Sue Shortt
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Life can feel difficult or overwhelming at times and taking the step to contact a counsellor can feel daunting - it takes courage to ask for help. A warm, empathic therapist with a decade of experience I provide the opportunity for clients to be heard in a welcoming, non-judgemental, calm environment. I offer both face to face counselling appointments in a comfortable room in Chester City Centre, and remote sessions via telephone or video (Zoom). Counselling can offer the space to reflect and explore issues that are troubling you, and talking with someone who is independent of your situation can help to clarify and make sense of your thoughts and feelings and make choices about how you would like to move forward.
I offer an initial session for £25. This gives us the opportunity to explore what has brought you to counselling, what I can offer and whether we feel we would like to work together.
An experienced counsellor who has been working in private practice since 2016, I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and my work is guided by their Ethical Framework.
Training, qualifications & experience
- MA Clinical Counselling (Distinction), University of Chester
- BSc Hons Psychology (2:1)
- Accredited Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
My training is in the Person-centred counselling model. This is based on the belief that each of us has the resources to flourish and that the therapeutic environment of a counselling relationship can encourage this process to take place. It is very much a collaborative process, where we work together to help you find your way forward, and is not about you being judged or told what you should do.
I have also completed short courses in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and elements from these approaches can be integrated into our work if appropriate. I also hold a Certificate in Couples and Relationship Counselling from Macclesfield Counselling and Training Centre, and whilst I am currently working with individuals only, this training helps to inform my work around relationships. My practice is trauma-informed, having completed a series of workshops in this area.
I have a Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling.
I have worked in a variety of settings, gaining a broad range of experience. These include a GP surgery in Northwich, a hospice in Warrington where I worked with patients and family members, and Compass Counselling in Liverpool where I provided general and workplace support counselling. I have also worked with Breast Cancer Care supporting women following a diagnosis of breast cancer. Until recently, alongside my private practice, I worked for a decade at a local hospice as a bereavement counsellor supporting carers, patients and bereaved clients.
Examples of the kind of client issues I have experience of include depression, anxiety, bereavement, childhood abuse and trauma, work-related stress, low self-esteem, identity and relationships, health conditions, being a carer.
Following on from my Masters dissertation, I have published research on the impact of breast cancer on sexuality in younger women.
I am registered with Employee Assistance Programme Providers and Health Insurance Companies including AXA, Aviva, BUPA and WPA.
Member organisations
school 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.
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
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
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£25 initial session
£50 subsequent sessions
£45 trainee counsellors
When I work
face to face and remote (Zoom or telephone) sessions - Monday, Thursday and Friday
remote sessions only - Tuesday