Paula Cook Registered MBACP
About me
Hello and thank you for looking at my profile.
Life can throw some difficult experiences at us sometimes which may leave us feeling helpless, overwhelmed, anxious, stressed and with a sense of really not knowing which way to turn or how to sort it all out.
We all have different coping mechanisms. Some people keep themselves so busy that there is no time to think about their problem but may find themselves with poor sleep patterns instead. Some people may push their issues to one side (put it on a box on the shelf - sound familiar?) and think they are doing well but find themselves getting worked up over things which previously didn't bother them. Those unresolved issues can have a way of showing themselves in all sorts of different ways.
If you need a safe place to talk about your troubles, please get in touch. I am here to support you, to listen to you and work with you to find a positive way forward. You can talk freely about anything which may be causing you distress or making you anxious. This may be a current situation you find yourself in or a past experience which is impacting your life now. I will help you to explore your thoughts and feelings and help you discover a way through them so that life sits a little easier with you.
I offer therapeutic counselling to both individuals and couples in Southport and Chorley.
Further information can be found on my website https://www.paulacookcounselling.co.uk
I look forward to hearing from you.
Training, qualifications & experience
I qualified as a Person-Centred Counsellor in 2013 and have been in practice ever since.
I have experience of working within NHS settings at Ormskirk Hospital and spent a year counselling at Minds Matter in St Helens. My volunteering roles have included Marriage Care, a national charity specialising in adult couple relationships; Place2Be as a school counsellor supporting primary school children; and The Tasha Foundation, an online counselling service.
I work within the BACP Ethical Framework, have regular supervision and hold professional insurance and enhanced DBS.
Registered Member MBACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
Registered Member ICEEFT (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focussed Therapy)
Qualifications:
- Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Person-Centered)
- Certificate in Counselling Skills
- Certificate in Counselling Concepts
- BACP Certificate of Proficiency
Further Training:
- Externship in Emotionally Focussed Therapy for Couples (ICEEFT) 2016
- BACP endorsed Certificate in Relationship Counselling
Member organisations

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership

Accredited Register Scheme
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 Individual
£65 Couples
Payment Method: Cash/Card/BACS
Booking an initial session can often help in your decision on whether Counselling, and whether the Counsellor, is right for you. There is no pressure or obligation to continue after this session.
Please do contact me if you have any comments or queries and I will be more than happy to help and answer any questions you may have.
Further information
Chorley Location
55 Clifford Street
Southport Location
Botanic Road, Churchtown
Free parking is available. Close to accessible bus stops.