Melanie Harris
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am an integrative psychotherapist, trained to Masters (MA) level. This means I have had formal training in a number of different therapeutic approaches, and am able to adapt the way I work to best suit individual clients and their preferences. A big piece of this is also working to build a strong and trusting relationship between us, in which you feel safe to talk about whatever is troubling you.
I aim to offer a warm and supportive space and have been told by clients that I help to put them at ease when discussing challenging topics. I work to help my clients understand and make sense of their difficulties, even if they may feel very overwhelming or complex. All of my work is underpinned by the belief that there is nothing “wrong” with my clients, and that the difficulties we find arising in our lives are often very understandable and normal human responses to certain experiences.
As well as private practice, I also work within the NHS and have previous experience of working within charity settings. I am also a qualified personal trainer and have a strong interest in how the mind and the body interact, especially when working with trauma. I am a firm believer in size-inclusivity and work in a body positive way.
I hold a Masters degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and am a fully insured private practitioner.
Working Together
I understand that life can present us with many struggles, ranging from those arising from specific circumstances or existential concerns, through to more complex and long-standing difficulties. Whatever brings you to therapy, I work collaboratively with my clients to deeply understand their struggles, and work together as a team to explore ways of moving forwards.
I have experience of working with many different concerns, including anxiety, depression, high levels of shame and self-criticism, difficulties in relationships, low self-esteem, self-harm and/or suicidal thoughts, sexual abuse, and difficult family dynamics/early experiences (including growing up with parents who may have been very loving but struggled to recognise and attune to your emotional needs).
I have a great interest in relational dynamics, and working with the challenges that arise in our relationships both with others and ourselves, as well as considering how some of these patterns may have arisen from earlier experiences.
I work with adults aged 18 years and over.
Training, qualifications & experience
- MA in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of Roehampton (Distinction)
- Levels 1,2 and 3 in Counselling Skills and Theory, Guildford College
- BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences, Durham University
- The Compassionate Mind Approach to Recovering from Complex PTSD – Professor Deborah Lee, The Compassionate Mind Foundation
- An Introduction to CFT for Eating Disorders – Dr Ken Goss, The Compassionate Mind Foundation
- An Introduction to Theory and Practice of Compassion Focused Therapy – Dr Chris Irons and Dr Shelley Kerr, The Compassionate Mind Foundation
- Foundation Certificate in the Application of Polyvagal Theory in Counselling and Psychotherapy – Temenos Education
Research/Publications
- “Compassion and Complexity: An Exploration of Therapists’ Experiences of using a CFT approach to working with Complex Trauma. An IPA Study.” This research was completed in 2022 and is currently in the editing phase to be submitted for publication
Speaking
- I was honoured to be asked to speak at the Compassionate Mind Foundation’s 11th International CFT Conference in Edinburgh in October 2022, to present my research on therapists’ experiences of using CFT to work with complex trauma.
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 - £80.00
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
It's important that you feel there is a good fit with your therapist, and that you feel comfortable working with them. I therefore offer an initial free telephone call, which lasts up to 30 minutes. This gives us a chance to briefly discuss what is bringing you to therapy at this time, any questions you may have, and gives you a feel of how I work.
If you'd like to work together, we would then book in an initial assessment session, which lasts 60 minutes. This gives us time to understand some of your struggles in more depth and consider how best we might work together. All further sessions are 50 minutes in duration, and I normally work with clients on a weekly basis.
I offer therapy both in-person and online.
Initial assessment sessions (60 minutes) are charged at £80 and further weekly sessions (50 minutes) are £70.
