About me
Welcome
Are your emotions feeling big and difficult to manage, or are you facing challenges that are making you feel unsettled, unsure or disconnected? or you might be a parent of a child or teenager, concerned that they are facing some difficulties and are needing some extra support?
Taking the first step towards asking for support can feel overwhelming, uncomfortable and a little lonely and I know first-hand how valuable finding the right support can be. My ethos is to offer a warm and welcoming space to enable us to build a relationship so that you feel comfortable enough to explore what is going on for you.
For over 25 years, I’ve worked with children and families, seeing first hand how many people struggle and how powerful it can be to have the right support. I’m a qualified counsellor, trained to work with both children and adults, and I offer a calm, caring space where you can gently explore what’s going on for you. I work in Maidstone and Kings Hill and can also offer sessions online and via the telephone.
How counselling works
My approach is predominately person centred which means that I will support you in making sense of your thoughts and feelings at your own pace. I do however, use other counselling approaches and techniques which I am able to adapt to each individual need. In my adult work, I have experience of working with a range of difficulties including: anxiety, grief, family conflict, trauma, depression, neurodiversity, disability and also supporting women, particularly through times of change.
Having worked for many years in a variety of school settings and most recently for CAMHS I have witnessed the growing challenges children and young people are facing. So many struggle to access their learning and reach their potential due to poor mental health. My sessions with young people often use more creative ways of working and I have experience of supporting children and young people with a range of difficulties including: anxiety, neurodiversity, grief, low self-esteem, self-harm and school related challenges such as exam pressures.
I am currently a Lead Counsellor in two secondary schools, and I also work with adults in private practice, agencies and healthcare settings. My background across education and therapeutic services gives me a rich understanding of the pressures facing both young people and adults today.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 6 Advanced Specialist Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 2 & 3 Therapeutic Counselling
- PGCE Teaching qualification
- BSc (Hons) 2:1 Psychology University of Kent
Additional continuing Professional Development includes:
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
- Understanding Autism and ADHD- good practice for counsellors
- Disability and stigma
- Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's)
- Domestic Violence and Abuse awareness
- LGBTQ plus inclusion training for counsellors
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
I have an up to date DBS check, am up to date with safeguarding training and hold my own professional liability insurance.
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
£65.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My typical fee is £65 for a 50 minute session. I do also offer some limited concessionary slots at a fee of £60.
Further information
If you are considering counselling and would like to see whether we are a good fit, I offer a free 20-minute discovery call via telephone or Zoom. This is a gentle introduction and is a chance for you to share what’s on your mind, ask any questions and get a sense of how it might feel for us to work together.
If you would like to enquire about having a counselling session with me, please do get in touch:
Email: polly@pollydimmockcounselling.co.uk
Telephone: 07811 027709
