently including relationship changes and bereavement, as well as clients who have lived with hidden issues for many years including childhood abuse and domestic abuse.
I have found that anxiety, depression, low self-worth and a lack or loss of identify are common, although at times isolating and frightening aspects of life for many of us. I believe that by connecting with the different parts of ourselves we find strengths and resources within us that may have become lost over time. When we step into ourselves fully we begin to value and care for ourselves more, and we learn that we are not all one thing or the other – and that is OK.
Like a number of my clients I have found that “overthinking” something is usually frustrating and unproductive, so I like to use a variety of techniques in my work to help us break that cycle. For example:
- Describing feelings or experiences in metaphors and images
- Sometimes I introduce theories or models that can be used to help us understand what you are experiencing
- Trying out strategies to ease anxiety, such as breathing exercises, using your senses or noticing what your body is telling us
- Gently exploring the context or background that may have contributed to patterns of thought or behaviour
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
£35.00 per session
Additional information
Our initial session (which can take place face-to-face or on Teams / by phone) will be £15. During this session we will spend time talking about some important aspects of counselling such as my approach, practicalities and confidentiality, as well as considering the issues you may like to focus on during our work together.
When I work
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Further information
You are very welcome to contact me by phone or text on 07533011446, or by email esther@stepincounselling.co.uk. Do pop over to my website to find out a little more about what I do, and why I do it.
