Hilary Adams

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MBACP Regd
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Godalming, Surrey, GU7
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Thank you for taking the time to view my profile. As an experienced counsellor and psychotherapist, community and intergenerational mediator, mother of two and, for many years, a practising solicitor, I bring a broad range of skills and life experience to my counselling practice. I gained extensive experience working for 6 years in a large sixth form college, counselling 16-18 year olds and staff, working in learning support and teaching adult students counselling skills and theory.

Professional Practice - I am a fully qualified and experienced professional practitioner, registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (No. 076599). I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice which means that the service I provide is confidential and I engage in regular supervision. I work with individuals and with couples.

My Approach - I am trained in an integrative model of therapy, drawing on psychodynamic, person-centred and cognitive behavioural approaches as appropriate. My work with each client is tailored according to what they bring to the sessions and how they wish to approach matters.

My view of therapy is that it is very much a collaborative process between counsellor and client - research consistently demonstrates that it is the quality of this relationship (rather than the particular model used by the counsellor) which has the greatest influence on the outcome. I therefore place great emphasis on building a trusting and supportive working relationship with each client, enabling them to talk openly about their issues in a safe environment, free from judgement or expectation.

Getting Started - if you are interested in working with me, please email me or give me a call (if I'm not available to answer, do leave a message and I'll call you back). An initial session, without any further commitment, will then give you the opportunity to explain what you would like to get from counselling and to decide whether I am the therapist you would like to work with.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • BACP Accredited Degree in Integrative Counselling (commendation) - University of Greenwich
  • Counselling Skills and Theory Levels 1,2 & 3 NCFE
  • Certificate in Mental Health Awareness Level 2 NCFE
  • Registered Membership of the BACP, including Private Practice division (the BACP Register is approved and quality assured by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care)

Community & Inter-generational Mediator

MA(Hons) Law - University of Cambridge

My theoretical model is Clarkson's Five Relational Integrative Model.

In accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework, I undertake regular professional and personal development. Recent training includes:

  • Certificate in Couples Counselling
  • Neuroscience of Addiction
  • Attachment and Addiction
  • Helping Clients make Better Relationship Choices
  • Cutting Edge of Psychotherapy - the Unspoken Voice (body psychotherapy)
  • Working with Avoidant Attachment
  • Mindfulness in the Therapeutic Relationship
  • Guided Imagery and Visualisation in Therapy
  • Introduction to Solution focused Brief Therapy
  • Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy
  • Attachment in Psychotherapy workshop
  • Stress and Burnout workshop
  • Self-esteem, communication and Assertiveness workshop

I now work in private practice. In addition to 6 years' counselling and teaching in a sixth form college, previous experience includes volunteering for a Salvation Army drop in centre and for Surrey Women's Aid. Many years in legal practice gave me a broad understanding of the business world and the pressures of the workplace, including the difficulties encountered by working mothers. I have also experienced long term health issues and the losses that can follow from these.

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

Fees

£55.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income

Additional information

£30 for an initial hour's appointment

For subsequent appointments £55 for individual counselling; £65 for couples (an hour) or £80 (one and a half hours)

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Daytime and evening appointments available, Mon- Thurs

Godalming, Surrey, GU7

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older adults
Couples