Katy Bell

Verified Professional task_alt Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

location_on Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

People seek a therapist for many different reasons. Sometimes the decision is prompted by a sudden change in circumstances such as illness, difficult relationships, loss. Sometimes people seek help because they feel a general sense of isolation or sadness for which there seems no explanation.

I am a psychoanalytic psychotherapist working from a warm, light consulting room just outside Cambridge City centre.  

About Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a relationship based on trust where you can talk in your own words about the experiences that impact you now and those that have shaped your past, as well as your desires for the future. A psychoanalytic therapist is trained to listen carefully to what you say and, alongside you, to notice patterns that may emerge in the unique way you relate to the world around you and in your relationships. Putting thoughts into words and hearing them articulated to someone who listens attentively to what you are saying can bring relief in itself from internal narratives that can feel relentless in their insolubility.  

I see people face-to-face for medium and long term work in sessions that are at a frequency of at least once a week. 

The Way I Work

I practice in a way that is influenced by contemporary psychoanalytic theories, rooted in the concept that we are not always fully aware of the reasons we hold certain beliefs about our selves and our lives. Identifying and understanding the origins of these beliefs can make it possible to do things differently. As the work unfolds you might find that feelings of distress are relieved and that you can be more open in your interactions with others and in the ways you spend your time.

About Psychoanalysis

While short-term approaches focus on resolving immediate concerns, psychoanalysts believe that symptoms of disquiet originate from a deeper unrest and that even if they are 'cured' they are likely to return, often in a different fashion. Psychoanalysis requires ongoing commitment, offering you time to look at your life in more detail to trace the influences that make you who you are today. It is an ongoing conversation and exploration based on trust, with the pace and material set by you. 

Psychoanalysis sessions are at a frequency of at least twice a week. 

How the sessions work

When you make contact we will arrange an initial meeting. Here you can experience whether you might feel comfortable talking about aspects of your life, your thoughts and your feelings. You will have time following the meeting to think about whether or not you would like to go ahead with sessions. 

If you decide to go ahead we will agree a regular 50 minute session time which will remain the same each week. 

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained as a psychoanalyst with The Site for Contemporary Psychoanalysis in London. This is a postgraduate training organisation that encourages critical, reflective and imaginative thinking about psychoanalysis and its contemporary practices. The training, and graduates of the programme, are registered with the UKCP.

For many years I have worked psychotherapeutically in the NHS within multidisciplinary teams. These are professional collaborations of medical, healthcare and social staff who seek to address the emotional, social and physical needs of patients. I have also worked extensively in special and mainstream education and in the charity sector, including Mind, as well as other government-funded multi-agency organisations. Within these settings my patients have been adults, older people, adolescents and children from a wide variety of cultural and social backgrounds. 

Member organisations

school Registered / Accredited

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.

UKCP
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.

As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.

UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

HCPC
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.

They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.

Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.

Accredited register membership

UK Council for Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

UK Council for Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

The list above cannot be exhaustive; people come with nuanced, complex lives which rarely fall into neat categories. 

Fees

£45.00 - £65.00

Concessions offered for

  • check_circle Low income
  • check_circle Students
  • check_circle Unemployed
  • check_circle Refugees

Additional information

Fees are in the range of £45 - £65 per 50 minute session. 

Sessions which are missed by you or which you are unable to attend are charged as this is time I have put aside for you each week. If I can reschedule a session I will endeavour to do this. 

There will be time in the initial meeting to have a conversation about what you can reasonably afford, depending on your circumstances. This meeting lasts 70 minutes and costs £50, usually paid by bank transfer. 

If you have a question about psychotherapy or analysis, or would like to know more about potential sessions with me, please send an email. 

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I offer sessions on weekdays, Monday to Friday. In general there is more availability in the daytime than in the evening.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4

Type of session

In person
Online

Types of client

Young people (13-17)
Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Wheelchair user access info
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

My practice is situated on a quiet side street north of the city centre where there is plenty of space to park. Please advise me if you have physical accessibility requirements and I will show you a level path to the consulting room.

Online platforms

Zoom