Justin Spenceley

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Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

York, Noth Yorkshire, YO30
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I am a fully qualified person centred counsellor but I also bring aspects of other therapies such as C.B.T, D.B.T and T,A. More information about these types of therapies can be found on my website or online.

I as also a member of the BACP. (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)

TRIGGER WARNING: I discuss aspects of sexual abuse and trauma below.

I have helped people with many issues and difficulties in their lives but I work best with anxiety, parental neglect, narcissistic abuse, sexual abuse, trauma.

When parents do not meet the needs of their children either emotionally or physically then the effects on that child can be very complex. One of these complexities can be how you see yourself in the world and how you feel others see you. You can feel low self worth and put others before yourself as their parents did/do. You may find it hard to make healthy choices and also find it difficult to say no to others and set healthy boundaries for yourself. Its not uncommon for children to go onto develop psychological problems. Depression, Anxiety or even PTSD. Neglectful parents can put their children in dangerous environments because they neglect the childs needs for safety. The parents can put their own needs above the childs and this means that children of neglectful parents are more likely to suffer a trauma within their childhood. 

Narcissistic parents also don't meet the needs of their children but see the child as an extension of themselves and so seeks to control their children through manipulation of their feelings. Shame, guilt and Gaslighting are used to manipulate and sometimes even physical abuse is used to control their children. Parents can also use financial control. The narcissist parent wants to be admired by others and so controls their children in order to make themselves look good in their social circles while not taking into account the damage this does to their children. This can make the child feel very isolated as speaking out against their parent could lead to more abuse. In my work with clients who have experienced this a common theme is difficulty in being able to acknowledge their own feelings and emotions. People pleasing, co-dependency can also be a sign of the abuse. This can be because of the Fawn response. Trauma is often at the heart of this response. Here is a link for more info https://psychcentral.com/health/fawn-response#definition

Having volunteered for 2 years at a charity supporting survivors of sexual abuse I learned how the trauma of the abuse effected adults. Carrying around with them feelings of shame or guilt over what had happened. Having issues with intimacy and trust. Not having anyone to talk to about the abuse also leaves the person having to cope on their own and this can be incredibly difficult and so unhealthy coping mechanisms can develop. Unhealthy boundaries can also be formed as no healthy boundaries were modelled and/or they own boundaries were broken when they were younger and this can lead to unhealthy relationships and the possibility of more trauma. It is not uncommon for survivors of sexual abuse to suffer from PTSD. 

A traumatic event can be an event that has happened but you don't understand why. I know that may sound simple but at its core thats what a trauma is. A traumatic event may have impacted you in ways that are hard for you to understand and you maybe feeling a range of emotions afterwards. I have helped people understand the impact of trauma and how the body and mind copes. Trauma can affect anyone and the trauma can be held not just in the mind but also in the body. Talking through your trauma and gaining some understanding of what happened for you during the event can help relieve some of these feelings of overwhelming fear. With the right support and understanding you can begin to manage your emotions and start the process of healing.

Anxiety can leave you feeling a lack of control, isolated, confused and depressed to name a few. Looking at the source and the triggers can bring about an understanding that can help reduce anxiety. Talking through some of the anxious thoughts and the mechanisms behind them can help alleviate some of those anxious feelings also and looking at how anxiety effects the brain will also give you some more understanding. Techniques can be learned and so help reduce the anxiety again and with this bring back control and calm to your life. 

 These are some of the areas I work with and I have only mentioned just a few of the aspects of these. More often there can be other complications from the topics I have highlighted

If you feel these are some of your own experiences then please feel free to get in touch. Together we will explore your experiences, your emotions and behaviours while being supported by myself which can bring understanding and clarity. I also believe that beneficial therapy can only be achieved if the relationship between client and therapist feels safe, open and genuine.

Contacting a counsellor is the hardest part. I understand this and will make sure you are supported with care and understanding. I will welcome you into a warm and safe space with a hot or cold drink. I will answer any questions you may have about the process of counselling and give you the time to talk about what brings you into counselling. After our first session you can have some time to think if you want to continue to work with me and take that step into counselling. 

(Please do check your spam email folders for any response from myself as sometimes they can be missed).

Thanks for reading.

Justin.

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained in Leeds and achieved a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. I gained clinical practice experience working for a charity which supported those effected by sexual abuse in childhood and this gave me a real appreciation of people who wanted to face their fears and work through their difficulties.

I have also worked with many clients in my private practice from all walks of life and with many issues to discuss. This include those who have survived a childhood where there was a lack of parental care/support, sexual abuse, living with grief, low self-esteem and lack of confidence, anxiety, OCD, feeling overwhelmed and self-harm.

I have also worked in anger management and with young adults and understand the impacts of living in a world where social media exists and how much importance they can sometimes give their digital self-image. Exams, university choices, peer pressure, relationships and more can all leave a young person feeling overwhelmed. Being young sometimes means we have not yet learnt the skills needed to manage these complicated issues.

I am committed to continuing my professional development by attending further education courses, training days and further reading.

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.

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Step-parent support.

Young adults starting University.

Photos & videos

Fees

£40.00 - £50.00
Free initial in-person session

Additional information

My fee is £40 for a one-hour session in working day times between 8am and 5pm or £50 per hour between 5pm and 9pm.

Amy Johnson Way, York, Noth Yorkshire, YO30

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older adults
Groups

Social

Justin Spenceley
Justin Spenceley