George Petrou
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Years ago, I made the decision to put people at the very centre of what I do for a living by becoming a therapist, and it has been the best choice I ever made. Helping people feel better is beautiful work, I love what I do and feel very grateful for it.
I am a relational integrative therapist.
Relational means, it is the therapeutic relationship itself which heals. My attuned empathic responses to your feelings quite simply, help you feel better. Recent neuroscience shows, that neuroplasticity continues throughout the lifespan which means, change and healing are always possible. It has also been shown that, the therapeutic relationship is one of the most effective ways to achieve this.
Integrative means, I use more than one form of therapy to meet your needs because, you are unique. It also means, our work together may focus on allowing you to become a more integrated whole, better able to access the full spectrum of your mental, emotional, relational and behavioural experience.
The foundations of our therapeutic relationship are person-centred, because it is based on empathy, my unconditional positive-regard for you and genuine responses to your experience. Person-centred means, the therapy only goes where you want it to.
Attachment, the theory at the heart of my practice, describes how we relate to ourselves, other people and the world. We develop our internal working model of attachment within the first four years of life through the responses of our parents to our emotional and material needs. Working with the feelings which still shape us from that phase of our development, can be truly enlightening and healing.
Difference matters, because same doesn’t exist, we are all unique. So, when I begin to work with you, I will work hard to understand you by using multi-cultural case formulation, to reflect upon issues of difference such as gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, religion, culture etc. I do not expect you to educate me other than by sharing your experience and want you to know that every part of you is welcome in our relationship.
My experiences of working with victims of modern slavery, have highlighted the necessity of working in a trauma informed manner, because to talk about traumatic events can be to re-traumatise. I comply with all the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy's (BACP) supervisory requirements, reviewing my work and well-being in supervision to ensure good practice and the provision of effective therapy, capable of meeting your needs safely.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have been working with counselling clients since 2019, while completing an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling, accredited by the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) at the Iron Mill College and have worked in the field of mental health in a variety of supportive roles since 2015. I also have experience of working with people experiencing autistic spectrum conditions, learning disabilities, offenders, victims of crime, survivors of abuse, those experiencing substance dependency issues as well as victims of modern slavery. These experiences have helped me to develop strong capacities for acceptance, empathy and non-judgemental attunement/understanding, which I feel are the essential qualities of a good therapist.
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
- Drug psychosis
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Your initial thirty minute consultation is free so we can determine if I am the right person for you.
Sessions cost £50 per hour and concessionary rates are available.
Further information
I currently have availability within my practice, please contact me.
I work with clients face-to-face in central Exeter as well as by video call and phone. I am also available for home visits if you have accessibility needs.
You can contact me through my website www.beok.uk or by email or phone 07759273362
I look forward to hearing from you.
