About me
Hello!
My name is Megan, and I am a qualified counsellor working from a Person-Centred approach. I currently work as a counsellor within an agency setting at Don't Lose Hope (a local counselling charity), a school and also in private practice. I offer one-to-one sessions with clients aged 12 and above, either on a short- or long-term basis, depending on what you as the client feel ready for or would prefer.
I understand how daunting it can be to take those first steps and make the decision to come to counselling. I aim to provide a judgement-free space where you can feel comfortable and share at your own pace. It can feel strange to come to counselling and be expected to share how you're feeling with someone you don’t know. In my work as a Person-Centred counsellor, I believe it’s so important to build a therapeutic relationship and develop trust, until you feel able to open up about what’s currently happening for you, or past life experiences.
It may be that you’re unsure how you feel, or that you’re ready to make a change but aren’t sure what that change is. You might feel low and find some days it’s impossible to get out of bed, without understanding why. It might feel impossible to be happy without fearing that the feeling won’t last. You may find yourself constantly overthinking or overanalysing how you behave or what you say to others. These are very real and distressing ways to feel. What you’re experiencing is important, and hopefully, through the course of working together, we can develop a better understanding and begin a process of change.
These thoughts and feelings didn’t develop overnight - they are patterns that can become automatic for us - and the reverse is also true. Perhaps you’re not supposed to know how to just stop thinking a certain way, but instead, learn to replace old habits with new, healthier patterns. My aim is to help you understand your emotions, identify your triggers and support you in learning how to regulate how you feel.
I like to work with my clients in a way that best suits their individual needs. We will work with whatever you bring each week, and I can help provide tools and coping strategies where appropriate. It’s not my place to offer advice or tell clients what to do; instead, I aim to create a safe, confidential, and therapeutic environment where you can go on your own journey. I don’t set homework or expectations, but when working with clients experiencing eating disorders or disordered eating, I may provide worksheets to take away and reflect on in future sessions.
I offer both weekly and more infrequent sessions to accommodate shift patterns or school schedules. We will begin with an initial phone conversation to explore how we might work together. Choosing a counsellor can be a difficult decision, so this initial chat gives us the opportunity to see whether you feel comfortable working with me before committing to an in-person session.
If you decide to go ahead, we will schedule our first session - an initial assessment session. This allows me to gather important information about where you are with your mental health, take emergency contact details, and also answer any questions or concerns you may have about starting counselling. It’s also a space to talk about what has brought you to counselling at this particular time.
Please feel free to get in touch via email if you have any questions or queries.
Thank you.
Training, qualifications & experience
As well as working in private practice, I also see clients at Don't Lose Hope, a local counselling charity in Bourne, where I work with clients aged 11 and above. I also represent Don't Lose Hope in a school setting, where I work as a school counsellor, supporting students from Year 7 up until Year 13.
My Qualifications:
- CPCAB Level 2 Award in Introduction to Counselling Skills
- CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling - the BACP Approved Practitioner Qualification
- CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Children and Young People
- Certificate in working with Eating Disorders
- BACP Certificate of Proficiency
- How to do counselling online: a coronavirus primer - A Open University training course
- I am a Registered Individual Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
As a member of the BACP, I regularly attend CPD training courses to support my ongoing professional development. Some of the training I have completed includes:
- The Changing Landscape of College and School-Based Counselling - BACP CPD Event
- The Impact of Language and Meaning-Making When Working with Depression in Young Adults - BACP Online Training
- Safeguarding and Managing Risk Through Digital Media - Practitioners - BACP CPD Event
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
I work with a range of mental health issues. If there's something not mentioned above that you would like to talk about, please do get in touch. If I’m not able to help, I may be able to signpost you to a colleague.
I predominantly work in a Person-Centred way, with an integrative style that incorporates some CBT skills and tools.
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Additional information
My fees are: £50 for a 50 minute session for adults and under 18s. Please note I'm currently only accepting cash payments.
When I work
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Further information
I offer a free initial 10-15 minute telephone call, giving you the opportunity to get a sense of what it might be like to work with me. If you decide you'd like to move forward, we can then arrange an assessment session. During this session, we’ll discuss in more detail what has brought you to counselling, and I will take down some practical information for my confidential records. This session will be 50 minutes long and charged at the normal rate of a session.
