Suzanne Oakes

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Bsc.Hons, Registered Member MBACP (Accred)
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Stroud GL5 & Cirencester GL7
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

  Hello and thank you for looking at my profile, my name is Suzanne and I am a qualified experienced Counsellor and an accredited member of the BACP, adhering to their Ethical Framework for the counselling professions, which ensures that I work safely and ethically with my clients’ best interests always at the heart of my work.

  Having personally experienced mental health difficulties I feel I have the necessary perspective to help people working through difficult times in their own lives, with empathy and compassion. Contact me to receive personalised therapy over the phone, or online or in your own home, with weekday, weekend and evening appointments available, to achieve your individual wellbeing goals. Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, professional coaching, relaxation therapy, health training and EMDR for trauma are all provided.

  I have over fifteen years experience working with people who need support with their mental health including generalised anxiety disorder, health anxiety, depression, healthy long term weight loss, lack of confidence, social anxiety, performance coaching, phobias, panic disorder, OCD, workplace stress, constant worrying, feeling sad, bereavement, family issues , being bullied, retirement planning, relationship issues, self esteem issues, pain management, increasing motivation and counselling for a range of different issues.

  Having personally received counselling and therapy I understand it can be hard to take the first step, but I do everything I can to make it as easy as possible for you to get necessary support.

Emotional wellbeing
  Everyone has a time in their life when they struggle and people should get the help and support they need to work through problems and improve their lives. By working on your emotional wellbeing you can build your resilience and reduce your reaction to the stresses of life.
  I offer person centred counselling to support individuals and give them the outlet to tell their story, we can then work together to find ways to help reduce the impact traumatic events can have on a person's life. EMDR is offered and is a very helpful tool for the processing of traumatic events.

Location
  I cover Stroud  and Cirencester and the surrounding areas.  Please send me an email or give me a ring for more information. Telephone and video online sessions are available on weekdays, weekends and evenings, at a time that suits you.

Healthy weight loss
  Sometimes individuals struggle with eating healthily and happily and need counselling in order to work towards sustainable healthy long term weight loss. I am an experienced NHS Health Improvement Practitioner and have helped many people lose weight and keep it off long term. This support will help you learn what works for you and how to make a lifetime lifestyle change.

  This approach isn't about fast weight loss that will just go back on, instead it is about examining your emotional relationship with food and creating more positive cycles of behaviour. Please contact me to find out if this type of counselling could be beneficial to you.

Exposure therapy
  I can support you to access places or situations that you have been avoiding, or haven't accessed in a long time, with exposure therapy sessions set in the community. This is based on gradually helping you to learn how to manage and cope in avoided places and how to cope with anxious thoughts and feelings. This approach will build your confidence and stop your world from becoming too isolated.

Client testimonials- 1:1 sessions
“I found Suzanne to be very easy to talk to, she put me at ease and I felt she could relate to me having gone through mental illness herself. I have made huge progress since I started the sessions as evidenced by my family noticing huge positive changes in me. I would highly recommend Suzanne to anyone who is nervous about counselling”

"Suzy has completely changed my life, I had long standing Obsessive Compulsive disorder, her patience and understanding gave me my life back"

“Suzanne helped me to lose one and a half stone in a healthy way, which I never would have done without her, she deserves a huge pat on the back for her work with me”

“I am very happy with everything Suzanne helped me with, she listened to my thoughts and needs and helped me find myself and my self-worth. I am happier than I have been in a long time and would recommend therapy to anybody”

Training, qualifications & experience

I am a qualified person centred Counsellor with an Honours degree in Psychology, an experienced NHS Health Trainer, and Health Improvement Practitioner with a post graduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioural therapy. I have experience providing professional coaching, and have previously worked as a CBT therapist, Counsellor for the NHS, and Assistant Psychologist working with a range of client groups. I have previously volunteered as a high school counsellor in deprived areas.

  While working as a CBT therapist and counsellor I have helped many people with anxiety, relationship issues, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, social anxiety, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder (panic attacks) and phobias. I can teach a variety of techniques and tools including mindfulness, stress reduction, relaxation and positive coping strategies. I have had specialist training in helping teenagers with anxiety or depression.

  Currently I work part-time for the NHS as a staff Health and Wellbeing Counsellor. I always treat clients as individuals and adapt my approach to help an individual successfully achieve their goals. I always use compassion, empathy and unconditional positive regard to help a client unlock their potential in a non-judgemental safe atmosphere.

  I am also a fully qualified Trauma therapist, providing EMDR, which helps in the processing of trauma. I am an NHS hospital TRIM manager, supplying Trauma Risk Management coordination, planning and assessments.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

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
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

Other areas of counselling I deal with

- Exposure therapy

- Healthy long term weight loss

- Emotional wellbeing

- Professional coaching

- Coping with pain

- Teen counselling

-  Trauma therapy

- Wellbeing consultancy

- Performance coaching

- Head injury/ Learning difficulty specialist

- Behaviour change tools and techniques

- Depression and Anxiety specialist

- Relaxation Therapy (can be 1:1 or online workplace groups)

- Workplace stress

- EMDR

- Coronavirus/ Covid-19 anxiety, panic or agoraphobia. Loneliness, feeling sad or isolated during the pandemic and lockdowns. Also health anxiety and OCD and contamination worries can be worked with.

- WRAP (wellness rehabilitation action planning) plan formulation for how to become mentally well, and stay well.

-TRiM (traumatic risk management provided)

- Flying or travel phobias or other types of phobias

Photos & videos

Fees

£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Health Assured

Additional information

Please contact me on 07930212124 to book an appointment or to find out what therapy entails. You can email at counsellingtherapysolutions@outlook.com.
  An hours session is 50£. Appointments are over the telephone or online on zoom, at a time that suits you, you can pay for sessions by cheque or online. Please ring for more information, it is never too late to start on the path to wellbeing.
  Please note different fees apply for insurance companies and reports, please email for a competitive quotation. Workplace wellbeing consultancy is available, as well as mental health and self care training.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Telephone or video Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, counselling or EMDR at a time that suits you.

Type of session

Online
Phone
Home visits

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older Adults
Couples
Families
Groups
Organisations
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

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.

I can provide sessions in a clients own home, which can help clients who struggle leaving their home access support. Telephone and video sessions are also provided.

Additional languages

- some Makaton

Online platforms

Skype
Whatsapp
Zoom

Social

Suzanne Oakes
Suzanne Oakes