Lesley Brentley
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Sometimes life can seem overwhelming or difficult to cope with. It may be a specific event which has triggered something or it may be an ongoing sense of unease, anxiety, difficulty with relationships, sadness, depression, anger or a whole host of other things. You may want to change unhelpful patterns which interfere with your happiness.
In my work with adults, children, young people and couples I integrate a variety of approaches, so that I can meet your particular needs.
I offer a safe, accepting, confidential space, where we can explore your issues at a pace and in a way which suits you best and with which you feel comfortable. I believe that the quality of the relationship between me as counsellor and you as the client is crucial for meaningful healing and progress to take place. I know that it may be very difficult to talk about painful or embarrassing situations and feelings, and so I will encourage you in a respectful and gentle way. You will find that talking to an independent, professional and empathic person can really help you to change and improve the things you want to be different in your life.
I understand that you may feel confused or anxious before embarking on counselling, so there is absolutely no commitment in attending an initial session. It will give you the opportunity to ask questions, clarify what you hope to get out of the process and get a feeling for whether I am the person you would like to work with. I will give you time to reflect for a few days before letting me know whether or not you would like to continue.
You may want to sort out a specific problem, improve your relationships or one particular relationship, or maybe to find ways of changing unhelpful, repeating patterns, which are making it difficult for you to feel a sense of well-being and happiness. I am always open to whatever you may wish to bring to counselling and this is something we will look at during the initial meeting.
The number of sessions I offer is open-ended, so you are in control of when you start and when you wish to end counselling.
I offer outdoor counselling, either sitting in an outdoor space or walking. This type of counselling brings a new and different dimension to the work and can be hugely beneficial to many people. If you would like to know more please contact me.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a University trained and qualified counsellor (DPS Counselling) and a member of the professional body BACP.
I have significant experience of working with adults of all ages, including couples, who bring a whole range of issues to counselling.
I have worked a great deal in schools, in particular with young people and their families in a variety of contexts. I have worked as a volunteer counsellor for the charity 'Help! Counselling for Young People' and I also have experience of working with young children, both as a volunteer and in private practice.
I have trained in a variety of approaches, including Psychodynamic Therapy, Person Centred Therapy, Gestalt Therapy and Transactional Analysis.
In addition to my core training I have received further training in Couples Counselling, Art Therapy, Therapeutic Play with children, Transactional Analysis 101, Pesso Boyden therapy, Mindfulness and outdoor therapy among others.
I have experience in delivering training in Counselling Skills to adults working with families.
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
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My fees are £55.00 per 50 minutes for individuals, £70.00 per 60 minutes for couples counselling and I can offer a limited number of concessions particularly, though not exclusively, for counselling and therapy students.
During the initial session we will discuss what you hope to gain from counselling and it will give you the opportunity to come to a clearer understanding of the process.
When I work
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I work from Monday to Wednesday, inclusive, and have both daytime and early evening appointments.
Outdoor work needs to take place during daylight hours.
Further information
I have both daytime and early evening sessions available, from Monday to Thursday.
I work online and in a number of outdoor spaces, including the Downs, Purdown, Stoke Park Estate and an allotment space in Ashley Down allotments, St Werburghs. However, other outdoor spaces can be negotiated.