Nicola Rhodes
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Whatever has brought you to this directory, I’m reaching out with genuine care and compassion to you. You’ve already made the momentous decision to explore what’s troubling you, so if you decide after reading my profile that I might be the therapist to walk beside you as you take a deeper look into these things, I will meet you with unwavering empathy, acceptance, heartfelt warmth and understanding, to create an empathic space where you can start to process and make sense of all you wish to bring within the safety of our therapeutic relationship.
This relationship is key to the success of our work together and it’s built on trust and honesty with each other and on being real in the moment with one another. Being authentic in this way, though it may sound scary, will help to reinforce trust in yourself and in your instincts. The magic of this is as you’ll be the driving force behind your therapy, any shifts, realisations and “Aha!” moments you experience will be long term and life changing ones.
Session by session, you will begin to re-discover your inner reserves of resilience and a more empowered you. Helping you accept yourself with true compassion and renewed understanding. Also, experiencing our counselling relationship may inspire you to realign any problematic patterns of relating that we may pick up on in session, to then carry these new ways of being in a relationship forward into your relationships outside our therapy room, perhaps strengthening and rejuvenating them in the process.
My Availability
I’m available for appointments in person, online/telephone or for home visits which are subject to your locality and situation.
I have availability Monday to Thursday between 9am to 6pm. I currently have session spaces at various times on each of these days and a few later evening session appointments are also still available. I aim to be as flexible as possible to fit around my clients busy schedules.
All contact information shared with me is kept strictly confidential and as a Registered data controller with the ICO I comply with all regulations around how my client’s data is handled and stored, further information about this is available upon request.
Areas I Can Help With
Some of the issues I have encountered as a therapist that I may be able to help you with are:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Suicidal Ideation
- Self Harm
- Sexual Abuse & Rape
- Domestic Violence
- PTSD
- Anger Issues
- ADHD/AS/Aspergers
- Work Related Stress
- Relationship Issues
- Dementia & Elderly Issues
- Palliative Therapy
Bereavement, Trauma and Narcissistic Abuse are my areas of expertise. Also, as a counsellor for children and young people aged 11-18 years.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an Integrative Psychotherapist, with Gestalt and Polyvagel (Trauma) theory central to my thinking and the Humanistic (Person-Centred) approach at the heart of my practice.
I have worked closely with bereavement, grief, loss and palliative care as a bereavement counsellor with Cruse and as a carer for the elderly, providing me with specialist training and experience with those facing dementia, end of life and the changes that getting older brings.
At the other end of the spectrum, as a college counsellor, I have experience working with young people aged 16-18 years, presenting with a vast array of issues, and I am trained and qualified to work with children as young as 11 years old.
Qualification’s and Training
- CPCAB Level 2 Counselling Skills
- CPCAB Level 3 Counselling Studies
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- CPCAB Level 5 Psychotherapeutic Counselling Diploma
- BACP Competencies for Humanistic Counselling with Young People (11-18 years) – Stage 1
- Cruse Bereavement Care/ Bereavement Support Foundation Course, Face to Face Elective Training.
- Counselling Tutor – Online and Telephone counselling course – BACP recognised.
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
When I work
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Further information
Our Initial Meeting
I offer a free initial 15-minute chat either over the phone or via a secure video platform for you to see how talking with me feels. If you feel comfortable and easily open up to me, this is a good sign that I may be the right therapist for you. This chat also allows us to introduce ourselves and for you to see if I align with your particular therapeutic needs and for me to assess whether I have the skill set best suited for you.
Chatting in this way works wonders, as vibes are pretty instant and I encourage potential clients to be honest if they’re not feeling it with me, as being authentic from the outset is paramount to our therapeutic alliance and the overall success of our work.
My Premises & Accessibility
Being inclusive and reaching everyone who is seeking therapy matters to me, which is why, I not only offer in-person sessions at my cosy and welcoming office in the heart of South Petherton, but at an alternative space over in Street that is all on one level and fully wheelchair accessible.
My office in South Petherton is very easily located with parking directly outside. Alternatively, home visits can be arranged if meeting each other online doesn’t suit you and getting out and about isn’t an option for you, these visits are subject to your location and your individual needs.
If you prefer to meet remotely, we can arrange weekly sessions via phone or a secure video platform such as Zoom.
Our First Session
Sessions with me last for 50 minutes. During our first session, we will run through some essential paperwork together namely our counselling agreement. We can, if you wish to in our first session also look at a very brief client assessment tool, which helps clients who feel a bit nervous ease gently into the narrative of the issue they wish to bring, it also acts as a helpful visual aid at the start of your therapeutic journey. As I work in a client-led way, if you don’t feel like looking at this tool that is also absolutely fine.
Discussing your expectations and goals for therapy at this point also works well as it gives our work direction and a focus, but it’s not something that’s set in stone and often evolves along the way. During your time as my client, I will check in with you regularly, to see if these goals are being met and/or if they’ve changed.
Trust is nurtured from the outset as our therapeutic bond builds. This will help cushion the effect of meeting challenging issues head-on, guiding you towards the resolutions and outcomes you seek.
So, if you’re ready to take this first step on your journey to feeling better, please get in touch to arrange an initial free meeting. My hand is outstretched in genuine care, ready to receive yours.
