Annie Porteous-Butler
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
HEART stands for Honesty, Empathy and Respect in Therapy; qualities that I believe are essential for creating an environment in which clients can heal and grow.
I am qualified as a person-centred counsellor, and as such, I offer a warm, kind, accepting, non-judgemental, and safe space in which clients can explore their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours to find a deeper understanding of themselves, develop coping strategies to improve their resilience, and start the journey to better physical, mental and emotional health.
While studying to become a counsellor, I was diagnosed with a disabling condition and believe that it was brought on by trauma. Reading the work of Gabor Maté convinced me that trauma, unresolved emotional issues, and stress can all trigger physical health issues. Working on our mental health is the key to reducing our physical symptoms.
I know that asking for help can feel daunting and takes a lot of courage, especially when you've convinced yourself that nobody could ever understand what you're going through.. It can be intimidating contacting a counsellor for the first time (I personally find making a phone call to a stranger somewhat formidable), so if you too feel unable to phone, I am always more than happy to respond to enquiries made by text, WhatsApp or email.
I have a first-class honours degree in Person-centred Counselling, am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and abide by the BACP Code of Ethics. I also hold an Advanced DBS check. I work in person from central Colchester, or online using WhatsApp video to be as accessible as possible whilst maintaining confidentiality.
Training, qualifications & experience
- BA (Hons) in Person-Centred Counselling - first class
- Most of my work is around Anxiety, Depression, Abuse, Self-harm and Disability
- I work with teenagers and adults (11+)
I also have a particular interest in working with long-term health conditions, chronic pain and disability.
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
- Chronic pain
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I charge £55 per session for a 50-minute session and offer a £15 discount for concessions*
*I offer a discounted rate for trainee counsellors or anyone on a low-income who is in receipt of Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance, Carers Allowance or Personal Independence Payment/Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance.
When I work
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I keep my client hours to a Monday or Wednesday, to fit in with my other commitments.
Further information
I currently have face-to-face sessions available on a Monday morning at a premises near Colchester city centre with free parking. Being a Grade II listed building accessible toilet facilities are not available but a wheelchair accessible room is available for our sessions.
If you prefer to work online, I have availability on a Wednesday. I use WhatsApp Video because it is readily available and fully encrypted, however, you must have a reasonable broadband connection and be able to find a private space where you can talk freely.
If you are unable to come into the City, or do not have a good broadband connection, I am able to offer home visits. Please contact me to discuss.
