Katherine Elks
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
As a person-centred counsellor, I strongly believe, and the experience of my clients supports this, that we each have in us the potential for self-understanding and acceptance of who we truly are. I work to build and sustain a supportive and non-judgmental relationship with my clients so that they feel accepted, valued and understood. This relationship can then provide the basis for exploring whatever difficulty my client is bringing to our sessions; trauma, loss, anxiety, depression, low mood or just something that is niggling and somehow not yet understood. The process of self-discovery can then happen at a pace and depth to suit each individual client.
It can sometimes be very difficult to talk to friends and family, we often fear their rejection or judgement or we protect them by not sharing our innermost feelings. It can also sometimes be true that modern lifestyles are simply too busy to find the right opportunity. I offer a confidential counselling service and aim to support you in exploring whatever issues you wish to talk about. Our talking therapy sessions can provide an environment and opportunity for self-discovery. At the start of the process, clients can sometimes feel overwhelmed, helpless and that change is impossible. However, my firm belief and experiences, my own and those of my clients, is that self-acceptance and personal growth are achievable.
I have experience with a wide spectrum of client issues, ages, ethnicities and cultures. I work with clients in an open-ended way and also have experience of short-term work.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained at Metanoia as a person-centred counsellor and completed a Diploma.
As well as private practice, I have experience of work in the NHS and two local charities one of which I continue to support as one of their trustees. One of these charities supports clients following bereavement which can be a particularly difficult time for clients as they deal with complex and often overwhelming feelings as they come to terms with their loss and attempt to move on with their lives.
Prior to qualifying as a therapist, I worked for many years in state education as a secondary school teacher. In fact, it was this experience of seeing young people in various states of emotional distress that prompted my decision to retrain. I passionately believe that early and appropriate support for young people can enable them to lead happy and fulfilled lives. I have considerable experience of supporting teenagers. I also have experience of supporting parents with their children.
Member organisations
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
£65.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free 'getting to know each other' assessment session to establish what a client is seeking from therapy, to see whether we can successfully build a working relationship and to go over some of the practical details (cancellation arrangements, confidentiality policy etc). This taster session is generally a 20 minute phone call but can be in-person.
Subsequent sessions are £65.
When I work
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I am currently seeing clients face to face again and continuing to offer online sessions, Skype, Zoom, FaceTime etc, to schedule appointments during the day and in the evening.
Further information
If you are considering therapy but unsure whether to proceed, I am happy to talk this through with you and answer any of your questions. Should that be the case, please call or email , leave your contact details and I will get back to you.
