Jenni Gates

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she/her/hers
MA(hons), Adv Dip Couns, MBACP
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Exmouth, Devon, EX8
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Finding help for you or your child

I work with people of all ages, with experience in providing specialist support for neurodiversity, gender, sexual and relationship diversity.  

With many NHS waiting lists across the UK being at an all-time high to be seen by Autism, ADHD and Gender Dysphoria specialists - counselling is a supportive option whilst awaiting consultation. It may be that your child has not been referred for any specialist provision as the strains on our healthcare systems are as such that much is left to schools, which are under-resourced with outside agencies at capacity.  

Did you know that up to 1 in 5 children experience a mental health disorder and half don't receive the treatment they need? (Children's Health, 2022).  

Counselling can support children and stop the negative stigma and impact on their mental health. This is where I can help - to bridge the gap between what your school can support with and what they can’t offer.

If you’re looking for mental health, neurodiversity or specialist LGBTQ+ support for your young person, please read further.  

**NB. As well as my practical experience, my writing and research has been published several times.

The experience your child needs

I’ve been working with young people and families since 1998, in a number of settings such as:

  • Specialist Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) project work
  • Young offenders
  • Families
  • Managing a multi award-winning youth project
  • Suicide intervention work
  • And delivering training in coping with self-harm through the NHS and various charity organisations.  

More recently, I counselled for 3 years full-time for a leading NHS Gender Dysphoria clinic. I've also experience in delivering training and psycho-education, both domestically and abroad.

So many different contacts across diverse settings has taught me to focus on the individual and celebrate who they are, without trying to 'fix them'... I have a very person-centred approach. It’s not about getting your child to fit into certain moulds, but finding the individual in them and letting them shine:

E.g. if your child is autistic, I don’t ask, ‘how do we adapt your neurodiverse brain to the world; but what makes your child feel connected and demonstrate their strengths?

E.g. I don’t talk about LGTBQI+ so we can put your child into a category, but we talk about Gender, Sexuality & Relationship diversity so they can explore their own unique identity.

Why is this important?

Your child deserves to find their individualism and feel good about themself.

Counselling works to bring self-awareness, then self-compassion which raises self-esteem. I work with a compassionate mindset (learning to love oneself and view others from this same compassionate place).

Through working together, we can find this self-esteem, and significant mental health and wellbeing improvements shall follow.

My promise

My promise is that working with me will focus on doing what’s best for your child and family.

Email as many questions as you like so you feel comfortable sending your child to me. Flexible working, i.e. we’ll work with your family pattern, you can book session to session if needed.

We’ll do what’s best for your family!

Are you ready to get in touch? I'd love to hear about how I can support your family.
Book either 30 or 60 minutes to see if counselling is right for your child.

Training, qualifications & experience

Academic degrees:

  • MA (hons) 2.1 University of Glasgow - English Lit / Psychology
  • Adv Dip Int Counselling - The Iron Mill Institute, Exeter

Several other qualifications (of university recognised standard, including training qualifications and experience) based around:

  • Youth work (various UK recognised)
  • Sexual Health and LGBT support (Terrence Higgins Trained) Experience in schools.     
  • Gender Specialist (British Association of Gender Identity Specialists)                         
  • Families work (specialism young people pre-court -YOT Dorset)
  • Autism (specialism/training, specialist sensory needs - Scotland and Goa, India)
  • Domestic Violence (awareness for adults and young people, trainer on RESPECT)
  • Self-Harm (trainer on 'coping with self-harm') experience NHS Highlands (Scotland)
  • Depression (various and integrative)
  • Suicide Intervention (ChooseLife, NHS Scotland)
  • PND and post/pre-natal needs (Children's Centres Exeter)
  • Needs of carers (C4C - Devon Carers)

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

£60.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • OAPs
  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed
  • Refugees

Additional information

£60 per hour adults and £50 for 45mins children and young people. 

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Flexible hours, in-person sessions are available day time only. Online or telephone for day time or evening sessions. 

Further information

Author of ‘Lessons in Love & Understanding’.

Exmouth, Devon, EX8

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Children
Young people
Adults
Older adults
Families
Groups
Organisations

Online platforms

Skype
Zoom

Social

Jenni Gates
Jenni Gates