About me
My name is Maxine and I am a huge people person - genuinely warm, refreshingly down to earth and really easy to talk to. What you see is what you get, open and accepting.
My background has included working both within a caring wellbeing environment alongside an industry where scrutiny was really harsh! I have encountered working with huge amounts of people with a diverse range of personalities and behaviours. This has given me invaluable insight to struggle, insecurities, discrimination and demanding expectations. Transitions within the workplace, home, or in stages of our own lives, can impact profoundly. Having encountered exclusion and change in my own life at times, diversity, Inclusion and belonging in all areas for everyone is extremely important to me. Though each person's experience is completely unique to them, I can relate to how it feels to be different and understand the reluctance to step out of one's comfort zone to ask for help. However, as a Counsellor, I have often witnessed growth, empowerment and laughter within the therapy room, should you choose to reach out.
"How Counselling can help"
In life we all have 'stuff' that we carry, but at times that baggage can become increasingly heavy, and difficult to comprehend, or share even with our most loved ones, so instead, we carry on regardless.
Choosing the right Counsellor can be really hard. Maybe you've tried before and it wasn't the right fit ? Maybe you thought you were ready but discovered it just wasn't the right time ? Please don't be put off. This isn't unfamiliar.
I can offer a space that doesn't feel clinical or intimidating..that's away from all the noise.. just easy and comfortable, where you can pause and breathe...and talk...without feeling fear or shame or judgement. Somewhere to be strong or vulnerable, angry or sad, or just being your true self. I'm good at listening and good with acceptance. Talking can be profound. Simple but true.
"How we might work together"
I work in a Person Centred way which is as simple as it sounds. You are the person central in our work together. I will be alongside you as you begin to make sense of what you are experiencing. I won't use complicated narrative that you don't understand. The aim is for us to try to figure this out together in a straight forward, no nonsense, down to earth way, where you stay in control. Where you feel seen, heard, valued and validated. I can't promise that this journey won't be challenging at times, there may be twists and turns, tears and laughter, but hopefully it will be fulfilling and maybe even life changing. I'm not here to heal you, but to help you to heal yourself.
I offer, in person, face to face counselling either short term, medium or long, dependent on each individual's needs.
Are you ready to be brave and take that leap of faith? If so, call or text or email, and let's get started.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have trained and worked as a Listening Volunteer with Samaritans since 2019, dealing with callers both face to face and over the telephone. This offers me a totally different insight. Working with self harm and suicide ideation really brings home to me how awful and desperate life can be in someone's darkest moments. Callers, including prisoners, range from all ages, cultures, ethnicities, socio-economic and privileged backgrounds. It teaches simply, that struggle can come to anyone, regardless of who you are or where you are from. This is extremely rewarding in many ways, and a very humbling experience for me.
I have also worked voluntarily with a mental health charity counselling clients covering a broad scope of presenting issues - with rewarding outcomes for both the clients and myself. I do truly care. To experience any form of growth or positivity is the desired objective for all clients.
- Level 2 - Award in Counselling Concepts
- Samaritans Listening Volunteer
- Safeguarding at Samaritans
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- Level 1 Safeguarding at Samaritans (Recognise. Respond & Report)
- Level 2 Safeguarding at Samaritans (Recognise. Respond & Report)
- Level 2 Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults at Samaritans
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Mandatory Continuous Personal Development and Learning.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Feeling Stuck
- Isolation
- Suicidal Ideation
- Identity issues
- Men's issues
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Free Initial / No obligation Telephone consultation 20 minutes
£50 per session (50 Minutes)
£45 per session (50 Minutes) - Trainee Counsellors / unemployed
When I work
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Further information
As a member of the BACP, I am committed to working within their ethical guidelines. I am Supervision compliant for my own professional development alongside undertaking 30 hrs of CPD training over the space of a year.
I offer a Free initial 20 minute informal conversation/consultation.
