About me
Therapeutic Counsellor
A holding hand for anxiety, depression and low mood.
Welcome, and thank you for visiting my profile.
As an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), I adhere to an ethical code which assures safety and professionalism throughout our therapeutic journey together.
My core beliefs are to work with warmth, openness and non-judgement. A vision in supporting you to recognise the way in which you individually relate and build the relationships which surround you. Together we aim to work towards discovering a deeper understanding of who you are and why you act and react the way you do to people and in certain situations.
Style of therapy
Embodying a socratic methodology, which gently guides you to reach therapeutic goals. Working in a manner which feels comfortable whether this is by introducing creative intervention work or simply sharing the emotional load safely together through talking, listening, exploration, and reflection.
I adopt the 3 phase strategy:
1) Enabling stabilization & increasing safety
2) Supporting you to resolve traumatic memories
3) Integration & embodiment- Aiding you to move forward in life
This phased approach combines elements of psychoeducation, evidenced as a key component to inform successful outcomes which hold longevity.
Counselling offers an open landscape in which to navigate the complexities of life transitions.
Our First Session
The first session together affords an opportunity to:
*Gain a sense of the counselling environment & discover how each of us are feeling
*Agree potential focus areas and set therapeutic goals
*Explore how we work in alliance.
Location
In person counselling is hosted within a counselling suite at Queens House (central Barnstaple, a stones throw from the bus station). Nearby car parking available.
These premises provide an ideal separation from any home environment.
Online session work conducted from 'The Counselling Cabin'.
Training, qualifications & experience
BACP - Accred. (Accreditation is a quality status for experienced practitioners who can demonstrate high standards of competent and ethical practice)
Core Training
- CPCAB level 5 Working Somatically with Trauma in Therapeutic Practice
- CPCAB level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling
- EMDR Europe Training - parts 1, 2 & 3
- BSP UK -Brainspotting Phase 1
- New Skills Academy CBT Diploma
- NCFE Diploma Social Care (Working with young people with behavioural & emotional needs)
- TQUK Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems
- Association of Integrative Sandtray - Foundation Diploma in Integrative Sandtray Therapy
Examples of additional studies completed with a view to specific wellbeing areas
- Working with Dissociative Disorder / Working with Stuck Trauma / Working with Shame / Child Sexual Abuse - Hope for Healing (Carolyn Spring training)
- Certificate in Online & Telephone Counselling (Counselling Tutor training)
- Understanding and Treating Complex PTSD / Understanding ADHD and Anxiety / Treating Intrusive Thoughts and Inner Critics (MindBody Breakthrough)
Vocational Experiences
- Private Practice from 2020 (with year upon year growth in client numbers)
- Historic work experience in Trauma Informed Service provisions
- Counselling facilitation undertaken for agencies such as Victims Support, Nuffield Health, Bupa, Vitality + others
- Part of the Spill.Chat team - The UK's highest rated EAP
Due Diligence
- Full indemnity insurance & ICO Registration with annual renewal service
- Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Registered with annual renewal service
- Member organisations: BACP (registration number 382795), Trauma Aid UK + EMDR UK
Ongoing personal growth and professional knowledge is paramount to our work together and to achieve this I attend continued workshops and training to support my professional development and to inform my practice.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
A specialist interest in incorporating a somatic approach which explores our connection with mind and body. Based on the work of Peter Levine, who promotes the concept that trauma is not simply a psychological event but a physiological response when the nervous system gets 'stuck' in the body.
If you believe that talk therapy has reached its limits, a somatic approach can enable you to tap into new resource which can be held in the body as opposed to the mind.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Please feel free to contact me via voice mail, text or email with any further inquiries. I work full time as a counselling professional and this is my primary field of work.
Counselling session: 55 minutes
Online sessions using Google Meet (Fee for online sessions is £55)
Further information
Other areas of counselling I deal with:
- Panic Attacks + Negative Patterns of Thinking
- Self-esteem / Confidence + Loss of Identity
- Relationship / Family / Parenting issues
- Generalised /Anxiety Disorder + Social Anxiety Disorder
- Work Place Stress / Burnout (overburden V understimulation)
Counselling can Help to:
- Enable improved stabilization
- Seek clarity in some areas of your life
- Work through traumatic life experiences
- Turn a trouble into a challenge
- Learn new techniques to cope with difficult situations
- Process complex emotions & focus on personal growth
EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensensitisation and Reprocessing)
How it works: During EMDR, clients recall a traumatic event while simultaneously making eye movements, tapping their body, or listening to sounds. The goal is to enable the reprocessing of the memory and simultaneously change the negative way you think about it. Repairing a neuropathway.
For more information please refer to: https://emdrassociation.org.uk/
