Marc Cullen
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Thank you for visiting my page. My name is Marc; I’m a 31-year-old accredited counsellor (NCPS), and I’m determined to help you with your mental health. I have been working with individuals and groups for over 5 years, helping with issues like anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, abuse, and addiction. In addition to my professional knowledge and training I also have personal experience with poor mental health – as a teen and young adult I struggled for many years with anxiety and depression. My personal life history and professional development has equipped me with a great deal of insight and practical knowledge on how to transform one’s mental health.
I enjoy physical exercise, mindfulness, and several forms of personal and professional development, all of which positively influence my mental health and serve to benefit my career as a counsellor.
My Service at a Glance
- Free 20-minute consultation phone call
- Get your first session at a reduced rate of £30
- After that, a standard rate of £45 per session applies
- All sessions will last 50 minutes, unless agreed otherwise
- Book a block of sessions and save up to £10 per session (payment plans also available)
- Receive a personalised self-care plan, free of charge
- Online counselling via Zoom or Google Meet
- Face-to-face counselling also available (Armagh area) – blended approach possible
- A practical approach to counselling which includes a combination of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, and person-centred methods
- A high-quality, affordable counselling service aimed at helping you improve your mental health without long-term reliance on a therapist
About My Service
Free 20-Minute Consultation Phone Call
During your free 20-minute consultation you can raise any questions you may have; I aim to provide immediate support while gathering some information to assess your current situation. From there, we will book your initial counselling session (if you wish to proceed) which has a cost of £30.
My consultations are usually available on short notice; please feel free to request this.
Initial Counselling Session and Block-Booking
Your initial counselling session will last 50 minutes and will take place either online (via Zoom or Google Meet), or face-to-face in the Armagh area. Typically, my service consists of a weekly 50-minute counselling session. However, an additional 30-minute phone call is an optional extra for your tailored therapy plan. I offer session 1 at a reduced rate of £30 to allow you to sample my work and decide if you wish to continue.
In this initial session, we will discuss your goals and immediately begin the therapeutic work. We will discuss a potential duration for therapy which will be dependent on your presenting issue and desired goals. For example, we may agree that either 6 or 10 sessions will be a minimum requirement. If this is the case, I recommend a block booking which offers several great advantages: 1) considerable cost savings of up to £10 per session, 2) an improved commitment to therapy, and 3) avoiding the pitfalls of open-ended therapy – sometimes, open-ended therapy seems like it will last forever and a great financial cost can accumulate.
I’m extremely passionate about offering a high-quality counselling service at an affordable cost so that you may improve your mental health without long-term reliance on a therapist. There are, however, instances when longer-term therapy is required. This is a failure of neither client nor therapist, but a reflection of the varying degrees of complexity among clients’ presenting issues. After we have completed a block of either 6 or 10 sessions, you reserve the option to book another block, at the same price.
If you do not wish to book a block of sessions, a standard price of £45 will apply on a session-to-session basis.
The Process
My service focuses on the 3 keys to mental health:
1) Your inner world
2) Your outer world
3) Your personalised self-care plan
Your Inner World
This contains the 4 aspects of thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours. When life gets difficult it’s because one (or several) of these aspects causes more difficulty than we can handle i.e. our resources to cope have been exceeded. For example, we may seek therapy due to our thoughts (negative or intrusive), beliefs (poor self-worth), emotions (anxiety or depression), or behaviours (addictive or self-defeating). How we think and feel today is largely affected by how we’ve thought and felt in the past; difficult experiences leave their imprint on the psyche.
This is where we utilise a combination of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, and person-centred methods to help you come to terms with your complex inner world. As we begin to understand your thoughts and emotions on a deep level, your everyday mood will begin to transform. Negative states of anxiety, fear and sadness begin to soften, creating space for the positive qualities of calm, confidence, and satisfaction.
Your Outer World
Family, friendships, social activities, professional development, education, and health and fitness are several aspects of your outer world which are huge contributors to your mental health (there are also many more). The human brain responds to its environment, mostly in the developmental stages of childhood, but also throughout the entire course of life in a process called neuroplasticity – this is not a theory, but a process which has been confirmed by decades of scientific research. The cognitive and emotional circuitry of the brain is directly influenced by how we spend our time: when we change our habits and allocate our time and energy to activities which promote a healthy engagement with life, we have the power to literally change our brain functioning and improve our mental health. I will help you identify the areas of your outer world which you’d like to improve upon, and help you implement the required steps for change – a practical and rewarding process!
Your Personalised Self-Care Plan
Counselling is a vital part of the healing process. Another, equally important part is the action you take throughout the rest of your week - as my client, you will spend 50 minutes per week with me (another 30 minutes if you opt for the additional weekly phone call), which isn’t a lot. We must utilise our time together to help you understand and transform your day-to-day thoughts and emotions. In conjunction with this, I will gradually put together your personalised self-care plan which will help you take the practical steps to prioritise your mental health throughout the week – we will always discuss and agree upon this plan before completion. A personalised self-care plan is the greatest tool I can provide you with to help maintain (and even improve) your mental health, long after we have finished working together.
A typical self-care plan serves as the most practical of tools to help you in both your inner and outer worlds. Things like structure around sleep and wake times, morning and evening routines, mindfulness, physical exercise, relaxation methods, and personal-development practices are some of the core elements of self-care. The exact makeup of your care plan will depend on several things: your personality, social life, physical health, and future goals for mental health and life in general. I value the power of individual action just as much as I value the counselling profession. I’m passionate about helping you on both fronts, so that you may transform your mental health and regain a sense of control in your life.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
Fully Qualified Counsellor and Hypnotherapist
- Level 5 Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice
- Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory
- Level 3 Certificate in Hypnotherapy and Counselling Skills
Cruse Bereavement Support
- Bereavement Support Foundation Course, quality checked by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)
Aware-NI Support Group Facilitator
- Completed the Aware-NI support group facilitator training which enabled me to host and facilitate support groups covering a range of mental health difficulties
Fully Qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor
- Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training
- Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing
Experience
- Support group facilitator with Aware-NI – 4 years (2019-2023)
- Bereavement support counsellor with Cruse Bereavement, the UK’s leading bereavement charity – ongoing, since May 2023
- Counsellor in Private Practice – ongoing, since July 2024
- 3 years of practical experience as a trainee counsellor (November 2020 – March 2024)
Training/Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Safeguarding webinar - Cruse Bereavement Support
- Trauma awareness webinar – Cruse Bereavement Support
- Self-care webinar - Cruse Bereavement Support
- Ongoing telephone support webinar - Cruse Bereavement Support
- Networking, Communication and Understanding - Cruse Bereavement Support
- Take 5 (Steps to wellbeing) Ambassador Briefing – Southern Trust
- ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) – PIPS Hope and Support
- Ethical Practice CPD Course - NCPS
- Introduction to Working with Eating Disorders CPD Course – NCPS
- Keeping Adults Safe (Safeguarding) – Volunteer Now
- Safeguarding Children Affected by Parental Substance Misuse – ASCERT
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£30.00 - £45.00
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Initial 20-minute consultation phone call: free of charge
First counselling session (reduced price): £30
All other sessions (standard price): £45
I offer a range of block-booking options which enable you to save up to £10 per session. Speak to me about this.
When I work
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