Dr Mel Maton

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she/her/hers
Counselling Psychologist MBACP
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

location_on Penarth, Cardiff CF64 & Penarth CF64
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

I am a qualified and approachable Chartered Counselling Psychologist providing integrative therapy.  I have over 20 years’ experience supporting people with their mental health and I am a registered member of the  BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), BPS  (British Psychological Society and HPCP (The Health and Care Professions Council).  I am currently offering therapy sessions both on-line sessions and in-person.

I work from an integrative perspective.  This means that I am trained in several counselling and psychological approaches.  The two approaches that underpin all my practice are relational psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).  These complementary approaches bring together psychological theory and research with therapeutic practice.  I am also trained in additional approaches (see below) which I can use if we feel they are appropriate for you.  People come to therapy for different reasons, have different goals and different needs.  I adapt my therapeutic style to ensure that every client has a tailored approach that works for them.

The support I offer is outlined below.  If you would like more details about my qualifications, professional memberships or experience, then please see the relevant sections underneath.

Your mental health

You may be seeking counselling for a specific issue such as stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or feeling sad.  These are all good reasons for seeking support.  Alternatively your reason might be more difficult to put into words, not everyone has an identifiable reason for seeking support. Many of my clients have sought therapy because they were struggling to find a sense of meaning or place in the world.  Whatever your difficulty, I offer my skills and experience to support you. I provide a confidential and non-judgmental space where your experiences, thoughts and feelings can be expressed and explored.

Here are some of the areas of mental health that I specialise in*:

stress | depression (including post-natal depression) | low self-esteem | all areas of anxiety | (including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), health anxiety, social anxiety,  panic attacks, fears and phobias)| feeling sad | low self-confidence | suicidal thoughts | obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) | depersonalisation disorder (disassociation) | post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | trauma | abuse | self-harm | bereavement and loss | relationship difficulties | family issues | social media | addiction | managing identify around gender or neurodiversity.

*Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Please contact me if you do not see the problems you are experiencing on the list.

How will counselling help me?

We all experience difficulties throughout our lives. When these difficulties impact our quality of life and our wellbeing, it can be helpful to seek professional support.  Recognising that you are not okay and talking about your experiences can be an important step towards recovery.

Counselling provides a safe space to address these difficulties with a trained and experienced therapist.  My focus is on listening openly, without judgment, to whatever you bring to the sessions.  Together we will explore the challenges you are facing to improve your mental wellbeing.

What should I do next?

Give me a call, text or e-mail to discuss booking an initial session. 

Tel: 07423 037 942 or e-mail: mel@melmaton.co.uk

Brief Telephone Consultation: I understand that you might be nervous about coming to see a therapist for the first time, and that finding the right therapist for you is vital.  This is why I can offer a free brief telephone consultation (10-15 minutes) to those who would like it, for us to discuss how I may be able to help you and to ensure that we are well matched to move forward together. 

In-person sessions are in Penarth, Cardiff.  

What should I expect from the first session?

Our initial session will allow us to get to know each other a little and will give you the opportunity to check that I am the right therapist for you.  We will explore your reasons for seeking support and what you hope to get out of counselling.  We can begin to outline a plan for therapy and agree the areas to explore. If you have specific goals or changes in mind, we can prioritise these and consider manageable steps towards them.

If you are happy to work together we can arrange further sessions. You can either opt for an agreed number (usually between 8-20) or we can work in a more open ended way. The approach we take may depend on your reasons for coming to therapy and what you want to get out of it.

If for whatever reason you do not feel I am the right therapist for you, there is no obligation to continue.

If you are unsure of anything please just ask.

Training, qualifications & experience

My qualifications include:

  • Doctorate in Counselling Psychology
  • MSc Health Psychology
  • BSc in Psychology
  • Graduate Diploma in Addiction Studies
  • Mental Health First Aid Trainer
  • Cruse Bereavement Care Foundation Course

Member organisations

  • British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - A registered Member MBACP
  • British Psychological Society (BPS) - The Division of Counselling Psychology
  • The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) 

I have a strong commitment to personal and professional integrity, and my work is in line with the BACP Ethical Framework. I have full professional liability insurance.

Experience

Over the last 20 years I have worked in a number of psychological and therapeutic roles across a range of settings in the public, private and voluntary sectors.  Before establishing my own practice I provided integrative therapy to adults within the NHS IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) service - including high-intensity CBT and psychodynamic counselling for a wide variety of mental health issues.  I regularly counselled people experiencing, general anxiety, depression, and relationship and family difficulties.  In addition I also supported clients with more specific issues, for example: panic attacks, phobias, health anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), skin picking, self-harm, abuse, depersonalisation disorder and people addressing their neurodiversity.

I previously spent several years working for a national bereavement charity providing counselling to individuals who were recently bereaved.  I have extensive experience of supporting people overcoming addictions (including substance misuse, eating disorders, gambling, alcohol and smoking) - providing group and individual counselling using Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), Social Behaviour Network Therapy (SBNT) and the Maudsley Model.

I have advised primary and secondary schools on the implementation of drug policies and drug education programs, providing training to teachers and running intervention sessions for young people at risk of social exclusion due to their substance misuse.

I led a team of outreach workers supporting the street population (rough sleepers, sex workers, street based drug and alcohol users and beggars) based in London’s Kings Cross - engaging in initial interventions with vulnerable people with complex needs and supporting them into services.

I have also worked for local authorities across the UK advising on Public Health Improvement programmes.

Research

I have particular expertise in relation to tokophobia (the fear of pregnancy and childbirth) and in relation to the effects of social media use on mental health. I have authored research papers on these areas.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Additional areas I support are:

  • Tokophobia
  • Social media
  • Depersonalisation disorder

I look forward to hearing from you,

Mel

Photos & videos

Fees

£100.00 per session
Free initial telephone session

Health Insurance/EAP

  • check_circle Axa Health
  • check_circle Aviva
  • check_circle BUPA

Additional information

My standard fee is £100 for a 50-minute session.  I charge £100-£110 for insurance companies (this is due to the extra paperwork involved).   I am able to offer a limited number of spaces at the reduced rate of £90.  Fees are payable in advance of each session. 

I offer both on-line and in-person sessions.   I am based in Cardiff and in-person appointments are held in Penarth, Cardiff.  I offer mostly on-line via a secure platform, as I find clients value the ease and flexibility of these sessions.

I typically see people weekly (although this is negotiable).  

If you would like to ask any questions before booking your first session, I am able to offer a free brief telephone consultation (10-15 minutes) to discuss how I may be able to help you and to ensure that we are well matched to move forward together.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I work Monday to Fridays between 9am and 3pm.   

I am based in Cardiff.

Penarth, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF64

Penarth Physiotherapy Practice, The Courtyard, Victoria Bridge, Penarth, South Glamorgan, CF64 2AN

Type of session

In person
Online

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

My current in-person space is not suitable to wheelchair users. However please let me know if this is required and I may be able to switch to a different room.

Online platforms

Microsoft Teams
Skype
VSee
Whatsapp