Shirley-Ann Galbraith, BA (Hons), PgDip. Counsellor & Psychotherapist MBACP
About me
About me
Hello and welcome.
Sometimes life presents challenges and the turbulence of these can be overwhelming and may impact negatively on our mental health and emotional well-being. Psychotherapy and counselling offer a safe space to explore your experiences of these difficulties. To feel safe with your therapist is one of the most important factors to consider before beginning therapy, so our first meeting provides a time to reflect and explore your reasons for considering therapy. In my private practice I work with adults experiencing all aspects of mental ill health concerns, relationship and life issues.
I am a qualified integrative psychotherapist and counsellor with over 30 years experience working within mental health services. For many of those years I worked within the Adult Mental Health Sector of the NHS and my special areas of interest are; anxiety disorders, depression, body image issues, relational difficulties and eating disorders. I provide an excellent service in beautiful surroundings.
I have extensive training and experience and have worked with many aspects of human difficulty, both in the NHS and now within my private therapy practice.
I trained as an integrative counsellor and then as a psychotherapist to post graduate level at the Metanoia Institute, London. In therapy the term integrative describes that I use different therapeutic models to work most effectively with the issues or concerns that you have. My particular area of interest is the individuals early attachment experiences and the impact on their relationships, therefore part of my integrative model is attachment informed psychotherapy. Those early attachments experiences can sometimes influence your interpersonal relationships, and the relationship with your body and eating behaviours.
I also trained with the National Centre For Eating Disorders and work with people experiencing difficulties with disordered eating, body image, body dysmorphia and binge eating disorder.
I regularly attend courses and workshops that support my psychotherapy qualification. Please contact me if you would like more information.
Other areas I work with include:
- relational trauma:
- relationship difficulties:
- bereavement:
- depression:
- anxiety:
- self-esteem and self-worth issues:
- eating disorders:
If you have concerns relating to any of the above, or are experiencing other emotional difficulties in your life, please do not hesitate to make an appointment with me. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to book an initial appointment.
I offer face to face appointments in my office ( with a Covid 19 risk assessment in place) and online, via zoom, and telephone. appointments.
My office and consulting room are located at Barham Court, Maidstone and has free parking.
You can contact me via telephone or email and I will get back to you within 24hrs.
Training, qualifications & experience
Metanoia Institute:
- Integrative Psychotherapy Training.
- Post Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy, (Level 7)
CCST:
- Diploma in Counselling 1994 - 1998.
Central Saint Martins, UAL, London
- BA (Hons). Fine Art
During my BA Fine Art I undertook extensive research into Art and Psychoanalysis and how they are observed in the therapeutic process.
British Psychological Society approved:
- Life Coach Training.
British Mindfulness Academy
- Certificate in Mindfulness for Professionals.
Counsellor Tutor
- Online and Telephone Counselling Certificate, approved by ACTO
Registered Mental Health Nurse Training. 1985.
National Centre for Eating Disorders. Training to Diploma Level, approved by the British Psychological Society.
Experience
Past experience:
NHS:
I previously worked for West Kent Social Care & Mental Health Trust
Over 30 years working as a counsellor and psychotherapist within the NHS, Charity and Private Sectors.
I have worked predominately with people over the age of 18, presenting with all aspects of mental ill health concerns, though I also have a young persons service from age 16 years. I am passionate about my work and have many years of experienced working with anxiety disorders, attachment and relationship difficulties, self-worth issues and emotional instability symptoms and concerns.
Previous position: Project Coordinator and Group Facilitator: Secondary Mental Health Sector, West Kent Social Care & Mental Health Trust.
Previous position: Relateen, the young persons division of Relate.
Previous position: Psychology & Psychological Therapies Division. Secondary Mental Health and
Outpatient referrals. NHS.
Previous position: Clinical Supervisor at Inter-Psyche Training Institute, Dip in Counselling.
Present position and experience:
Private Practice: Maidstone, Kent
I work as an Integrative Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Life Coach from my spacious office within the beautiful grounds of Barham Court Maidstone.
I am also volunteer with Frontline 19 offering free online psychotherapy and counselling appointments to the NHS frontline workers.
Member organisations
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. 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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Whilst employed in the NHS I worked with individuals who had disordered eating patterns. I have trained in this specialism with the National Centre For Eating Disorders and I offer counselling and psychotherapy to clients with disordered eating patterns. Please contact me for further information.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
From £50.00 to £65.00
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My fee is £65 per individual session and my concessionary fee is £50 - £65.
Availability
I offer face to face appointments in my office (with a Covid 19 risk assessment in place) and also online, via zoom, and telephone appointments with flexible availability.
Further information
I work with adults and older teenagers from the age of sixteen upwards.
You can contact me via telephone or email and I will get back to you within 24hrs.
