Paula Kennington
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi, I'm Paula. I am a fully qualified counsellor and a registered BACP member. I work with adults who are experiencing a range of issues such as anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, major life events, bereavement, low self-esteem, depression and stress.
I work in an integrative way which means that I will employ different therapeutic methods to suit the individual issues that you are facing. I will listen to you in a warm, empathetic and non-judgmental way and work with you to explore your emotions in a safe and supportive environment. I aim to help you reflect and make sense of your issues and gain a greater understanding of yourself so you can move forward.
For a significant part of my adult life I lived overseas, in countries with different cultural values to the UK and I consider myself to have an awareness and sensitivity as to how culture and/or religion can be an influential factor.
I also provide counselling to people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities. I have had Crohn's myself for many years and I have a passion for helping people who are facing major life-changing diagnoses, have concerns about upcoming surgery or are facing issues living with IBD (crohns/colitis) and/or an ostomy (ileostomy/colostomy/urostomy). I am currently carrying out research into the psychological impact of stoma formation surgery and, having an ostomy myself, I can provide an exceptional level of understanding and empathy from my own life experience.
Please get in touch to book a free 20-minute introductory call to have an informal chat about what brings you to therapy, answer questions about the process and see if we are a good fit.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Currently studying final year (Level 6) BSc Counselling degree.
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills.
- Currently volunteer with a local charity that offers counselling to those who need it.
- Worked with the Samaritans as a listener whilst undertaking my counselling qualifications.
- Volunteered with the Malaysian Ostomy Society, offering support services for those with or who needed ostomy surgery.
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
- Living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) e.g. Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
- Living with a Colostomy/Ileostomy/Urostomy/Stoma/Ostomy
- Psychological impact of major surgery
Therapies offered
Fees
£45.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Each session lasts 50 minutes
Further information
All sessions will be either online or via telephone
