Lyn Best
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Thank you for reading my profile. Life or life events can be challenging at times, is anxiety or stress having an impact on your day-to-day life? Have your suffered a bereavement or loss? Is the menopause making a difference to how you feel? Perhaps you are feeling low, confused, having relationship problems, feel overwhelmed or are not sure what is wrong, counselling can help. I am passionate about working with clients to find a way to improve your well-being.
I can work with whatever you bring by providing a safe place for you to speak in confidence and explore your feelings. Sometimes past events can have an impact on you in the present, it can be difficult to share experiences with friends or relatives. I will listen with empathy, be non-judgemental and give you the time to discuss whatever you wish and offer you time for reflection.
Sometimes you can feel stuck, trapped or confused, my role is to support you to see your problems more clearly and help you to find a way forward to enhance your life in the future. Often counselling can help improve your feelings of self-worth and resilience.
I am a Humanistic Gestalt counsellor and psychotherapist which means I work with whatever is causing you distress, believing that you have the resources in yourself to face your challenges with my support. I believe our relationship working together is paramount. It is really important that you feel comfortable talking with me and I hope you will feel at ease. I work mainly in the New Forest but also in Wellow, (near Romsey), both within easy reach of Totton, Southampton, Eastleigh, Chandler's Ford and Winchester. The premises in Wellow has an inside, well ventilated room, or outside area to meet. The New Forest is a peaceful location 2 miles from junction 1 of the M27. I also work online using google meet or whatsapp. As well as being in private practice I continue to volunteer with a counselling charity.
If you wish to contact me, please email in the first instance for a free, no obligation telephone consultation. This allows us to discuss your needs and what you hope to achieve from counselling or for you to say what is troubling you. It also gives you the opportunity to ask questions and see if I am the right counsellor for you.
I take client calls and text messages preferably via WhatsApp. Please do contact me by email or WhatsApp. This could be your first step to life moving forward and improving your well-being.
Training, qualifications & experience
Before becoming a counsellor I worked in a school as a Senior Manager and have also worked in the private sector. I volunteered with Samaritans for several years, which included mentoring and training new volunteers. I was a volunteer counsellor for a bereavement charity and now continue as a volunteer counsellor with a local charity which provides all forms of counselling and emotional support.
I am a member of the Hampshire Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I have an Enhanced DBS check, am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and have Professional Liability Insurance.
My qualifications are as follows;
- Diploma of Higher Education Humanistic Gestalt Counselling Level 4 and 5 (Distinction) - Buckinghamshire New University
- ABC Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- BACP Certificate of Proficiency
- The Foundation for Infant Loss Accredited Member Infant Loss Training Course
- The Foundation for Infant Loss Training Course in Assisting Clients with Subsequent Pregnancies after Loss
As a member of BACP I follow their Ethical Framework, I am also committed to continuing my own Professional Development, some Workshops and Training I have attended recently are as follows;
- Wise parenting
- Losing my baby: losing part of myself
- Male Mental Health
- Single Session Therapy
- Health Anxiety - Worrying yourself sick
- Unconscious Bias
- Releasing trauma from the body: essential strategies
- Adapting to Trauma
- Why Menopause matters in the therapy room
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
£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Initial Telephone Consultation (up to 30 minutes) - Free
When I work
Please email to discuss availability. In addition to normal working hours I have some early morning and evening slots.
Further information
Starting Counselling
It is understandable to feel nervous at the thought of starting counselling but we will work together. Although counselling can, at times, be challenging, it can really bring self-awareness and help change self-limiting behaviours and thoughts or help to think about life choices.
Supervision
In line with the BACP guidelines I attend regular supervision.
Number of sessions
All sessions are on a one-to-one basis and last for 50 minutes. I offer short term counselling - usually 7 weeks (but can be less) or open ended but we will continually review our sessions so that the sessions are adapted to your requirements.
We would usually meet weekly, but I am happy to meet fortnightly or be flexible depending on your needs.
Face-to-face and online
I am happy to meet face-to-face, online or telephone but also offer a hybrid way in which we can work together, sometimes working face-to-face and sometimes online to meet individual needs and also considering our changing times.
Testimonials
"Lyn always seemed to be able to uncover things which I had not previously spoken about, and that I had buried for some time……
It was a real pleasure working with Lyn, and I cannot believe how much our sessions helped me."
Jan 2022
(Lyn) "Helped guide me to understand the pain and anger I have been going through ….. didn’t judge me for what I have been through."
Dec 2021
Contact
Please feel free to email to arrange a free telephone consultation, please provide your telephone number in your email. I will respond within 48 hours on week days.
