Serena Waite
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
I qualified in Humanistic Therapeutic counselling and Trauma Therapy and I work from my core Person Centred beliefs and training that you have within you what it is you need to live your life to the full.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists and The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society. I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate and I undertake regular clinical supervision with a registered supervisor.
Fundamental to my work as a counsellor is to offer a confidential and non judgemental space where you can explore any aspects of your life, your feelings, your thoughts, your relationships and experiences that may be impacting or have impacted on your psychological, emotional and physical well being.
Counselling is a space that fosters self exploration to support you to gain more understanding of yourself, your experiences and challenges you have had or are having in your life. It is a space where together we work to facilitate your self discovery and self understanding and reconnecting with yourself, so that you may feel enabled to live a more fulfilling life and a life that you want to live.
Underpinning my passion for my work are my interests and research into the complexities of our mental health and how as humans we protect ourselves psychologically, emotionally and physically when we experience threat.
I value our whole being, our physical, emotional and psychological being and how we experience our relationships with others and self and how we experience our environments and our circumstances. So fundamental to how I work is offering a space where we can work together to hear, recognise and value all of you.
I offer both long and short term counselling. The number of sessions available being open to negotiation as you may opt to have a set number of sessions or choose to leave it open.
I accept self referrals, professional and work place referrals.
If you have not experienced counselling before you may not know what to expect or what is expected.
Following your initial enquiry I will aim to respond to you within 24hours.
I offer a free introductory session to new clients, to offer you information about my style of counselling and what I can offer; how I protect your privacy and to discuss what you may be hoping for from counselling for you to see if it is what you are looking for and how you feel talking with me. If you decide that you would like to proceed we can discuss whether you would like face to face, online or phone and book in an appointment. I will also ask to take some personal details and I will provide written details of our working agreement and my privacy policy for you to sign and keep a copy .
Exploring your life experiences, your relationships, your feelings and thoughts in counselling may at first feel difficult and may raise some painful feelings and thoughts, before you start to feel the benefits.
( For information on my privacy policy and how I protect your information please visit my website. )
Training, qualifications & experience
- Diploma in Humanistic Therapeutic Counselling, (CPCAB level 4)
- Diploma in Trauma Therapy Post Graduate level 7 (NAOS )
- Certificate in Counselling Studies. (CPCAB level 3)
- Certificate in Counselling skills. (CPCAB level 2)
- Certificate in Understanding substance misuse (CPCAB level 2)
- Certificate in Online and Telephone counselling (Counselling Tutor)
- Certificate in Trauma
- Certificate in Relationships/ Couples work
- Certificate in understanding Bipolar
Shorter courses ranging from 1 and 3 days, to 10 days.
- Working with suicide and self harm
- Suicide prevention and awareness training
- Bipolar
- Trauma, PTSD & CPTSD
- Dissociation
- Trauma memories, flashbacks, triggers
- Relational trauma
- Trauma and the body ( physiology of trauma)
- Working with shame
- Attachment styles and social engagement system
- Attachment & trauma
- Mental health and the body
- Childhood sexual abuse
- Understanding and using CBT
- Relationships
- Anxiety and Depression
- Reiki
- Online Therapy CPD training ( Telehealth for mental health)
- Moving to online practice ( Online Therapy institute )
- GSRD
- Social justice
- Internal Family systems
- Transgenerational trauma
- Vicarious trauma
- Difference and diversity
- Introduction to Person Centred Creative Arts
- Loss
- Certificates in Anatomy and Physiology
I also qualified and worked for 15 years in complementary therapies and although I no longer practice body treatments, my extensive work and research in this field have enriched my understanding of the impact on our physiology and mental health following trauma.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists ( BACP) and The National Counselling Society.
My personal interests, personal experience, and areas of continual professional development also include ongoing research through reading, online talks and webinars on:
- Trauma
- Bipolar
- Identity
- Loss
- Attachments and Relationships
- Depression and Anxiety
- Mindfullness
- Eating Disorders
- Suicide
- Complementary therapies
- Spirituality
My background and personal experience are working with Charities supporting mental health, working with people in highly stressed working environments, offering therapeutic assistance in care settings and with people in care roles, working alongside people experiencing the difficulties associated with being homeless and working in the field of complementary therapies.
My passion in our whole being and path into supporting mental health began with my own personal experiences of trauma and stress and my research and work with complementary therapies.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
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
£35.00 - £40.00
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Cash or card payments accepted on the day for face to face and for phone or online counselling I can send on the day a secure payment link via SMS .
When I work
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I also offer counselling in person and by telephone and online for people residing in the Uk. I offer appointments during the days and evenings.
Further information
I work from a summer house in my garden based in Maidstone Road Chatham
If you are driving there is free parking in Asdas overflow car park which is left and left again when you drive into Asda.
If you are taking transport the 101 bus stops outside.
Both self referrals or professional referrals are accepted.