Kathy Smedley
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello, my name is Kathy and I am an integrative counsellor trained to work with people of all ages and specialise in working with children and young people. The counselling I offer will give you the opportunity to reflect on difficult experiences in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment. I believe that when we are listened to and understood we can begin to rest and reflect without fear and can connect with who we really are, we can make sense of our experiences and ultimately know how we want to live. When we experience uncertainty, with this support, we can look out for ourselves and we can connect with others from that same place of strength within us all, this is useful to all of us and especially our children and young people; growing up with increased pressures and stresses in today's society. I choose approaches tailored to respond to individual needs of all people and offer support that will enable all clients to be able to understand their inner experience, so they can be there for themselves with greater self awareness, resilience and choice.
I think it's important, whether you are an adult, young person or child, that you can explore difficulties at your own pace so that you can make sense of sometimes confusing and conflicting experiences you can explore and understand causes and triggers and use an understanding of our past ways of coping to make sense of responses now. I will provide opportunities to help clients to explore and connect with their strengths so they can be empowered to care for themselves. Together we can work through critical and blocked responses in new ways, using humanistic approaches including Person Centred, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Transactional Analysis, CBT and mindfulness to aid healing.
When supporting children and young people I will help them express and reflect on issues through play, activities and reflection. Through these experiences, I can help them to learn how to understand their inner experiences, this involves developing insight, mindfulness and learning how to be there for themselves from their strengths, their true self.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a registered member of The British Association of Counselling Practitioners (BACP) and firmly adhere to the Ethical Framework of Good Practice and ensure I continue to keep up to date with regular continued professional development.
-Internal Family Systems Level One
- Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People
- Diploma in Integrative Counselling
- Certificate in Counselling Skills
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- Social Science, The degree of Bachelor of Arts
My first experience of working in a primary care mental health service was on placement with MIND. For a year and a half, on a part time basis, I delivered short term IAPT, integrative counselling to people with a variety of mental health difficulties. From there I worked as a counsellor in two secondary schools. I currently work as a school counsellor and I work for WalkTall a charity offering accessible counselling to adults and children.
Before working in schools and completing the counselling diploma, I was a project worker with NCH working closely with children that had experienced relationship disruptions and provided programs for young people in trouble, the focus was interventions to assess and meet holistic needs. Using individual and group work to form a therapeutic alliance I helped young people to develop personal insight and taught skills to help them cope and respond differently and so move away from responses of survival to reflection and growth.
I taught Health and Social Care, PSE and citizenship to young people for 15 years. I recently completed the Level 6 Diploma in working with children and young people so that I could continue to commit to helping vulnerable children and young people effectively. My aim is to connect with all clients of all ages that are feeling vulnerable, assess need, encourage awareness and provide strategies that will allow all to remain safe and able to live a life of choice and possibility.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£40.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£40 - per hour counselling session
When I work
Monday, and Wednesday evenings.
Further information
I am working with both adults and children in school settings and independently at the moment. I am counselling people with depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, bereavement and addiction. I have gained invaluable experience in helping a variety of people including those with learning difficulties explore underlying problems such as low self-esteem and relationship issues.
I am a registered member of the BACP and adhere to their ethical guidelines.
