Jan Laws
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Welcome. If you are reading this you have taken the first step to seeking change. Deciding to come for counselling can be a daunting step, but it's important to remember that sometimes we just want to be heard and know that someone cares. I have experienced counselling myself and am aware of the many benefits of counselling and how it can enable us to bring about change for ourselves. It may seem like no one can else can understand the way you feel or that you may be judged if you talk about what concerns you. It may feel as though you are all alone with your anxiety or worries. You're not alone.
How counselling can help:
Having a trained, empathic counsellor to talk to can help you to feel less overwhelmed and isolated. Counselling provides you with a safe space, which is just yours, with someone whose focus is solely on you. Counselling also gives you a time and space, where you can explore the things which concern you in a supported environment. Hearing yourself talk about things out loud, maybe for the very first time, can be the first step towards positive and meaningful change.
I offer both Person Centred counselling and Attachment based Psychotherapy within a non-judgemental, confidential space. Space for you to talk about any painful, confusing, or uncomfortable issues that you may have. I believe that everyone has the ability to find answers within, to understand themselves and their needs more deeply. I will be along side you in this process helping you to explore and find meaning.
I have previously worked with adults who have experienced: Domestic abuse, sexual/emotional/physical abuse, family conflict, attachment and abandonment issues, living with a controlling partner or parent, low self esteem, loss, being adult adoptees, people pleasing, growing up with alcoholic parents, relationship issues.
I also work with student Counsellors.
Due to past work/training/experience:
I have experience of working with foster carers, Social Workers (e.g. burnout, working with large and unrealistic caseloads), families with children in the care system, separating parents (and the impact on the family around this e.g. child custody).
I have personal experience of living within a military background, as a military dependent. I understand the impact of constant relocation, upheaval, separation and isolation as well as living within this unique and insular environment.
I have personal experience of living with the affects of Menopause - feeling invisible, changes to the skin and body, brain fog and forgetfulness, anxiety and change in confidence, end of child bearing.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) Level 5 Diploma in Attachment Based Psychotherapy
- Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.
- Open University/BACP Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
- Bath University Bachelor of Science BSc (Hons) Degree in Social Work (with families)
- Open University Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Social Sciences (including Psychology modules).
- Registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- Undertake regular supervision
- Undertake regular continued professional development/training such as; Attachment training, Bereavement Counselling training, Trauma training, Transactional Analysis training (TA101), Relationship Therapy training (Couples Therapy masterclass, Human Givens College), Working with clients beyond Domestic abuse.
- Fully insured
- Worked in the Social Care sector in various Local Authorities with children, young people and families for 10 years.
- Worked with children and families for over 25 years.
- Worked with older adults.
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Volunteered for 2 years as a Counsellor for a charity, experiencing client issues such as:
Anxiety, depression, work place stress, redundancy, low self esteem/image/confidence, bullying, loneliness, bereavement and loss, adults living with childhood sexual abuse, abandonment, attachment issues, family conflict, controlling parents, anger issues.
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
Attachment based Psychotherapy
Counselling for student counsellors.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free 15-20 minute phone call (about your needs and if we feel that we can work together).
My rates are for individual adults aged 18+ on a 1-1 basis. Please note. I am not offering couples counselling.
£50.00 for 50 minutes online (Zoom) or telephone session.
£50.00 for a 50 minute face to face session at my counselling room at the Regency Practice, central Cheltenham on Wednesdays afternoon/evening.
£50.00 for a 50 minute face to face session at my counselling room in Prestbury, Cheltenham on Tuesdays morning/afternoon/evenings.
Please see the link to my website above.
I offer short and long-term therapy, depending on what you feel you would like.
When I work
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Sessions are weekly.
Fortnightly sessions may be possible.
A mix of face to face and online sessions offered.
Further information
I offer a free 15-20 minute phone call to have an informal chat to give you space, without any obligation, to see if you feel that I am the counsellor for you and if we feel that we can work together.
If you feel that I am the counsellor for you and we both feel that we can work together, in our initial session we will get to know each other a little more and at your pace. We will look in more depth at what has brought you to counselling, what you are hoping to achieve from counselling, and any goals you may have for yourself.
