Heidi Lester

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Pronoun: she
Counsellor Young People, Adults, Supervisor MA. CCYP. Ad.Dip
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, SA70
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Hello my name is Heidi, a highly experienced and compassionate counsellor, so welcome to my page and thank you for taking the time to view it.

It can be really difficult to deal with different events, emotions, and thoughts and so talking it through with someone who understands, can help you normalise being human, and help share the load when life feels a little too heavy to deal with.

At times we can all experience anxiety, stress, depression, sadness, anger, or a feeling of hopelessness and fear. We can feel we are no longer in control of our lives. If this sounds like you, please be assured you are not alone. As your counsellor, it is my job to facilitate you through these challenging and difficult times. Together we can find a way to make you feel better about those worries and situations you may be experiencing.  My job is not to give you advice, rather to support you in your journey.

I am a qualified counsellor, supervisor and psychotherapist, with over 22 years’ experience of supporting adults and young people.

I have got a very successful private practice based in a private therapy room in the corner of Manorbier. I am also the Senior Counsellor for Pembrokeshire College, where I have worked for 10 years.   I am the lead lecturer for the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, and have many years experience training counsellors. I have also got extensive experience of working in secondary schools. I am the affiliated Counsellor for a number of local organisations including Milford Haven Port Authority, and ATEB and I am one of the Counsellors supporting employees at Pembrokeshire County Council.  I am a qualified online therapist, working with clients via email,  instant messenger or video call. I also work as a Supervisor for the School Based Counselling Service as well as with a number of private supervisees based in Wales and around the country. For more information about this please read my 'Supervisor Profile'.

My practice is rooted within the Person Centred approach - It is a non-directive approach to being with another; that believes in the other's potential and ability to make the right choices for themselves, regardless of the therapist's own values, beliefs and ideas. Person centred counselling focuses on the client's ability to think in the here and now, and to create their own clarity and understanding of personal issues and problems.

To compliment this I have the experience and knowledge to offer an integrative approach if I feel other theories and approaches would benefit the client. Each person needs to be considered as a whole and counselling techniques must be tailored to their individual needs and personal circumstances.

I find my teaching experience informs my practice greatly as I am always surrounded with trainee counsellors as they navigate their way through their training experience. This keeps me grounded and excited about their development. 

I am a warm, approachable and non-judgemental therapist. I believe in fostering an environment of trust, respect and confidentiality – empowering the client to roam around in their feelings and thoughts in a safe and comfortable space. By demonstrating the core conditions of the Person Centred approach - empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard – my aim is to build a therapeutic alliance with my clients which will allow them to alter the way they think about their situations and ultimately get to a better place emotionally. Emphasis is always placed on the client, their needs and their desired outcomes.

It is very important for the success of the therapy to ensure you work with the right counsellor, so respecting this I would encourage you to make contact to arrange an introduction call which will help you decide if I am the right fit for you. 

SUPERVISION for counsellors

I am a qualified Supervisor, offering my supervisee's a space to work collaboratively.  

I work using the Person-Centred Approach to counselling as my foundation, which in essence uses the three core conditions of empathy, congruence and acceptance. I also use a range of therapeutic interventions within my counselling practice and I use this knowledge, training and my extensive experience of client work and teaching trainee counsellors when working with supervisees. My aim is to attend to four main areas in supervision and to bring the balance of these areas into awareness during sessions as needed.

I am committed to providing a safe, therapeutic environment for my supervisees. It’s important for you to know what agreements we are making together and what to expect.

The four main areas are:

  •  Educative (supporting the supervisee’s ongoing learning through our sessions and signposting to CPD needs) 
  • Responsibility (monitoring ethical and practical issues in a way to support all parties engaged in the counselling)
  •  Supportive (to offer care and support to the supervisee balanced with challenge and insight) 
  • Therapeutic (an awareness of the supervisees own issues and the possible impact to their work, as well as holding myself awareness).

Training, qualifications & experience

As a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, (BACP), I work within their ethical framework and guidance. This is provided within a safe and confidential environment where being honest, genuine and non-judgemental are at the core of the therapy.

Professional qualifications include:

  • Master of Arts in Counselling Children and Young People
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People
  • Professional Supervision for Counsellors Level 4 Certificate
  • Post Graduate Certificate in Education
  • Diploma in Counselling Skills
  • Taming the inner critic
  • Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
  • Certificate in Online Counselling Skills
  • Certificate in Counselling Skills
  • Child Protection Training Level 1 - 3
  • Safeguarding Training Tier 1 – 2
  • ASIST Suicide Awareness trained
  • Understanding Sexual Offenders
  • Working Creatively with Play and Drama
  • Teenage Sexual Health Awareness
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

I also write and deliver workshops around emotional intelligence, mindfulness and stress and anxiety reduction.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Photos & videos

Fees

£50.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Keyworkers
  • OAPs
  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed

Additional information

PROFESSIONAL FEES

Face to face counselling support

My fees for counselling adults and young people are £50 per 60 minute session.

Online counselling support

My fees for counselling on Skype using Webcam, What’s App video/audio, Zoom, Teams or Instant Messenger are £50 per 60 minute session.

My fees for counselling via email are £50 per reply.  I spend 60 minutes replying to each email. You can send as many as you wish to me during our contracted work together, but I will reply once a week to you. You will work with me over a safe and encrypted email provider.

Supervision

Fees for a 60 minute supervision session are £55 per hour.

Fees for a 90 minute supervision session are £80.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Appointments can be arranged to suit you, and around school, college or working hours. Please contact me for more information. 

Further information

INFORMATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT COUNSELLING

Stuck? Trapped? Scared? Anxious? Confused?

Don't know where to start?

Start here..........

Being a young person isn’t always what it is cracked up to be. Life can become very stressful and tough.  There are so many pressures on you, to look or act a certain way and with your life on constant display on social media I can appreciate this can feel very overwhelming. You may experience difficulties that you feel unable to solve and find yourself feeling and thinking in a way that is very concerning and distressing. Talking to me will help you work through this and see what is normal and what is not.

Sometimes it can be difficult for young people to be able to talk to parents or family members about what they are thinking and feeling.  Talking to someone outside of the family can help you to build trust, feel heard, and feel safe whilst learning to gain coping strategies and make sense of the world you live in.

I have a Master’s Degree in Counselling Children and Young People (MCCYP) and I have worked with young people, aged 11-25 for many years, and as such I have a very good awareness about your developmental stages, and common problems and issues you may be having difficulty with. I can help you with the following presenting problems:

Anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harm, depression, low mood, suicidal thoughts, anger, stress, relationship breakdowns, bereavement, family issues, exam stress, bullying, sexuality, identity issues, managing negative thoughts and trauma.

Whatever it is you feel you would like to talk about, it would be met with respect and acknowledgement in a safe environment.

If meeting me face to face feels challenging for you, we could work together online.

INFORMATION FOR ADULTS ABOUT COUNSELLING

If you feel you have no-one who will listen to you, or you would prefer to speak to a ‘professional listener’, considering counselling may be the next step for you. So welcome…….

I can offer you a safe, calm homely environment for one to one counselling for you to come and talk to me about anything you are experiencing in life right now. I will not judge you. I will empathise and respect you. I want to offer you a friendly place to come and talk. We will work together to seek to understand the problem you are facing, whether this is caused by current issues or events from your past and make a clear plan of how we can work together. We will find new ways and skills to deal with your feelings. We will identify your strengths and empower you to move forward and alleviate any distress.

For some people this can take a few sessions, for others it takes longer. We will contract together to accommodate whatever you need.

I work with a wide variety of presenting issues and situations....

  • Depression
  • Bereavement
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Relationship breakdown
  • Problems within families
  • Emotional confusion
  • Problems with work colleagues
  • Panic attacks
  • Self-esteem issues
  • Past abuse
  • Sexuality issues

It is hard to list them all here, but please contact me if you want to discuss how you are feeling. If I am not the most suitable counsellor to work with your issues, I can suggest other reputable therapist’s in the area.

Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, SA70

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Children
Young people
Adults
Older adults
Organisations
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

I have ample parking available. There is a small step up into my therapy room.

Online platforms

Google Meet
Skype
Whatsapp
Zoom

Supervision

In person
Online
Phone

Qualified supervisor, and lecturer in counselling qualifications bringing extensive experience of client work including young people.

View supervision profile