Rachel Allen
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Down-to-earth, approachable and non-judgemental, I will aim to develop a safe and supportive relationship with you where you feel able to talk about any difficulties you are experiencing and to be yourself.
I use an integrative counselling approach which has a basis in humanistic/person centred practice. This is informed by other theories and approaches such as attachment and family systems theory. I take a compassionate view of the struggles and difficulties that we can all face in life.
I am qualified to work with adults, children and young people and have worked with clients from aged 6 to 80. I have experience of working with a wide range of issues including (but not limited to) family and parent/child relationships, parenting (from newborn onwards), bereavement and loss, neglect and/or abuse in childhood, addiction and its effects on family members, creative blocks, living with uncertainty and life-threatening illness.
I enjoy taking a creative approach to therapy, when appropriate. Creative approaches can really help when it is hard to find the words that fit with what you are experiencing. This can be particularly helpful for children and young people (see below).
A word about counselling for children: children and sometimes adolescents do not always find it easy to put their feelings and thoughts into words. Often it’s their behaviour that communicates that something is wrong. A counselling relationship gives them the opportunity to find a means of expressing themselves that is appropriate to their age and developmental stage, in a safe and confidential space. This could be by using art, puppets, drama, stories, sandtrays and play, as well as or instead of the more usual talking type of therapy.
If you are interested in counselling for your child, please contact me for more information and to have an initial discussion.
Sessions are 50 minutes and my fee is £50 per session. Some concessions are available - please contact me for more information.
Training, qualifications & experience
I qualified as a counsellor in 2008 and have worked as a counsellor with adults and young people in various agencies, including a drug and alcohol service and Relate. Since 2012 I have worked with children, young people and families in schools and community settings as a counsellor, supervisor and counselling project manager. This has included working in 10 schools, both primary and secondary, in England and Wales. I have also worked as a Clinical Manager for an affordable counselling charity.
For several years I lectured in Counselling at degree level and have also lectured in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Qualifications:
Professional Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling 2008
Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People 2012
Post Graduate Diploma in Consultative Supervision (distinction) 2020
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1 (Dr Dan Hughes)
I have also studied couple and family therapy at Masters level.
Other trainings include: Transactional Analysis (TA 101), Sandtray Therapy, Working creatively in therapy and supervision,
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
Parenting
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial in-person or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
In the first session we would discuss what has brought you to counselling and how I work, which would help you decided if I am the right person for you to work with. If you are looking for counselling for your child, please contact me to arrange an initial session. Depending on the age of your child this may be with you as parent/carer or you and your child together,
Sessions are 50 minutes and I charge £60 per session.
Some concessionary rates for students and single parents are available by negotiation.
Payment can be by bank transfer, cash or Paypal.
Further information
I have a practice room at home in BS7. This is located close to Gloucester Road and bus stops are nearby. There is no waiting area inside, so it would be important for you to arrive at your session time.
