Sophie Simmons

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BA (HONS) (Accred MBACP) Person Centred Counsellor
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Colchester, Essex, CO3
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Hello and thank you for viewing my profile. I am a Person Centred Counsellor and I work with clients with a wide range of issues and experiences. These could be from the past or the present that may be impacting a person’s quality of  life and well-being. I work with a variety of agencies and organisations as well as running my own private practice. I offer a discreet , safe and welcoming environment where change can happen.

My Approach  

As a qualified and highly skilled Person Centred Counsellor I believe each of us is unique and you are the expert on yourself. Our feelings and experiences are completely individual to each one of us. As a Person Centred Counsellor, I make no judgments, no matter what is brought to the counselling session. I would hope to build a trustworthy client relationship, which encourages issues and experiences to be explored in a safe and supported manner.  Through the counselling process I am privileged to walk alongside each person as they discover their potential to find new hope, understand how to move forward  and create a positive change in their life.

My Service

The number of counselling sessions required will vary from person to person. I am able to offer both short term therapy, more long term and if it is required open ended counselling. I review the counselling sessions on a regular basis so the client  can assess how the process is going for them.

I am flexible and offer appointments on weekdays and evenings .

Location 

I practise from my private office in the Stanway area of Colchester. 

Professional Membership

I am an accredited  member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and abide by their ethical framework. I also hold full professional indemnity insurance and continue with my ongoing personal and professional development

Contact me

I understand that taking the first step in finding the right counsellor can be an overwhelming experience. If you like my profile and the way in which I work , then do contact me .  I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. I would like to thank you for reading my profile and wish you all the very best on your journey.

Training, qualifications & experience

Certificate in higher education in Person-Centred Counselling. Essex University.
Advanced BA (Hons) Diploma in Person-Centred counselling. Essex University.
Certificate in Sandtray therapy skills.
Certificate in Working with Self Harm.
Certificate in Child Sexual Abuse : Hope for Healing.
Certificate in Trauma, Dissociation and Recovery/Certificate in Dealing with Distress, working with Self Harm and Suicide.

The Ministry of Parenting STOP level 1 Parent Training Programme.

The Ministry of Parenting The Incredible Years Programme.

I volunteered at Colchester Institute counselling service. I worked with a diverse range of people each experiencing a wide variety of issues.

I have volunteered at Open Road working with people that are confronting drug and alcohol addictions.

I have also volunteered at CRUSE working with people that have suffered a bereavement and are struggling with the impact that has on their lives.

 Substance Misuse Training - Essex Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service,  

  Mental Health Awareness Training - Enable East NHS 2011 New Beginnings,

  Solution-Focused Training - Harvey Ratner, Briefer Training, London

  The Ministry of Parenting   STOP level 1 Parent Training Program

  Open Road induction, Drug and Alcohol Addictions

  Certificate in Sandtray therapy skills - Nicky Haybridge 
  Certificate in Working with Self Harm - Person-Centred Workshops 

 CARA induction, Rape and Sexual Abuse - Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse

PODS Training, Certificate in Child Sexual Abuse: Hope for Healing

 PODS Training, Certificate in Trauma, Dissociation and Recovery

 Matrix College, Certificate in Personal Insights into Attachment Theory

 EFT and Trauma practical workshop 

 PODs Training, certificate in Dealing with Distress, Working with self-harm 

CARA, certificate in Specialist Sexual Violence Training 

CARA, Certificate in Specialist Safeguarding Refresher Training

  PODS, Certificate in Mental Health and the Body Treating Trauma

 PODS, Certificate in Working with Shame 

 PODS, certificate in Working with trauma in a time of trauma

 The Link Centre, certificate in Exploring Resistance to change 

The Link Centre, certificate in Existential Contributions to Counselling and Psychotherapy

 PESI UK, Janina Fisher, Shame and Self Loathing in the Treatment of Trauma Strategies

 PESI UK, Shame -The Meaning of Shame in the Treatment of Trauma 

PESI UK, Trauma and Dissociation: Essential Skills for Working Online

 PESI UK, Releasing Trauma from The Body: Essential Strategies

 Confer, Stephen W. Porges, PhD and Sue Carter, PhD, Insights from the Polyvagal Theory and the Oxytocin Hypothesis 

PODS, Working with Trauma That Has Become stuck

BACP, Myira Khan, Working with Muslim children and young people

  BACP, “The dehumanisation of the Covid -19 pandemic and my fight for justice”

Confer, The Relational Montage of Eating Disorders: An Interpersonal Approach to Treatment. 

 PESI UK, The impact of childhood trauma on the brain: critical insights from neuroscience.

 CARA, Safeguarding Training. 

 PESI UK, Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry in Action: An Experiential Course for the Healing of Deep Traumatic Wounds

 National Police Wellbeing Service, Psychological Structured Interview 

  Essex Police, TRIM (Trauma Risk management) Practitioner Training 

PESI UK  Dr. Bessel van der Kolk on How the Body Keeps the Score: Intensive Trauma Treatment Course

PESI UK The Enduring Neurobiological Effects of Abuse & Neglect , Martin Teicher, MD, PhD

Gabor Mate _ Trauma , Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture

Linda Cundy - Attachment , Food and Identity

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Fees

Up to £55.00

Additional information

For the initial assessment or for the counselling sessions                            
Adults and young people £55 per session

I also offer a concessional fee for students and those on low incomes.
Please feel free to email me to discuss these further.

Colchester, Essex, CO3

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older adults
Organisations
Employee Assistance Programme
Sophie Simmons
Sophie Simmons