Rachael Oliver
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am passionate about connecting with women, listening to their stories, and supporting them through the challenges and changes they face in their lives. Since qualifying, I have focused on woman-centered work and am pleased to offer counselling support to women and young women from the age of 13.
I believe that when given the right conditions to do so, women can feel empowered, have the strength to change their lives, process feelings and life events, and evolve to their full potential. I aim to offer this important space with empathy, positive regard, and authenticity so that my clients are safe to explore whatever it is that feels important to them.
Initially, we will have a free 30-minute conversation (via telephone or zoom) so you can get a feel for how I work and whether or not we are a good match for your counselling process. In your first session, we will go through some key points about counselling (confidentiality, your concerns and expectations etc), explore what has prompted you to reach out, and look at what you want to get from the process. From there on in, it is your space each week (or however frequently we agree to meet) and you can bring anything you want to explore.
It's an honour to be part of each woman's journey.
Training, qualifications & experience
I studied the Level 4 Diploma of counselling at JHD North Cambridge and am a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy).
I have worked with reputable counselling charities such as Cruse Bereavement Care (with adults, working with bereavement), Centre 33 (with young people between the ages of 14-25) and Footsteps Counselling and Care (with women dealing with issues related to pregnancy, baby loss, birth etc).
I am qualified as an 'integrative' counsellor, meaning I draw from the three main models of counselling:
- Psychodynamic counselling: a model developed by practitioners such as Freud through which we might explore your past, family history etc.
- CBT: cognitive behavioural therapy is popular within the NHS and can help clients with finding strategies to cope with issues such as anxiety
- and Humanistic counselling: a model that believes all people are good and employs empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence to help clients explore their lives
My main mode of counselling is humanistic and I work in a 'person-centred' way, gently creating space, building a relationship of trust with you, allowing you to lead the session. I work creatively with writing, models of thought, thought experiments and metaphor. I can help you focus on breathwork and ways to relieve anxiety such as grounding techniques. I am happy to share books and resources with clients if I feel they might be helpful. Any and all interventions are offered mindfully.
I have experience working with women to process issues including:
- grief
- depression
- anxiety
- pregnancy/baby loss/infertility
- identity
- relationships
- self-harm
I am in continuous professional development to support clients with a range of issues.
My practice is client-led: I will work with you at your pace, walking with you through your experiences and working with you to help you hear your thoughts and feelings in a gentle and authentic way.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Sessions are £55 for 50 minutes. I am open to discussing concessionary rates for clients who may struggle to fund counselling. We can discuss this in the free, 30-minute initial contact session.
When I work
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I will try to accommodate client sessions to fit your needs so feel free to enquire and we can work something out to fit us both.
Further information
I can offer sessions via Zoom, telephone or face-to-face in Sutton-in-the-isle, Ely.
To arrange an initial session, you can contact me via email or call 07525 216867 (please note all calls to this number are directed to a confidential voicemail service. Please leave a message with your details and I will get back to you).
Our initial conversation will be either via phone or video call (as is convenient to you). I offer this session as a free 30-minute session to give you the opportunity to get a feel for how I work, ask questions, and decide if you would like to arrange sessions.
