Paula Marije Clegg
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
From our earliest experiences as babies and on through our adult lives we are instinctively guided to connect to others for our own wellbeing, and yet most of us find being in a relationship challenging at times – whether that is with our family, partner, or friends. Perhaps you feel stuck repeating the same unhelpful emotional pattern with others, or maybe you struggle to express your needs in a relationship? If you’re a parent maybe you are finding the parent-child relationship is unexpectedly reactivating old emotional wounds from childhood?
I believe that the desire to improve how we relate to others goes hand in hand with developing a good relationship with our own Self. For example, consider the difference in how you might feel with an internal critical voice judging your actions, compared to an inner voice of self-worth valuing what you do. The ability to relate to oneself with compassionate, curious awareness is key to developing loving relationships with others.
When working with you, I will create a warm, empathic therapeutic space which will support you in building a more secure sense of self. By learning how to listen and respond to your emotions, how to become aware of sensations in the body, and how to develop skills of reflection (rather than impulsive reaction) you can begin to communicate with others from a calm, centred position, and feel more able to cope with life’s stresses.
New clients often want to know how long counselling will last for. Naturally this will depend on various factors, such as the issue/s they are needing help with, and the type of help required. Where some clients need practical solutions and focused support within 6-8 sessions, others find the initial sessions grow into a longer and deeper enquiry. In this process they discover new aspects of themselves that had previously been hidden, and uncover a greater meaning to their lives. Bringing together all parts of your life story into a narrative that finally ‘makes sense’ can be very healing. Each of us has a unique story to tell.
Choosing to commit to counselling takes courage. To help you work out if I’m the right counsellor for you, I offer a free 30 minute session (phone, online video or in person) in which you can ask questions and get a sense of who I am and how I work. You can also describe the issues that are bringing you to counselling and what you hope to gain from it. We can then decide if counselling with me is the right option for you at this time.
For more information about me, please visit my website: www.holdingthespace.uk
Training, qualifications & experience
2012 - Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (accredited by BACP British Assoc for Counselling & Psychotherapy)
2016 - Professional Diploma in Counselling Children & Adolescents (accredited by National Counselling Society)
2018 - Specialist Diploma in Relationship Counselling (accredited by National Counselling Society)
2021 - certificate in Online & Phone counselling
2021-2023 - invaluable learning of attachment and relational healing through my own experience as a client of attachment-informed EMDR
2024 - ongoing learning on The Transformational Healing Blueprint program (Hypnocatalyst.com) - neuroplasticity tools for change
I have extensive experience of working with young people in school and college settings, and have worked as a volunteer for a local bereavement charity. I have also been an approved adoption therapist for working with adoptees (young adults and older).
I believe a good counsellor is one who continues to develop their skills and understanding throughout their working life. I am committed to my personal and professional development, and attend workshops, engage in personal therapy, and learn through research and reading.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Grounding, self-soothing techniques to support the body and nervous system
Emotional regulation tools
Creative and symbolic therapeutic work to enhance emotional understanding
Attachment loss and adoption issues
Understanding the impact of generational trauma
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I charge £50 per hour for counselling with individual clients, and £60 per hour for relationship work. Occasionally I am able to offer reduced fees for clients on low incomes. Please contact me if you wish to discuss this option.
A free 30 minute session can be arranged if you wish to meet me first to discuss what counselling can offer you, and decide if I am the right person to work with.
When I work
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