Matthew Deaves
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.
About me
Hello, my name is Matthew. I am a qualified integrative therapist offering open ended and time limited work for individuals on a weekly basis. I conduct sessions online via Zoom.
At a fundamental level, I have the conviction that it is possible to make sense of our lives and doing so makes good sense. Clients I meet often have a sense of despair around aspects of their lives and find themselves being ‘fed up of being fed up’. This despair however can serve as a useful catalyst in the quest for healing and understanding. Therapy is an opportunity to take stock of our lives and work out what we want them to be, to face ourselves head on.
I am a great believer in the adage ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, and I believe that, quite simply, therapy serves as a fresh pair of eyes. In our sessions, I will invite you to tell me stories about your life, your relationships, and the way you observe yourself. Together we will look for clues within the stories to better understand your lived experience. When therapy works, it frees us from our stories, and together, this is what we will work toward.
Training, qualifications & experience
My professional journey began in 2009 through completion of a certificate course in counselling skills. Since that time I have worked with a number of charities in helping positions before embarking on a diploma in Social Science and Psychology. I have since graduated from a BSc (Hons) in Integrative Counselling at the University of East London, a degree accredited by the BACP where I am also a registered member. Most recently I have been working in clinical practice at a mental health and well-being centre in East London.
Working integratively allows me to cater to the needs of my clients by drawing from a range of theoretical, practical and philosophical sources, literature and film. I have a particular interest in humanistic and existential therapies. My style is warm and collaborative with emphasis placed on the client-therapist relationship.
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
£70.00 per session
Further information
Starting therapy, or starting over with a new therapist, can feel like a daunting undertaking. Be assured that I offer a non-judgemental and accepting space to explore your reasons for embarking on this journey.
Following your initial contact, I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute introductory Zoom session which will provide an opportunity to discuss the difficulties you are facing and the way in which therapy may help. I will discuss the way any future sessions would be structured and provide a space for you to ask any questions you might have about our work together. This initial meeting is also a great opportunity to establish our suitability in working together.
