Judith Macdonald-Lawson
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Couples Counselling
I am a very experienced Relationship Counsellor/Psychotherapist working with couples at all stages of their relationship. I offer counselling for couples who are experiencing difficulties, whether arising from the relationship itself, or from other external factors. You are encouraged to explore your problems in a safe, impartial conversation, to improve understanding of why these problems are occurring, and how to make changes. Counselling is confidential, flexible, informal and non-judgemental. After an initial individual assessment meetings which allow you both to explore whether counselling would be of help to you, we would normally meet weekly for 50 minute sessions, reviewing the work after 6 weeks to see whether you are finding it helpful and whether you wish to continue meeting. For some clients, 6 weeks is enough to help with the issues they need to address, for others, longer term work is appropriate. I offer both online and face-to-face meetings.
Separation
If you are considering separating, or have already separated, these sessions are designed to help you manage this transitional process. Separation is painful for the whole family, whoever initiates it and you will all be managing difficult and complex feelings. In several sessions I can help you talk through the reasons for separation, how to explain the changes to your children in an age-appropriate way, how to identify and manage their anxieties and ensure that you as parents continue to communicate effectively. The quality of your relationship after separation is a big factor in reducing the trauma experienced by your children. In these sessions I also provide advice, information and sign-posting.
Family Mediation
I am a Family Mediation Council accredited Family Mediator, helping couples to make their own decisions about family, finance and property arrangements. As a Child Consultant, I am qualified to talk with children of separating parents, giving the children a confidential setting in which to consider their thoughts and feelings about what is happening, and, if they wish, to share this on their behalf with their parents.
Training, qualifications & experience
After university, I gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education and worked as a science teacher. I trained to work for Relate, gaining a Graduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in Couples and Family Counselling. I became an accredited member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists in 2008. I worked for Relate for 12 years, latterly as a senior couples therapist. I began working in private practice in 2012. I trained as a Family Mediator with the Family Mediators Association in 2014. I became an accredited Family Mediator in 2018. I regularly collaborate with other professionals to provide clients with the best and most appropriate support.
Member organisations
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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
£100.00 per session
Additional information
Counselling
- Individual Assessment (50 mins) - £100
- Couples Counselling (50 mins) - £100
Separation
- Individual Assessment (60 mins) - £100
- Further joint meetings (60 mins) - £100 per client
When I work
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