Kate Hicks

Name: Kate Hicks
Address: Derby, Derbyshire, DE22, GB
Price range: £55.00 per session

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NCPS Accredited Counsellor

Accepting new clients

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Derby, Derbyshire, DE22

Accepting new clients

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About me

People often seek therapy when they have reached a point of needing change in their life. I offer a warm welcome, a judgement-free environment and a supportive space enabling you to explore your experiences and emotions. My aim is to work alongside you to bring about positive, meaningful change. I work with a range of issues in my practice, but here are a few key issues many of my clients have worked on during therapy:

Low self-esteem:
With many diverse, contributing factors, I approach this issue by understanding the client’s unique life experiences first. Low self-esteem can often sit alongside other issues such as ADHD, Autism, experience of abuse, grief and loss and concerns around sexuality or gender identity to name but a few. Often, low self-esteem has a negative self-belief at its core. I use compassion focused therapy (CFT) to help the client to explore both their internal (inner voice, fears, self-beliefs) and external (treatment from others, relationships, upbringing, work) world. Through building a more compassionate self-image, clients can change their approach and start to rebuild their confidence.
One client described feeling able to hold their boundaries with friends and share their honest thoughts and feelings for the first time following therapy. Another client reported feeling much more confident at work once they accepted that mistakes are part of everyone’s learning process and no longer a source of shame or fear that was stifling their progress.
Anxiety:
Anxiety often stems from a fear of a worst-case scenario coupled with a lack of a confidence in being able to cope with that scenario. Sometimes that worst case scenario is based on a very real, and often traumatic, past experience. Using CFT, I help clients understand and identify those situations that are triggering a threat response. I work with clients to understand the whole-body impact of their anxiety knowing that it nearly always comes with physical manifestations (e.g. nausea, urgent bathroom needs, headaches, tingling, insomnia). We work together to recognise patterns, understand responses and to learn different tools and techniques to manage the anxiety. One client told me, ‘Having someone explain the reasons I was thinking the way I was made me understand myself better. I think totally differently now and feel in a much better place.’
Continuous low mood:
Many clients come to therapy recognising that they have been feeling down for some time but may be unable to really explain why. I often work with clients to help them to build emotional awareness using methods from CBT, CFT and psychodynamic therapies. Clients have found they are able to learn to be more in tune with their emotions. They’re able to notice and name emotions that they previously suppressed or that were hidden beneath anger or sadness. Once the emotions are acknowledged the client is then able to choose how to process them, and how to respond, helping them to feel more self-awareness and therefore in more control.
Other Issues:
The examples above are common issues that I have helped clients with which gives an insight into my approach. However, whatever the nature of your issue, my aim is a very simple one. I aim to provide a confidential, safe, welcoming and non-judgmental space in which I can support you in exploring your specific challenges so that you can bring about the positive changes you want or need in your life.

My role as your counsellor is to guide you through the exploration of your issues so that you gain clarity and understanding. I can help you to increase your self-awareness and bring your emotional life into consciousness enabling you to respond to events in your life mindfully.

Your role is to play an active role during therapy and to take responsibility for the changes that you want to make in your life, recognising that you are the expert in your own life and that only you can determine what your best next steps are.

My approach is to bring a compassionate viewpoint as I seek to understand and validate your emotional experience. At times I may offer a gentle challenge in order to help open up new perspectives and thought patterns. At all times I will treat you with respect, courtesy and understanding.
Getting in touch:
If you would like to understand more about how I work, I offer a free 20-minute telephone session to all new clients. You can use the ‘Email me’ or ‘Book Intro Call’ buttons at the top of the page to get this arranged. The call gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you have for me and I will also share details with you around how I work.
If you are happy with everything then we can proceed to booking you in for your first full session of 50 minutes.
I don’t ask people to commit to a number of sessions so you are free to book as many or as few sessions as you feel appropriate to your needs and goals for therapy.

Training, qualifications & experience

Qualifications:

Level 5 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Practice
CCTP Certified (Certified Clinical Trauma Professional)

Professional Body Memberships:

Accredited Member of NCPS (National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society)
Individual Member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)

Additional Training and Info:

Theory and Practice of Compassion Focused Therapy
Trauma Treatment Certification Training (CCTP)
IAPT Living Well With Autism Training
Dealing with Distress: Working with Suicide and Self-Harm
Fully Insured
Attends regular supervision

As per the regulations in place through the professional bodies I attend regular supervision and continuously update my knowledge and skills through frequent and continuing CPD.