Sue Thompson

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MBACP Adv Dip Couns, PQ Dip Couns Children and Young People
No current availability
No current availability

This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Exmouth, Devon, EX8
No current availability
No current availability

This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

Hello and welcome to my profile. I offer counselling and therapeutic support to adults and young people. Please feel free to contact me for an informal chat about about how we might work together.

Whatever brings you to counselling, you will be heard with interest, respect and confidentiality. I  offer a warm, caring and safe space in which you will be heard. I will not judge you negatively, make assumptions or tell you what to do. I will encourage you to express and explore your feelings and support you to move towards how you would like to be. It is important that you feel I am someone you feel comfortable with and can trust.

Adults:

People come to counselling for many reasons and there is nothing which is too large or too small to bring. If it has been on your mind, then it is something worth bringing. You are welcome to come for one session or many.  It may be that you would value someone with whom to talk about something which has been bothering you or some difficulties you are experiencing. Or perhaps to explore some changes you would like to make in your life. You may wish to develop your self-awareness and use counselling for personal growth, to gain some insight into yourself, some of your choices, or how you are in the world.

Sometimes things happen in our lives which have a major impact, such as a loss or a trauma which can knock us sideways. Counselling can offer a safe space whilst you grieve, make sense of what has happened and slowly regain your capacity to live more fully.

Like many counsellors, I welcome enquiries from all. I have some areas in which I have developed a particular interest: these include identity, attachment, autism, trauma and loss. I have experience of both bereavement and pre-bereavement work and for this, I work with families, relationships or friendships. I also have experience of working with those with  autism, a learning difficulty or communication challenges. If this applies to you, I will do my best to make you feel comfortable in therapy. I am diversity affirming.

There are many styles and approaches to counselling. I work as an Integrative counsellor, which means I draw upon a range of approaches to best fit your needs. Although counselling is often thought of as a talking therapy, there are many other ways of expressing and exploring feelings that don't need us to talk and I may occasionally offer these. Sound, art, movement and objects can be helpful tools, but you are always in control and I will never ask you to do anything which you do not feel comfortable with. If you would prefer to talk, that is what we will do

Young People:

I welcome enquiries for therapy for children and young people aged 10 and above.

Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of major changes - not just physically, but emotionally, as you move from childhood to your own independence. It can be an amazing, exciting and creative time, but it also has greater challenges and intensities of feelings than you are ever likely to have experienced before. Having a supportive adult, who is not a family member or friend can be immensely helpful. I will not judge you and will not break your confidentiality, unless there is a serious safeguarding issue. This is true even if someone else is paying for your sessions. All of what is written above about how I work with adults is similar to how I work with young people. I really like working with young people and you will be welcomed and treated respectfully. You may initially feel that you would be too embarrassed to talk, but in my experience this quickly passes.

Supervision for staff working in schools, childcare and residential care for children and young people:

Very likely you are in this kind of work because you care, but sometimes this can add to the challenges. I offer a reflective, empathetic safe space for you to offload, debrief, explore and evolve your practice. How often you come is entirely up to you - once a month or once a half-term is a common choice, but we can be flexible. This service, like counselling, is confidential and I will not report back to your organisation, even if they are paying for you. The exception to this is if there is a serious safeguarding concern. I offer an early morning session, lunchtime and evening sessions to fit with your work.

Training, qualifications & experience

I am now in my sixth year of private practice. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which means I work within a rigorous ethical framework. For you, this means that I have accountability to a professional organisation as well as to yourself, to work safely, professionally and ethically.

I have the following relevant qualifications:

  • Theraplay Level 1
  • Certificate in Working Therapeutically with Lesbian, Gay and Transgender Identified Clients
  • Mental Health First Aider Training
  • Post Qualifying Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People (Level 7)
  • Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling (BACP Accredited)
  • Certificate in Counselling
  • M.Ed Autism in Children
  • Certificate in Intensive Interaction (for working with pre-verbal children and adults)
  • B.Ed
  • I have a DBS certificate

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

£60.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Keyworkers

Additional information

Adults: £60 for 60 minute session. (Shorter sessions can be arranged for those who would find a full hour difficult.) For Zoom I also offer a thirty-minute session for £30

Children and young people: £50 for an hour, £45 for 45 minutes, £30 for 30 minutes

Theraplay Informed Practice: £50 per session, (35-45 minutes).

Supervision and mentoring for school staff and those working in residential care or childcare: £30 for 30 minutes, £45 for 45 minutes or £50 per hour. Available via Zoom, phone or in person.

I firmly believe in the value of counselling and so if affordability is preventing you from accessing therapy please ask. I offer four concessionary places. If none of these is available when you contact me, I will happily take your contact details and contact you when one becomes available. Concessionary places are offered for up to six months of therapy.

Counselling students: I offer two reduced fee places, please ask.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I work from Tuesday to Thursday. I offer one early morning appointment and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until 8 pm

Exmouth, Devon, EX8

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone
Home visits

Types of client

Children
Young people
Adults
Older adults
Families

Key details

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

It is just about possible to get a wheel chair into my room, but sorry, it isn't as easy as I would like.

Additional languages

Makaton Sign Language

Sue Thompson
Sue Thompson