Paula Coles BA (Hons) M.Ed (Psych) PGCE, Dip.HE,PG.Cert.HE. MBACP Accred

Training, qualifications & experience

Experience

Paula has over 20 years of clinical experience. She spent ten years working as a Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor (managing the work of Counsellors) for the award winning Southampton Rape Crisis. She provided short and long term individual Psychotherapy and set up and ran therapeutic groups. In addition, she set up a groundbreaking Young People's Service, which provided a specialist place for young people to engage with creative therapy.

She has also worked for Hampshire County Council's Employee Support service providing short-term, solution-focused therapy and stress management, enabling clients to manage difficulties and return to work.

Her time with these services gave her a good working knowledge of referral to additional services and of NHS mental health services should they be required.

Paula is qualified to apply a range of psychological models including Humanistic, Integrative, REBT and Solution-focused short term work. She is also able to offer creative and art based therapy, Mindfulness Meditation and Stress management.

Paula also has a long professional history of working as a Teacher and Lecturer specialising in emotional and behavioural differences. She has also taught and trained Counsellors and other professionals such as Police officers and Social Workers and provides consultant groups for a large fostering agency.

She has always enjoyed staying up to date with training and research and has completed a huge amount of additional courses such as: Mindfulness, Sex therapy, Stress management, working with Self Harm, DBT and Family therapy. She has also attended many conferences with the National Rape Crisis Federation and Hampshire County Council. She was also part of working group looking at suicide reduction interventions in Southampton.

She has published articles and written as a specialist for the media, consulting on Psychological issues, with a particular interest in anxiety, stress, parenting and psychosexual problems.

Training & qualifications

• Counselling Certificate, Sheffield Hallam University.
• Diploma of Higher Education in Counselling Skills Theory and Practice, University of Southampton.
• Post-graduate Certificate in Advanced Studies in CAS Counselling Supervision Theory and Practice (Distinction), University of Southampton.
• BACP Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist status since 2005.
• M.Ed Psychology (Distinction/Commendation), University of Bristol.
  (Specialising in Counselling Group Work and therapeutic work for Mental Health. Including Graduate basis for chartered membership of the British Psychological Society.)
• Working with sexual dysfunction.
• Mindfulness for Sexual Problems, Tavistock Relationships.
• Foundation in Art Therapy , British Association of Art therapists , London.
• Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy , Albert Ellis institute, New York City.
• PhD Research into Trauma, University of Roehampton.
• Primary Care Certificate in Stress Management, The Centre for Stress Management, London.
• Primary Care Certificate in Solution Focused Therapy, The Centre for Stress Management, London.
• B.A (Hons), University of Leeds.
• P.G.C.E., University of Leicester.
• Certificate of Education (Emotional and Behavioural Differences), University of Winchester.
• In addition Paula has attended a large amount of short courses and workshops.

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Paula has outstanding success rates working with anxiety and stress. Paula has particular expertise in working with abuse and those who have experienced sexual violence. She is exceptionally skilled in Psychosexual therapy.

Further information

Easily accessible by public transport.

Off-road parking available.