Lorraine Porter

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she/her
MBACP (Reg.) MBPsS
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Ashford, Surrey, TW15 1PD
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

In a busy, noisy world I will truly hear you.

As an integrative counsellor experienced in working with adults, children and young people I would like to work with you on the issues that are troubling you or your child. I have wide experience in dealing with grief and loss, anxiety and depression and  work with warmth and empathy. I offer face to face, online or telephone counselling. 

Please note I  work face to face during the day and early evening and remotely via Zoom or telephone both during the day and throughout the  evening to meet your needs in a flexible way.(See below for more details)

Currently I have some availability during the day and limited evening slots available. Please contact me for further details.

How counselling can help you

Life can be a tough journey at times and it can seem even worse when you feel that you are walking alone. I would like to share that journey with you. In our counselling sessions I can offer you a safe therapeutic space to explore those aspects of your life that are troubling you, to reflect on your feelings and to consider the changes you may want to make. I am also an experienced grief and loss counsellor and will support you in your time of need.

I will work with you with empathy and acceptance and from a non-judgemental approach. The relationship we build together is key to explore your emotions, your patterns of behaviour and your past experiences.

About me and my therapy practice

As a qualified integrative therapist and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) you can be assured that our work will adhere to their ethical framework and that I will maintain confidentiality and high standards of professional conduct. I offer short-term or longer-term therapy, according to your needs. I work with adults, young people and children.

Before becoming a counsellor, I worked as a primary school teacher and I have also worked with mental health service users, both in the community and in hospital settings. During my training and more recently, I have been working with a leading bereavement charity supporting bereaved adults. I also worked in a primary school working with a national charity supporting young children through play therapy.

I attend regular supervision in order to reflect on my work and to develop my skills. In addition I undertake regular continuing professional development.

As an integrative therapist I draw on many therapeutic models within the context of a strong therapeutic bond and according to your own needs. By working with the psychodynamic model, we will reflect on how your experience of early life determines your relationships and behaviour in the present. I believe that we all have the capacity to grow and to develop our potential when in a safe, non-judgemental environment where we are highly regarded as unique individuals. We will walk side by side in this journey of self-discovery and, by working together, we will have the opportunity to explore how you relate with others and what implications this may have in your life and relationships.

What to expect in your counselling session

Our sessions will usually be weekly for fifty minutes but there is some scope for flexibility in this, subject to other commitments. Our first session will be a thirty-minute initial assessment, via the telephone. This will be a chance for us to explore whether we can work together and for you to decide if you would like to proceed with counselling at this time. This session will be free of charge.

As I believe counselling should be available for everyone, I do offer some sessions at concessionary rates, subject to availability and dependent on circumstances. Please contact me for more information about this.

Training, qualifications & experience

Training and Qualifications

  • CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
  • CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
  • Pearson BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
  • Certificate of Proficiency British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology
  • MA Education
  • Graduate member of the British Psychological Society
  • Cruse Bereavement Care: Bereavement Support Foundation Course
  • Cruse Bereavement Care: Supervision Course
  • Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling ACTO and NCS approved
  • Level One Member of ACTO              Association for Counselling and Therapy Online
  • Certificate in Trauma Awareness

Professional Experience

  • School based counsellor Place2Be, September 2018 to July 2023
  • Bereavement counsellor and supervisor Cruse Bereavement Care, January 2019 to present
  • Cruse Bereavement Care National Helpline bereavement support worker, June 2020 to present

I have also had wide experience in supporting mental health service users both in hospital and the community.

Continuing Professional Development

I undertake regular CPD of which recent training has included:

  • Working with Children with SEND (Place2Be)
  • Working with Difference and Diversity (Place2Be)
  • Making Endings with Children (Place2Be)
  • Helping Children tell their Stories (Place2Be)
  • Children's Emotional Wellbeing (Place2Be)
  • Hidden Harm (Place2Be)
  • Sudden and Traumatic Death (Cruse)
  • Suicide (Cruse)
  • Attachment and Impact of Abuse on Clients (Cruse)
  • Concepts of Bereavement (Cruse)
  • Working with Bereavement and Complex Grief (Cruse)
  • Ongoing Telephone Support (Cruse)
  • Trauma Awareness (Cruse)
  • Initial Telephone Support/Assessment and Triage (Cruse)
  • The Changing Landscape of College and School-based Counselling (BACP)
  • Working with Suicide Remotely (Cruse)
  • Working with Clients on Zoom (Cruse)
  • Supervisors' Training Course (Cruse)
  • Working with Creative Approaches Online and Telephone
  • Attachment theory (The Bowlby Centre)
  • An Introduction to LGBTQ Awareness Training ( Sussex rainbow Counselling)
  • A Creative Approach to Supervision (CRUSE)

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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.

ACTO
The Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO)

The Association for Counselling and Therapy Online

Accredited register membership

British Association for Counselling & 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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Fees

£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session

Concessions offered for

  • check_circle Low income
  • check_circle Students
  • check_circle Trainee counsellors
  • check_circle Unemployed

Additional information

  • Weekly sessions £50 for a fifty-minute session. (as of 1/4/24)
  • Initial session, a thirty-minute telephone session free of charge (to explore whether we can work together and for you to decide if you would like to proceed with counselling at this time.)
  • Concessionary rates available, dependent on circumstances. Please contact me for more information.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night
  • Face to face appointments, Monday to Friday 9:30 to 6:30pm.
  • Online and telephone appointments Monday to Friday 9:30am to 8:30 pm .

Further information

My practice is based in my home which offers a discreet, confidential space with ample on-street parking and good connections via public transport. 

68 Ashgrove Road, Ashford, Surrey, TW15 1PD

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Children (0-12)
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

My home is a bungalow but there is a single step up to the door. Please note that I also offer counselling sessions both by telephone and Zoom. Please contact me for further details.

Online platforms

Zoom
Lorraine Porter
Lorraine Porter