About me
Therapeutic Counsellor: Paul Deaton
I have returned to face-to-face working; but also do work online sessions when that is more feasible.
I offer humanistic, psychodynamic based integrative therapy; informed by Gestalt practice and the relational approach, and embracing aspects of cognitive therapy working both in the short term, identifying specific problems or the longer term, which offers the chance, with support to make real changes.
What does this mean practically? Principally, it means creating a safe setting where someone can begin to explore their own experiences and begin to work out what they feel and what they trust. Daily life is often a compromise that doesn’t give the space to explore our deepest feelings and therefore change for the better is more often than not, painfully, on hold.
Areas include depression, anxiety, illness, illness recovery, low self-esteem, relationship patterns, parental issues, addictions, bereavement and questions of meaning & purpose.
Practice description
Therapeutic Counselling
Sometimes we need help in our journeys to find out who we really are; we need a different perspective from friends and family, someone who is impartial, someone who can let us breath, who won’t react to what we say, won’t talk over us, and offer what ‘they think’ responses. Someone who can offer us a ‘confidential space’ that we can use with confidence; in busy daily lives this often feels lacking.
Counselling and therapy can offer this space to re-evaluate what is happening, what one wants, who one is and is a chance to talk about things that perhaps no else has properly listened to. Talking to someone in this way can make a real difference when we may have become stuck, directionless, depressed or caught in negative relationships or situations that seem beyond our control. It can help us understand where we are and what we really feel, but more importantly can help us work out where we need to go. Someone impartial can offer this exploration, change and permission.
The First Step
The first session would be introductory (either online, face to face, or by phone); of 50 mins where you will be able to share what has been going on for you and maybe offer some goals you wish to achieve from the therapy. I will happily discuss the therapeutic process and try to answer any questions. This is a stand-alone meeting, where you can pause, reflect, and make the decision if you wish to start in therapy. If you decide you would wish to proceed then we would set up an on-going weekly appointment.
What I can help with
Abuse, Addictions, Anger management, Anxiety, Bereavement, Cancer, Child related issues, Cultural issues, Depression, Eating disorders, Health related issues, Identity issues, Infertility, Loss, Men’s issues, Obsessions, OCD, Phobias, Post-traumatic stress, Redundancy, Relationships, Self-esteem, Self-harm, Sex-related issues, Sexual identity, Sexuality, Spirituality, Stress, Trauma, Work related issues
Types of therapy
Existential, Gestalt, Humanistic, Integrative, Jungian, Person-centred, Phenomenological, Psychoanalytic, Psychodynamic, Relational, Transpersonal
Clients I work with
Adults, Older adults, Organisations
How I deliver therapy
Long-term face-to-face work, Online counselling, Short-term face-to-face work, Telephone counselling, Time-limited
Training, qualifications & experience
I completed training at the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling, a course accredited by both BACP & UKCP qualifying in humanistic and integrative counselling (DipHIC, distinction, BCPC). This follows a life-long interest in people, their motivations and their relationships. I have a first class degree in psychology (Bath 2001), an MLiTT in creative writing (Glasgow, 2011) and two decades of experience in mental health, both the charity sector e.g. Mind, & Changes, Bristol but also in the NHS, working on acute mental health wards, and for the last four years counselling in addictions in Bristol. On top of counselling I facilitate groups, and also run creative writing workshops.
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
£60.00 per session
Additional information
I can offer one or two reduced fees. e.g. for students.
