Kerry James
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Me as a Professional
Hi, I’m Kerry and I am an integrative, creative counsellor working with both adults and young people. I bring a wide range of both work related and lived experiences to my relationships with my clients and work on a daily basis with anxiety, depression, ADHD, Autism, school issues, family issues, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, health anxiety, bereavement, loss and more.
I have worked in a local hospice, where I supported people receiving palliative care and those dealing with bereavement, grief and loss. I have also worked with young people at a local secondary school supporting them through anxiety, depression, behavioural difficulties, grief, abuse, identity, self-harm and much more. I now co-run a private practice and previous jobs have been in a Pupil Referral Unit, CAMHS, administration and Banking (all very different!).
How do I work
As an integrative counsellor I am trained specifically in Person Centred Therapy, Gestalt and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). I use a mix of these approaches along with other CPD training to support you depending on how you as my client want to work and what you'd like to bring to our sessions. I can adapt to whatever your goals for therapy are, and as a creative therapist I can also add in other ways of working using art, clay, cards, lego, games etc. I'm also more than happy to simply sit and talk if this is what you prefer.
For me, counselling is about building a relationship of trust, care and respect. My main aim is to offer a safe space for you or your young person to be heard and accepted without judgement. We don’t always have support that we can trust, or we might feel that we would burden our loved ones with our thoughts and feelings. Having someone impartial who can listen to us and help us find a way through can be really helpful.
For more info about my clay work & email counselling, please scroll down to 'other areas of counselling I deal with'
Me personally
As for me as a person, I'm quite laid back and down-to-earth. I live in a beautiful part of the country and when I'm able I love walking on Dartmoor, the coast and our lovely woodlands. I try to call myself a gardener but I'm not sure my garden would agree! I do live with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), a chronic health auto immune condition so when I'm too tired to do those things I love hanging out with my family, playing games of all types - board games, computer games and even an escape room from time to time and of course, binge watching a Netflix series or two! I'm a big advocate of resting and looking after ourselves.
If you'd like to know more about me and the work I do then please get in touch and I look forward to hearing from you.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Currently training in Level 6 Supervision
- Foundations in Email Counselling
- Level 5 Advanced Specialist Diploma in working therapeutically with Young People
- Level 5 Clay Conversations Practitioner Award
- Level 4 Advanced Diploma in Counselling
- Level 3 Foundation Certificate in Counselling
- Level 2 Award for Introduction to Counselling Concepts
- Mental Health First Aid
- Safeguarding Child Protection Level 3
I have also attended CPD on:
- Chronic pain
- Understanding MS & Living well with a long term condition
- The mental health experiences & needs of autistic teenagers
- Working creatively with clay
- Trauma Treatment
- Bereavement & loss
- Suicide prevention
- Women & Girls on the Autism Spectrum
Member organisations
school 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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
My specialisms are in Young People, MS & Chronic illness and using Clay.
Email Counselling - For many different reasons people don't always want to have face to face or online counselling and I'm pleased to be able to offer email counselling as an alternative. This is something that can work really well for some people so if this intrigues you and you'd like to know more, then please get in touch and I can send you out more info about how this works.
Clay Conversations - These are one off sessions that can support people's wellbeing and help to work through a particular issue you might have that's affecting you. These last an hour and a half and cost £90. As a one off session they can be really helpful for those who don't have a lot of time or money to engage with longer term therapy, who might be unsure whether counselling is for them or if you just have one or two things to talk about and explore. Helpful for you to get something off your chest or work through with another person who wont judge or try to fix.
Counsellors Clay Wellbeing Groups I run these for qualified and trainee counsellors to help with your wellbeing and selfcare - something we talk about all the time with our clients but often forget to give time for ourselves! Once a month for six months, join me in groups of 6-8 other counsellors for two hours of themed clay work alongside a supportive peer community. Help with stress and burnout, promote mindfulness, creativity and play and build other social connections.
Get in touch with me for more info or booking.
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial in-person or online session
When I work
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