About me
The Velvet Couch Counselling- More information on the website.
My name is Rachel, and I'd like to share a bit about myself. I offer therapeutic counselling to both individuals and couples.
I have 30 years professional experience of working face-to-face and managing projects supporting people, in a wide variety of settings, for both statutory and voluntary organisations. This experience includes working for domestic abuse charities, addiction services and a national eating disorders charity. I have also worked for Relate, volunteered with the Samaritans and been the area manager for a national children's charity.
I began my career working as a youth worker, delivering therapeutic programmes for young people at risk of exclusion, experiencing bullying, struggling to attend school and helped young people improve their self-esteem and develop strategies to cope. I went on to work for CAMHS, providing advice and support to professionals about mental health, as well as working with children and young people to improve emotional well-being and parents to better support them to support their child.
Alongside my career, I was also a foster carer for 20 children and young people and really enjoy supporting adults and young people around fostering and adoption as well as some of the trauma that might be associated with this.
Gradually, my work focused more towards supporting adults with their wellbeing, drawing upon my professional background. I am confident in working with most issues.
Including:
- Couples therapy
- self-confidence and self-esteem,
- anxiety, parenting,
- transgender and identity,
- and the menopause.
As a person I have been described as warm, empathic and approachable.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am committed to continuous professional development and keep up to date with new research and training areas of interest.
- Level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 3 Cert Counselling studies
- Level 2 Counselling Skills
NCIP Certificate In working with Couples
- Fundamentals of working with couples
- Communication and difference
- Meeting partners needs
- Couples in conflict
Some of the additional training I have undertaken during my career include:
- Relate- Supporting victims of domestic abuse
- Working with perpetrators
- Samaritans Listening Volunteer Training
- BACP Counselling Young people Course
- Dip HE Youth & Community
- PACE therapeutic parenting
- Eating disorders
- Suicide prevention
- Anger management
- Men's mental health
- Supporting transgender identity
- Recovery toolkit - Domestic Abuse recovery model
- ACES-Adverse Childhood Experience
- Domestic Abuse
- Conflict resolution
- CBT & DBT initial training CAHMS
- NVQ Adhd & Autism
- Training the trainers
- National Standards for Foster Carers NVQ
- Management essentials
- Supervision training
- Complex and contextual safeguarding
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
Couples therapy
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £85.00
Additional information
Individual sessions are 50 mins £65
Couples sessions are 60 mins £85
