Helen Ridgway
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This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I use Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Person Centred Therapy to work with you in making sense of your narrative. In addition, as a Somatic Experience Practitioner-In-Training, I work with sensations and activations stored within the body as a result of past experiences and trauma. Combined, these approaches assist connection of both mind and body. I offer warmth, compassion, confidentiality and a safe space to unpack your areas of concern.
Maybe you’re looking to heal from things that should never have happened? Perhaps you want to make meaning of some confusing feelings or events? Maybe you’d like to re-connect to yourself as you continually evolve in life? Maybe you need somebody to hear and really understand you?
I know all too well (believe me!) that there’s often no ‘quick fix’ to some of life’s curveballs, but with patience and regular therapy sessions I can help you reach a place of emotional regulation, to learn about and meet your ‘wants and needs’ in order to feel a sense of meaningful connection both with yourself, and others.
Therapy with me means there will be no judgement, I will always try to see, hear and understand you, whilst holding a safe and confidential space for you with compassion, warmth and empathy.
I offer counselling and psychotherapy to look at how past experiences and connections might be influencing you in the present moment. You can emerge from feeling ‘stuck’ by exploring how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours all interact with each other. I welcome you in session exactly as you are, without any need for you to mask or attempt to be anyone different.
I have an interest and experience in addressing past and present trauma, stress-related disorders and the effects they have on the body, the nervous system, our lives and relationships. Overwhelming experiences leave an imprint on the nervous system, often creating noticeable responses within the body. I work with those responses in clients to help bring about a more regulated state within. I can help you to heal and recover from the effects of trauma and to learn about self-regulation.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an Integrative Psychotherapist trained in Person-Centred Therapy, Attachment Theory and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as well as being a Somatic-Experience Practitioner-in-Training.
I am an insured and registered member of the BACP (MBACP) and work in accordance with their Ethical Framework. I bring over 20 years of extensive healthcare experience supporting people in my previous roles as a Registered Nurse, as an educator in behavioural change work and in commissioning public health services.
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
£45.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Further information
If you would like to find out more about accessing in-person or online therapy with me, please get in touch for a free initial telephone consultation.
I currently have availability for daytime sessions and a limited number of evening sessions, depending on location.
