Samantha Richardson
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Welcome to PEACE n MIND Counselling
💠 Available In-person 👱♀️ (Rochester) and Online 💻
💠 Daytime 🌞 and Evening🌛 sessions
💠 Free 15 minute introductory call ☎️
💠 Working with adults and young people 16+
ℹ️ Specialising in ADHD and Addictions. Anxiety & Depression. Menopause.
↪️ Method to Working - Discovery and focus on your identity & personal strengths, increasing confidence and resiliance to develop healthier coping skills and strategies that work for you personally.
ℹ️ BACP Registered Member, Qualified Person Centred Counsellor, DBS
ℹ️ Experience: Years in Addiction Services & Criminal Justice. School SEN Team. Diversity Project Manager for CIPD. Trained Mediator.
Reasons you might seek counselling:
Struggling to open up or express how you 'really' feel to your partner, family or friends as 'they just don't get you' or you don't want to upset them?
- Anxiety, panic attacks or Intrusive thoughts control your life but not sure what is triggering them? Feeling depressed, unmotivated and totally alone with those thoughts?
- Seeking counselling for an addiction, or your social drinking is 'getting out of control'. Becoming reliant on drink to de-stress or sleep, leads on to drug use?
- Trying to make sense of your ADHD/ASD and need to unravel spiraling thoughts, ruminating, masking that leaves you feeling exhausted? Self-medicating with non-prescribed drugs to calm your mind?
- MENOPAUSAL - feeling you lost your identity? Brain fog, overwhelmed, trying to find your purpose in life again?
Whatever your reason, it's ok not to be in a 'great place'. I have been there myself and know how alone you can feel with those struggles and thoughts. So how can counselling help?
"As you start to walk on the way, the way appears" - quote by Rumi
Introduction
My name is Sam and I welcome you as often trying to figure out if and what support you may need can feel like a minefield in itself.
To be honest, making that 'connection' with your counsellor is the most important part of your counselling journey as its a big factor in helping you feel comfortable and safe to even begin talking. So, its important you find the right counsellor for you. To help, let me introduce myself.
About me
My core therapeutic practice is Person-Centred but I am also trained in several other Humanistic approaches which means I can tailor counselling to meet your individual needs. Person-centred counselling is more like a talking therapy. This type of therapy, I feel, is very unique for clients struggling with addiction/mental health as we view "YOU" as the expert of your own life and we are not here to judge, fix or give advice but rather empathetically listen and support you.
Unlike other therapies, Person Centred also takes the sole focus away from just your addiction or diagnosis and instead broadens to discuss you as a "whole person" and your perception of reality. This creates a space for increase in self awareness. Discovery and focus on personal strengths, increasing confidence and resiliance to develop healthier coping skills and strategies that work for you personally.
So this means each session, we can discuss whatever you feel you need to as life can throw us sudden curve balls and we also go at your pace. This can be very different to what most clients have experienced when engaged in addiction services or the medical profession. This alone, can be very beneficial in clients feeling heard and supported.
Often all we really need to help us find our own answers, is to openly be able to verbalise thoughts, ideas and process emotions without judgement, shame or even unwanted advice.
Experience
I believe life experience is as important as academic qualifications. I have had the privilege of working with many people from a vast array of backgrounds which has led me to mainly specialise in Addictions and ADHD.
Before training as a counsellor, I have been a Support Worker for over 12 years in addiction services and criminal justice supporting clients with alcohol and substance misuse and mental health including anxiety and depression, ADHD, trauma, intrusive and suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
I have been a volunteer counsellor for a charity offering housing to people who were homeless and others released from the criminal justice system. Many of these clients struggled with addictions, trauma or complex mental health issues.
My experience and interest in working with neurodivergence developed whilst employed in a school SEN Team for 6 years. I undertook regular training to increase my awareness of the needs of our neurodivergent students diagnosed ADHD, ADD and ASD, Dyslexia, SPD, Anxiety and Hearing Impaired.
I also have personal lived experience being in a family unit with loved ones who are neurodivergent.
I am also trained as a MIND Mental Health First Aider. I have also been a Volunteer Mediator for Medway Council in the past.
What's next?
I would be happy to book a brief 15min free introductory call to discuss your needs, how we can work together and answer any concerns you may have before deciding if you would like to proceed with counselling.
Please email, text or Whatsapp if you have any questions or would like to book an introductory call. Feel free to also visit my website for more information and where you can access a contact email form.
Please note, I am often with clients during the day so not available to answer phone calls unless pre-booked.
Training, qualifications & experience
- ADHD Clinical Services Provider Certification - PESI - currently studying
- CPCAB - L4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Humanistic)
- CPCAB - L3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
- Mediation for Neighbourhood Disputes
- Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - currently studying
- Assist Suicide Intervention - Grassroots
- MIND - MHFA Youth Mental Health First Aider
- Over 15 years experience working in Addiction Services and Criminal Justice
- Experienced past employment in SEN Team at secondary school
- Experienced past Diversity Project Manager for CIPD
I am trained to also offer psycho-social and educational support in addictions which I integrate within counselling when needed.
As a member of the BACP, I adhere to their Ethical Framework (2018) which recommends I undertake regular CPD training. Some examples of CPD courses I have undertaken include:
- Counselling Clients in Substance Misuse
- Working with Self-Harm
- Treating Intrusive Thoughts & The Inner Critical Voice
- Psychology of Rumination
- Motivational Interviewing
- Polyvagal Theory
- Counselling Autisic Clients
- Counselling ADHD Clients
- Working with Challenging Behaviour
- Gambling Awareness
- Working with Bereavement & Complex Grief
- Building Rational Depth with Traumatised Clients
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults & Young People
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
I am keen to offer support to those not usually comfortable reaching out for counselling due to cultural upbringing. BAME and diversity aware.
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 - £60.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Free 15 minute introductory call.
Sessions - £60.00 - for 50 minutes
Block booked sessions (weekly x 4) - £55.00)
All sessions need to be paid in advance by bank transfer.
When I work
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EVENING SESSIONS - online only
BRIGHTON - Online sessions only currently - day & evenings.
ROCHESTER - Face-to-face available daytime.