Freya Bowes
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello there,
I‘m Freya, an integrative humanistic therapist based here in beautiful Bristol. I currently have availability to welcome new clients to my private practice. I've worked with a range of people and their lived experiences. These include anxiety, depression, low self esteem, relational difficulties, stress, bereavement and navigating life with neurodivergence or gender non-conformity, to name a few. I build my counselling relationships on kindness, warmth, authenticity and mutual trust. What's important to me, is that you feel welcome to bring your whole self to our sessions -and feel confident you can do so without fear of judgement.
Regardless of the circumstances which have prompted you to consider therapy, I believe everybody holds the potential to change, grow, and build a meaningful life. From experience, having an impartial ally to speak with in confidence, to empathise with you, challenge you at times, reassure and encourage you can be incredibly useful source of support. I would be very happy to hold a space for you and your story, and walk alongside you in this work. If you think I could be a good fit as your counsellor, please do reach out!
My work as a therapist is rooted in Person-Centered practices. Put simply, this means that I believe you to be the expert on yourself and your needs. My role as your therapist is to provide a dedicated safe space to explore aspects of yourself, your lifestyle or your core beliefs which might be holding you back or require updating to best be of service to you. My integrative training allows me to draw from a range of therapeutic modalities and techniques, enabling us to adopt an approach which best suits you.
Rather than positioning myself as the expert in the room, I prefer to work collaboratively with you. This might involve asking clarifying questions to prompt deeper insight, offering a different perspective to see how it resonates with you, using creative writing or drawing exercises to explore what you bring, or simply holding a space for you to talk.
Throughout our time together I will take cues from you about the nature and pace of the work, so we can co-create a way of working which meets your unique needs and preferences. Together, we will navigate the challenges you bring, fostering growth and understanding along the way.
If you would like to talk further about counselling work with me and see if I could be a good fit as a therapist for you, I offer a free 20-minute initial phone or video call to answer any questions you might have. Please note, at the moment I am only providing online therapy sessions.
Training, qualifications & experience
- NCFE Cache Level 2 Award in Helping Skills
- NCFE Cache Level 3 Award in Counselling Skills and Theory
- FdA in Counselling with Distinction
- Post Qualifying Certificate in Relation Counselling –IN PROGRESS.
Outside of private practice, I have been fortunate enough to spend several years working for organisation which provides free, short term, one-to-one therapy for young people. This was an amazing opportunity which has given me a window into the lived experience of young people today. Including valuable insights into the social anxiety and school refusal becoming increasingly prevalent among those impacted by the pandemic and lockdown restrictions. It has been an honour to witness the courage and resilience of the young people I had the opportunity to work with. They showed up each week and demonstrated a willingness to be open and vulnerable in our work together, despite everything they were experiencing. Some of the most fulfilling moments of my therapeutic career have been helping young people navigate the challenges they face and realise their potential so that they can celebrate themselves for exactly who they are. They have taught me so much, and my experience of working with them continues to inspire me and guide my therapeutic approach today.
Running alongside my private practice work, I am currently studying a post-qualifying certificate in relational counselling with Relate (formerly known as the Marriage Guidance Council). I have always been drawn to working with couples and those in ethically non-monogamous relationships, and fascinated by the compelling work of contemporary theorists in the field such as Emily Nagoski, John and Julie Gottman and Esther Perel. Their work has given me such depth of understanding in my own life about how I relate to others, I felt motivated to learn more, and integrate this theory into my counselling work. Relationships, whether romantic, platonic, familial or professional are so central to our lives and our wellbeing. They play a crucial role in the construction of our sense of self, so it is no surprise that relationships and the challenges they present us with are frequently brought into the counselling room. Whilst I will not be able to take on work with couples until I have completed my qualification in 2025, I welcome individuals who are struggling relationally and envisage relationships forming a central aspect of what they would like to work on in therapy.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I have over three years experience of working therapeutically with teenagers, additionally my clinical supervisor is also trained in working with children and young people. In my private practice, I welcome enquiries from young people aged 16+. (I require parental consent to work with young people under the age of 18.)
Fees
£50.00 per session
Free initial online session
Concessions offered for
Further information
As a member of the BACP, I abide by their ethical principles, and I am committed to providing a safe, confidential therapy space.
