Shannon Merchant MA Psychology, Dip counselling, UKCP accred
About me
Hello. Are you finding life difficult at the moment? Are you affected by relationship struggles or conflict; stress, anxiety, loneliness, lack of confidence, sadness or depression?
I’d love to help. I offer weekly talking therapy where you can begin to tell your story. Together we will explore what is really happening for you so you can gain clarity and insight and you will find once you start to speak about and explore your experiences and feelings, you will begin to feel better.
My passion is in the area of relationships. I believe possessing a strong and loving relationship with yourself is the key to feeling happy and satisfied in life as well as being able to have deep and loving relationships with others, such as partners, family, children, and friends.
Working with me, you will learn to become more aware of your inner world.
With your increased understanding and awareness you will have more capacity to change the way you relate to yourself, such as learning to respond to yourself with kindness or compassion rather than with anger or criticism. Small changes build, bit by bit, your confidence and self-esteem as well as helping you connect to your own source of wisdom and guidance from within. With more inner ground you will be less tossed around by the circumstances of life. With your increased self-awareness also comes more freedom and choice, to step out of the old unconscious stories you tell yourself and choose a new outcome.
It is important to remember that it’s the most difficult times in particular that hold the biggest opportunities for new beginnings and powerful transformations. I am here to help you move forward with whatever you are struggling with.
About me
I am originally from NZ and have lived for many years in London and most recently Spain. I love to travel and am interested in meditation, yoga and shamanic ceremony. Connecting to Mother Nature is my most powerful spiritual practice. All of these influences flow into my work.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained at The Institute of Psychosynthesis. I have a Diploma in both Psychosynthesis Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Counselling as well as a Masters Degree in Psychosynthesis Psychology from Middlesex University. I am a UKCP accredited psychotherapeutic counsellor, and adhere to the UKCP's ethical framework for good practice.
Member organisations
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.
UK Council for Psychotherapy
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
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
Individuals £50 per session (sessions are 50 minutes)
Couples £70 per session (sessions are 1.5 hours)
Further information
Before starting therapy, I offer a free 15 min telephone initial consultation. This gives us the opportunity to discuss your reasons for seeking therapy and what your hopes and anxieties might be. It also allows you to get a sense of my way of working and to decide whether I am the right therapist for you.
If we agree to work together, the way I work with clients is that you would have a weekly 50-minute session in person on the same day and time each week. I work on a long-term (open-ended) basis.
I am regulated by the UKCP comprehensive code of professional ethics and guidelines, which includes a commitment to client confidentiality.
