Michelle Parr
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello, I am Michelle an Integrative Counsellor and Creative Arts Therapist. I work with children and young people from 4 years old upwards and with adults of all ages.
My passion is working creatively with the arts to find different ways to explore life when words are difficult. This doesn't mean that you need to be creative or artistic, we can just talk!
A little about me ....... I enjoy walking my dog, singing (questionable!) to the radio in the car when no one can hear me, tea and cake and being outdoors.
My expertise is in working with loss, pre-bereavement (anticipatory grief) and bereavement for all ages.
Maybe you are thinking of finding some support and are tentatively having a look at different counsellors and models of working. It is important you find the right counsellor for you. If you want to make that initial first contact, please do email me and we can arrange a phone call (free of charge) to think about how counselling may be helpful to you and if I am the right counsellor.
When I work with teenagers and adults, it is mainly talking therapy with the option of creative work. With younger children, the work will be predominately creative and play.
Counselling is a space for you to talk about and explore how you are experiencing life and identify what may be stopping you from living your life as you would like to. Whilst counselling is not about giving advice, it is a space where you will be really listened to. We can work together to look at any anxieties you may have, depression, relationship breakdown, a feeling of being stuck or maybe something from the past that brings shame or sadness. We can look to identify changes that can be made in order to move forwards, strengthen coping techniques to build resilience and create a support network.
My approach is Integrative using Creative Arts Therapy alongside Humanistic and Psychodynamic; I incorporate CBT creative tools. I use clay, sand and image making to help explore thoughts, feelings and experiences that may be difficult or too painful to verbalise. Part of the work together may be to look at learnt behaviours, where your feelings and thoughts come from and how you manage them; exploring existing coping strategies and creating new skills to help manage the challenges life throws at you.
My work is in education and with local charities; through that I have experience of working across a wide age range, cultures and beliefs and with neurodiverse children, young people and adults.
Sessions are held weekly, ideally on the same day and time each week to give continuity. I work short, mid and long term.
I hold full indemnity insurance which covers work in the UK & worldwide.
I hold an enhanced DBS check.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified counsellor with a Diploma in Counselling (Qualified 2016) and a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (MBACP).
I have more recently, trained as a Creative Arts Therapist; through my work with children and young people I have often found that words to describe feelings and emotions can be difficult to find, and sometimes too painful to express. Working with the creative arts, is a gentle process that helps to give a voice to the feelings.
I work as a School Counsellor with children and young people who are both day and boarding students within the school as well as school staff.
I have previously worked as a Bereavement Counsellor for Ormiston Families Stars, supporting children, young people and their families when someone significant has died. I also have experience of pre-bereavement counselling, supporting children, young people and their families when a family member has a terminal diagnosis. Pre-bereavement counselling can be invaluable, giving individuals a safe, neutral space away from family where they can make sense of the diagnosis and how it is affecting them. They can speak without worry of upsetting someone.
I have been a volunteer counsellor for The One-To-One Project who provide long term professional support to adults in West Norfolk and North Norfolk who are experiencing emotional, social and/or and mental health difficulties.
I have trained with Creative Counsellors in Facilitating Therapeutic Groups.
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
£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Sessions can be in person at my counselling room in Station Road Ely or online via Zoom. I offer a brief initial telephone call for up to 15 minutes, so that we can introduce ourselves, explore what brings you to counselling and if I am the right counsellor for you. There is no cost for this initial session. To see a video of the counselling room, click on the arrow beside my photo.
When I work
I offer appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am, with the option of after school and evening appointments.
