Omar Malas

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he/him
Dip Therapeutic Counselling MBACP
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Bristol, City of Bristol, BS5
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Maybe you're here because you feel low, constantly worried, unhappy with some of your pattern behaviours or just frustrated with how things are. You may recognise that you're anxious, depressed, angry, grieving or any other unsettling or uncomfortable state of being but you just don't know what to do with it. 

Taking this first step in reaching out isn’t easy, especially if you’ve never been in therapy before. My profile is probably one of many you’ve read and maybe you’ve seen the same things repeated over and over again about how a therapist can help you. I’ve been there myself and it is quite daunting and overwhelming.

I hope to simplify this process for you. I can offer you a free no-commitment intro session just so you can get a flavour of who I am and how this works. Even taking this step has felt good for me in the past, just from sharing what I want help with. It’s telling myself that ‘I need support’ and that first step is massive.

 What I hope to do, through building a trusting relationship, is help you find some answers as to why you're feeling this way and gain the tools to be able to bring about those changes. I aim to challenge you in a way that may feel uncomfortable at times. Perhaps there are things you dare not share with partners, friends or family - it is most welcome in this space, no matter what it is. 

I have been practising for 4 and a half years now. I have worked with adults in addiction, those finding it difficult to manage their personal and professional relationships, those finding it socially stressful in the post-lockdown world as well as young people in schools whose behaviours at schools are reflecting troubling family dynamics at home. My clients have ranged from 18 – 62 year olds, People of Colour, LGBTQ clients, and those from different socio-economic and religious backgrounds.  My clients often present with traumas too and I have experience in holding the space for them when related feelings arise as they work through these and begin to heal and change their relationship to them.

Training, qualifications & experience

My training is in the Person-Centred Model, which is centred around a client-led approach in autonomous empowerment. Basically, I am not here as 'the expert', but trust that you have the ability to reach your positive potential. I feel that it is more empowering that way and I only say this because it felt more empowering learning about myself when I tapped into my own resources, rather than being told what to do or given advice. Advice-giving isn't really my thing if that's what you are seeking. What I can offer is non-judgement and an eagerness to see things from your subjective viewpoint, to really understand what it's like in your shoes. As my training and work has progressed, I have begun to integrate other ideas into my work, such as bodywork, breathwork and even varying the setting of the work to outdoor green spaces - I try to tailor my work to each client's needs and this is discussed with the client at the assessment stage of the work.

From July 2024 I will be embarking on a 9 month long Breathwork Practitioner Course with Seven Directions Breathwork School to further deepen my use of the breath to help clients connect to and relieve deeper traumas and emotions stored in the body.

I also have experience working with ENM and Polyamory (see link for further details on this: https://www.polyfriendly.org/entry/6712_omar-malas/ )

I am a member of BACP.

I offer both open-ended long term sessions and short to medium term session structures (4,6, 8 or more). These can be tailored to your needs and can be discussed during the assessment.

 I have also recently been working in wellbeing, harm reduction and personal crisis management at large events for people having immediate, challenging drug and mental health experiences. The work is relatively short term and often crisis based, but has given me valuable insight into the space that needs to be held for those who, at a precise moment, are going through immense amounts of distress.

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.

Areas of counselling I deal with

Therapies offered

Fees

£45.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session

Concessions offered for

  • check_circle Low income
  • check_circle Keyworkers
  • check_circle OAPs
  • check_circle Students
  • check_circle Trainee counsellors
  • check_circle Unemployed
  • check_circle Refugees

Additional information

I charge a usual flat rate fee of £40, but also have some limited spaces for low-income, unemployed or socially disadvantaged clients. I am aware that counselling can be expensive and this can feel like it excludes many in society and would therefore like to make my services more available for those without the privileges that others have.

Further information

I am currently offering in-person sessions at my practise rooms on Gloucester Road (BS6), online, telephone sessions and I also offer walk and talk therapy sessions (weather dependent). These options can be discussed further during assessment.

Bristol, City of Bristol, BS5

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone
Home visits

Types of client

Young people (13-17)
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

Wheelchair user access info
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

Omar Malas
Omar Malas