This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am a fully qualified counsellor offering face to face therapy for adults and young people (18+) in the Bristol area. I have rooms in Southville and Old Market.
My style of therapy is humanistic and integrated. This means I am trained to blend different methods and approaches into my work as a therapist – as what may work for one person, might not work well for another. My approach is based on a working partnership where you will be given the time and space to make sense of your experiences, thoughts and feelings which may be causing you pain, or making you feel stuck or unable to cope with the world and the demands of human relationships.
I think of therapy as a gradual process of understanding and coming to know ourselves with the help of a person who guide us compassionately into this knowledge. It is essential about reconnecting to our bodies and emotions and helping us see ourselves and our relationship to life in ways that allow us to move on. In other words, my counselling approach is about discovering who you really are within a safe and welcoming space, where you can tell your story and we can work through your problems together.
It is during times of crisis that we often become more aware of ourselves with respect to our relationships, both at work and in our personal lives. It is in relationship that we are formed and it is through relationship that we notice ourselves and are able to heal ourselves. Harnessing the power to heal ourselves with the help of a trained practictioner of the art and science of healing the mind, the body and it's emotions is the creed and essence of counselling and psychotherapy.
Your choice of therapist is therefore very important and I urge people considering therapy to think about the kind of person they might feel most comfortable to be with during this process. You may wish to see a few people before making your decision and committing yourself to one therapist and I heartily encourage this.
In the early stages, therapy can be about learning to be curious about the person we are and how we came to be. My skills and experience work alongside your readiness, courage and curiosity to explore your Self and to begin the process of healing.
As no two people's histories are alike, there is no fixed time frame for therapy depending upon what you have endured in the past and the healing you need. You as the client, will know when it’s time to end and the choice is always yours to make.
I am experienced working with long term anxiety and relationship issues, bereavement, depression, loneliness, addiction, sexuality and issues of identity. I am also experienced working with clients diagnosed and living with ADHD. I trained and qualified at BCPC and I am a member of BACP, whose ethical codes of practice are integrated into my approach.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained for 4 years at Bath College of Psychotherapy and Counselling (BCPC) at Level 5/6 equivalent Diploma in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling. This course is recognised and accredited by both BACP and UKCP.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP).
I began practicing in the BANES area since 2020 having previously worked with Bristol Mind as a volunteer for 2 years. I have lived in Bristol since 2018.
My previous career was in the design and printing industry, working in production.
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
£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My fees are £50 per session with an introductory session of £25. Each session is 50 minutes long. If you feel that therapy might be helpful and you would like to learn more, you can write to me at:
pkmel@proton.me
I then usually arrange a telephone conversation to have a brief chat with you, discuss how I work, answer any questions and, if you feel comfortable, to arrange an initial face to face session.