Counsellor Steve Upton, Towcester & Winslow

About me

Thank you for stopping to look at my details. I recognise that finding a counsellor can feel quite a big step so I hope what you read here will help you in your decision.

People choose to have counselling for different reasons; you might wish to explore something deep-seated or difficult that has become too hard to ignore any longer or you might want some brief help with a particular issue that has been troubling you.

How I Work

Whatever you wish to bring it will be your choice and as a fully qualified, integrative but fundamentally person-centred counsellor I see my role as providing a safe, supportive and completely non-judgemental space for you to explore your concerns and make some sense of them.

Counselling can help during those times when life just feels too challenging. In a safe, confidential environment you can share your thoughts, emotions and feelings without worrying how they will be seen or thought about. It can help you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your situation or relationships, build more self-confidence and find the strength to take different decisions and make changes to your life. I will work with you to build a supportive, accepting relationship and create the necessary conditions to help you begin to value yourself more and make lasting changes.

I have significant experience in supporting adults of all ages with a range of concerns, including abuse, low self esteem, relationship problems, separation & divorce, low mood/depression, anger, stress, redundancy, anxiety and panic attacks. I also work with teenagers. For full details of areas I can help with, please see below.

Getting Started

If you feel like getting in touch to discuss how we might work together, then please give me a call or send me an email or text. We can then discuss things further and arrange a mutually convenient time to come along for an introductory session.

During the introductory session you will have the opportunity to explore any issues you might wish to discuss, find out how counselling might be useful for you and answer any questions you may have about how we might work together. At the end of our session you can decide how you would like to move forward and whether you would like to meet for further sessions. There is no set number of sessions and you can stop at any time, simply by letting me know.

I understand this first contact may feel a little daunting, but I am here to help you take that first step.

Training, qualifications & experience

CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Therapeutic Counselling

CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies

CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills

Other Training & Professional Development includes:

BACP Register of Counsellors & Psychotherapists Certificate of Proficiency
Mental Health England Youth First Aider
Counselling Children Workshop - provided by Place2Be
Dealing With Distress: Working with Self-harm and Suicide - provided by PODS
Working with Relational Trauma - provided by PODS
Young People, Attachment, Dependence, Aloneness and Death Workshop
Anxiety Workshop - provided by MIND
Anger Awareness Training - provided by MIND
Suicide Awareness Training - provided by MIND
Loss and Bereavement Workshop - Advanced Skills - provided by Cruse
MK Rogerian Peer Group
MKSCB Safeguarding Training

Other Roles

I have been a lecturer in Counselling at a Further Education College and I have also worked at MIND as a volunteer counsellor. I have also worked as a consultant for Minds Ahead, delivering training on counselling skills for primary schools. In addition, having over 30 years’ experience as a teacher and headteacher, I have a particular insight and understanding of the specific pressures of working in education and so I am well placed to support clients in this field.

Membership

I am an Accredited Member of the National Counselling Society and adhere to their Code of Ethical Practice to ensure safe and ethical practice.

I also hold a current, enhanced DBS (CRB) certificate.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Accredited register membership

Areas of counselling I deal with

Therapies offered

Humanistic therapies
Integrative
Person-centred therapy

Fees

£50.00 per session
Free initial in-person or online session

Concessions offered for

Low income
Students
Trainee counsellors
Unemployed

Additional information

I offer a free 30 minute introductory session for you to see whether working with me feels right for you. Subsequent sessions are £50 for a 50 minute session. Counselling students are offered a reduced rate of £40, and other concessionary rates may be available for low/unwaged clients.

Availability

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I offer daytime and evening sessions on weekdays. Please feel free to phone, text or email me. If I can't respond immediately, I will reply on the same day.

Further information

Where I Work
I have 2 locations where I can see clients and it is entirely your choice where we meet.

Winslow -in a dedicated therapy room, in a quiet part of the town with ample parking outside. Winslow is a 15 minute drive from Milton Keynes and Buckingham and only 20 minutes from Aylesbury.

Towcester - in a building that has been recently refurbished to provide a talking therapy centre with four private therapy rooms, one of which is specifically tailored to working with young people. There is a free car park within a 5 minute walk of the property. Towcester is also only a 20 minute drive from Milton Keynes, Northampton and Buckingham, making it easily accessible for clients from those areas.