Linda Pate
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I understand that looking for help when you are experiencing an emotionally challenging time in your life might feel daunting, especially if you have never had counselling before. It is important to find a counsellor who you feel comfortable with, which is why I offer a free and confidential 30-minute introduction session, when we can discuss your reasons for seeking counselling, what your goals for therapy might be, and if I am the right counsellor for you. I am passionate about clients feeling they have autonomy and choice when they are looking for a counsellor and during their therapeutic journey. During our sessions, I will listen to you without judgement and will collaborate with you to ensure that your needs, preferences, and feedback are incorporated into how we work together towards your therapeutic goals.
My approach to counselling is integrative, which means I draw on ideas, tools, and strategies from a range of counselling approaches. This is because I believe that there is more than one way to help someone, and certain therapy approaches may be more helpful depending on the person’s reasons for seeking counselling. The foundation for my integrative counselling approach is Person-Centred Therapy, which gives you the opportunity to explore what you are experiencing within a safe space, and without judgement. Building on this I may offer suggestions on how we might work together using tools and strategies from other counselling approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Solutions-Focussed Therapy (SFT).
If you choose to have counselling with me, you can expect our therapeutic relationship to be a collaborative one. This is because I believe you are the expert on yourself. Therefore, working together to identify and articulate your needs, and you sharing your preferences, ideas, and feedback with me on how you are experiencing our sessions, are important parts of the counselling process and working towards your therapy goals.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified counsellor with a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
My experience includes providing counselling within various services prior to going into private practice. These include the NHS Staff Counselling Service, Healthbox CIC and Douglas Macmillan Hospice Bereavement Service. I also do work for EAPs and other organisations as part of my private practice.
I can support clients with a range of difficulties, including bereavement, anxiety, depression, work-related stress, redundancy, relationship difficulties, problems related to food, trauma, health issues and illness, and menopause. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your reasons for seeking counselling.
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
£43.00 - £55.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a confidential and free of charge 30-minute online introduction or phone session when we can discuss your reasons for seeking counselling, what your goals for therapy might be and if I am the right counsellor for you.
I have a fee scale for subsequent sessions, which are 50-minutes long.
Fee scale:
So many people are struggling with the cost of living, in addition to other issues and life events that may be causing them distress. To try to make my services more affordable, I have decided to introduce a scale to provide some different fee options, on a trial basis. My fees from 23 September 2024 until the end of December 2024 will be as follows:
- In-person sessions (in Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5): £55 per session
- Online sessions: £48 per session
- Phone counselling: £48 per session
- Counselling students £43 per session (online or phone only)
I am able to offer a reduction in fees for online and phone counselling because in-person counselling sessions have an associated room hire cost, and therefore I am passing this saving in overheads on to clients wishing to have online or phone counselling only. Clients also have the option of a blended approach, having some sessions in-person and some online, which will save them money.
When I work
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Please ask if you have a request for availability outside of my regular working hours
Further information
I offer in-person, online, and telephone counselling to adults over 18 years old, within the United Kingdom, and my working days are Wednesday to Saturday.
In-person sessions are at an established clinic in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5. There is a free car park and available free roadside parking.
If you have any questions or requests regarding availability outside of my normal working hours, please feel free to send me a message.
