Susanne Thomson
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This professional is currently not accepting new clients and may not respond to general enquiries at this time.
This professional is currently not accepting new clients and may not respond to general enquiries at this time.
About me
Pluralistic Counselling Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor.
I trained in the Pluralistic approach which means I work with an integrative style which is rooted in humanistic and person-centred values. Every client is unique, as is their, needs, goals, life experiences and personal circumstances. I work holistically in that I consider the whole of each person. I will support you to be able to create and maintain healthy psychological, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being. I will work in collaboration with you to identify and tailor a therapeutic approach that will resonate with you. I meet you where you are and travel in the direction you want to go, with the desired end in sight.
I believe in taking a holistic approach when working with clients, which takes into consideration the whole person - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. I believe that counselling is a pathway for self-discovery, insight, growth, transformation, and healing. It is an opportunity for you to explore your own thoughts and feelings in a safe environment.
For me the starting point of counselling is to build a good therapeutic relationship which I consider to be essential, as it may be the first time you have had an opportunity to share and have witnessed your intimate thoughts, beliefs, and emotions regarding any difficulties you may have experienced. By building a healthy and trusting therapeutic relationship, I can guide you in discovering more about yourself and what you desire in life. I also provide a setting that can encourage you to establish new and healthier thoughts and patterns of behaviour. I will work in collaboration with you and offer a safe, non-judgemental, empathic space for you to explore thoughts, feelings, and difficulties. I will support you to get to know yourself as you really are, so you can show up fully and live your life authentically. You will be supported to find your own answers and make any changes you feel necessary to your inner and outer world, and to let go of the things that no longer work for you.
Each person has an innate essential need to connect with others, to explore their sense of self, and to understand their emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and interpersonal reactions. People thrive when they are understood, accepted, and cared for by others, and under positive conditions they can build the required skills to understand and change their thoughts, feelings and behaviour that no longer serve them. People are resilient and resourceful and with increased self-awareness and skills to cope with patterns in their lives and relationships they can have a greater sense of meaning, empowerment, and fulfilment in their life.
People generally thrive when they are understood, accepted, and cared for by others, and under positive conditions they can build the required skills to understand and change their thoughts and behaviours. The therapeutic relationship provides a unique opportunity in which these individual needs can be nurtured in an environment that supports the development of insight, awareness, transformation, and change. I believe in supporting and appropriately challenging people to explore their lives, emotions, behaviours, and relationships. The level of therapeutic challenge is equal to the level of care and compassion that is provided.
Individual factors are often intertwined with systemic, historical, and relational factors and it is often important to explore the underlying expectations, and fears that contribute to the presenting issues that may have prompted you to enter therapy. Sometimes we can lose sight of what is important to us or do not take the time to reflect on our needs or why we are behaving or reacting in the way that they are. Sometimes we can feel be more comfortable focusing on others rather than on ourselves.
It is important to remember that the problem is the problem, and the person is not. You have all the qualities, skills, strengths, and resources inside of you to cope and to successfully navigate personal and systemic challenges; however, sometimes things get in the way. By engaging in supportive and encouraging counselling, you can remove and overcome any obstacles and difficulties that prevent you from making the healthy adjustments to your life and to access resources to improve your everyday coping and functioning.
As a counsellor, I facilitate the process of a client solving their own problems which can be empowering experience. Ultimately, I strive to encourage the client to draw their own conclusions and choose the direction they want to take in resolving their issues. Together, we can then set goals to achieve the desired outcome. Goals can be reached by first identifying what you desire and through developing self-awareness and insight.
I am most passionate about empowering clients to be the best version of themselves. I am very interested in Behavioural Science: human behaviour, and Neuroscience: the mind and body connection, especially how we can re-train our brain to think differently, and how through mastering the breath we can obtain optimum physical, emotional, and psychological health and well-being. Some of the areas I work with are:
• Trauma
• Complex PTSD
• Grief and loss
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sexual abuse
• Relational attachment
• Anger management,
• LGBTQ
• Gender Identification
• Dissociative disorder
My focus areas are Trauma, Complex Trauma, PTSD, Complex PTSD, DID Menopause, and ADHD/ADD. LGBTQIA+
Training, qualifications & experience
MSc Master of science in Pluralistic Counselling
PGDip Online and telephone counselling
PGDip Trauma studies
PGDip Working with ADHD and Autism
Certificate Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)
BSc behavioural Science (Hons)
I have experience working in the third sector, FE and HE educational organisations and private practice.
I have over 12 years experience working on the front line in the third sector with people who have experienced complex trauma.
I have over 6 years experience working with student in both Further education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) settings.
I have over 5 years working in private practice
Member organisations
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.
The Association for Counselling and Therapy Online
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Gender Identity
Sexual Identity
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free 1/2 hour initial consultation which allows you to have the opportunity to ask any questions and to ascertain whether you think we would work well together.
Thereafter a 55 minute counselling psychotherapy session is £55.00
Clinical supervision is 1hr- £60.00 1.5hrs - £75.00
When I work
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Where possible I try to be flexible regarding appointment availability. I work some days, evenings and weekends
Further information
I work in-line with the ethical framework of both my professional organisations, the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP membership number 00772047) www.bacp.co.uk.
I also adhere to the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO, membership number 797) www. acto-org.uk