Kirsty Payne


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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello and welcome to my profile, thank you for taking the time to read a little about me and how I work. I am a qualified person centred counsellor, that over time and experience, has evolved to be more integrative. My aim is to provide a safe, welcoming, non judgemental space for all.
Choosing to start the counselling process takes courage and can feel daunting but it is also the start of being curious of who you are; understanding your patterns and developing tools for managing the challenges in life.
The journey of self discovery does not have a finish line, so I do not sit in the counsellor’s chair as an expert or as someone who has completed their work. I sit there as an advocate for the process and true believer in the change that can be achieved.
Maybe you know specifically what you would like to work on. Maybe you just need space to offload. I work in a way that will allow us to tailor the counselling experience to the individual. Short-term, long-term, goal focused, taking it week by week. The counselling experience is as unique, as the person engaging in it.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a level 4 diploma in person centre counselling where the belief is the client is the expert in themselves. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone has their own answers, and we will work together to find them. I see myself beside you as we move forward – not out in front leading the way.
My aim as the counsellor is to provide a safe space where the client can speak freely and for those words to be heard, held, respected, and explored without judgement.
I have experience providing trauma counselling which has allowed me to develop the ability to hold varying types of presenting issues. I do not allow the story of one’s past or present to discriminate against their right to counselling. Within the trauma work, I am more directive than an average person-centred counsellor – this may look like me asking open questions, offering solutions to help with trauma symptoms and working towards a realistic, achievable goal.
I continue to expand my knowledge and learning with regular CPD.
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
£45.00 per session
Additional information
I offer a free 20 minute phone/video call initial consultation to discuss the aims of the therapy, answer any questions and ultimately decide if i am the right counsellor for you.
Should we move forward - the first full session will include a more in depth conversation about what brings you to therapy, how you are currently feeling in your day to day life and what you hope to gain from the process.