Madeleine Bentley
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello and welcome. I am an experienced BACP accredited counsellor based in Heworth, York, YO31.
I provide 1:1 therapy for younger adults (18-30s) who are finding life, relationships, work and study difficult for a wide range of reasons. I am particularly experienced at working with university students, LGBT people and people with autism.
People come to counselling for many reasons. You may find counselling helpful if:
- You are feeling anxious, depressed, have low self confidence and are finding it hard to shift these feelings.
- You want to make sense of difficult experiences such as family problems, bereavement, bullying or a traumatic event.
- You are dealing with a challenging life transition including starting or finishing university, a job or relationship.
- You are feeling stuck and want to improve things.
What is counselling & how does it help?
Counselling is where you can talk about any of your experiences, thoughts and feelings. Sessions are confidential which can give you the freedom talk about things that you might not be able to with friends and family. I encourage you to bring whatever is causing you difficulty or feels important. If you don't know exactly what is wrong we can try to work this out together.
Counselling can help you to learn more about yourself. This increased awareness can help you to better understand what you need to do to live in a way that is more helpful for you.
How often will I have counselling...and for how long?
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes and are held either weekly or fortnightly.
I see most clients for between 6 and 20 sessions. I also work shorter and longer term than this. If you want to focus on a single, current concern a few sessions may feel enough. If you have a long standing emotional difficulties or want to focus on difficult past experiences longer term work may be needed.
What happens in the sessions?
In your first session I will ask you to tell me about yourself, your difficulties and what you want from counselling. Together we will start to develop a shared understanding of what is wrong and what it might be helpful for us to focus on. After this session you will choose what we explore each week. We will regularly review our work to check that you are getting what you need from your sessions.
What kind of counselling do you offer?
I offer person centred counselling. A core belief of this kind of counselling is that everyone has the capacity for growth. This means that, if you think there are ways you currently approach your life that aren't helpful, you will be able to make changes.
My counselling style is conversational with an emphasis on carefully listening to you. We will focus on what you chose to, at your pace.
Person centred counselling is likely to suit you if you want to use your counselling sessions to talk about explore your experiences and gain more self understanding choosing the content and pace of your sessions. It may suit you less if you prefer the counsellor to lead the session, make suggestions or offer homework.
Where will I have my counselling?
My welcoming practice is based on the first floor in my home in Heworth, YO31. Free street parking is always available. If you cycle, there is space to park your bike. Local bus stops are a 5 minute walk away on the Malton Road and Stockton Lane.
I am particularly well located for both university areas, The Groves, Heslington, Huntington, Fulford, Layerthorpe, Osbaldwick and Tang Hall.
Booking a first session
If you would like to book a session with me, use the "Email me" button at the top of this screen. Let me know a little bit about yourself and your preferred session day/time of day - I work Tuesday and Wednesdays 10am-4pm.
If you would like to talk to me before booking a first session please use the "Book an intro call" button. You are welcome to use this initial conversation to ask any questions you have.
You are also welcome to email me if you have any questions about counselling.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
I am a Mental Health Practitioner at the University of York providing counselling to students at all levels of study. I have worked in higher education for 12 years and have an in depth understanding of the academic, social and relationship pressures university students face.
I have been a tutor for York City Council for five years. I currently teach the CPCAB Level 3 Counselling Studies qualification.
I previously worked as a counsellor at Phoenix Health and Wellbeing in Leeds and was a Young Person's mentor at York Mind.
I hold a CPCAB (Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body) Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. I am trained in person centred counselling.
Fully insured
Enhanced DBS certificate
Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.
I undertake a minimum of 30 hours Continuing Professional Development annually, in line with my BACP accreditation.
I hold an MA and BA from the University of Sheffield.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I also work with the following issues:
- Academic stress and failure
- Anxiety and depression dual diagnosis
- AuDHD
- ASD
- Family estrangement, parental estrangement
- Finishing university
- Gender identity - All aspects
- Leaving home
- LGBT
- Low motivation
- People pleasing
- Procrastination
- Sexual identity & sexuality
- Shame
- Shyness and feeling shy
- Starting university
I work with people with and without a formal diagnosis of anxiety, depression or both.
I have lots of experience of working with clients with autism and ADHD.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£45.00 - £50.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£50 Standard fee
£45 Students and recent graduates (within the last 12 months)
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
I work from my home in Heworth. My welcoming therapy room is on the 1st floor.
.
Further information
I hope you have got the information you need after reading this far, but please email me if there is anything more you need to know.
My office hours are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. During the week I respond to all emails within 24 hours. If you don't see a reply from me, please check you spam folder.
I look forward to hearing from you.
