Suzy Atkinson
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello, and thank you for visiting. I offer a safe & confidential space outside of friends and family, to listen, explore and process what’s happening for you without distractions, agenda, or judgement.
Sometimes life, family & relationships can feel overwhelming and difficult to cope with. You may be going through upheaval, experiencing anxiety, depression or low self esteem, feeling lonely or just not quite yourself. You may simply want to know & understand yourself better, to make the most of your life & choices.
Therapy helps you to become more aware of the person you are & the power you have, to feel happier, calmer & more confident. Starting therapy may feel daunting, and by coming this far you’ve already taken a step forward.
What to expect
It’s not easy to know what to expect from therapy.
Sometimes people imagine that an ‘expert’ will advise them what to do as if they know best.
But effective therapy is a shared endeavour, underpinned by a trusting relationship between therapist and client.
I see my job as creating a safe and supportive space to explore the issues that are affecting you, to help make sense of your experiences and feelings & find your own voice, perspective, and clarity.
It’s about putting you first & at the very heart of things, listening with empathy to whatever you wish to bring, at your own pace, helping you to understand, accept & connect with yourself.
It’s about empowering and resourcing you to find your own way forward so that you ultimately become your own therapist and guide.
Training, qualifications & experience
I became fully qualified in 2009 with a degree (BSc) in Integrative Counselling from Roehampton University.
My core approach is person-centred, which means I aim towards creating an empathic, non-judgemental, & accepting relationship for the work we do, offering observations and techniques along the way if they seem helpful and therapeutic.
I work with curiosity, compassion & a commitment to try and understand what’s happening for you as best I can from your point of view.
I have worked for over 15 years as a counsellor at a Women’s Centre, where I have had the privilege of working with a great many women to discover & prize their own uniqueness, power & value.
I commit time regularly to my further growth & continuing professional development, keeping up with advances in thinking, theory & practice. I’m especially interested in trauma-informed ways of working, compassion theory & mindfulness.
I also have a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) & have enjoyed a long career at a senior level in business.
Member organisations
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.
Universities Psychotherapy & Counselling Association
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
£65.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
When I work
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Mondays and Wednesdays offer my core availability, but there is scope for some flexibility on other days.
I will be annual leave from 12 April, returning 22nd April.
Further information
What I offer
I offer an initial 15-minute consultation over the phone, which is free of charge.
This is a chance for you to find out more about therapy and how I work. It also allows me to discover briefly what you are facing and if / how I may be able to support you in your goals.
The next step is to book an initial session to discuss in detail what has brought you to therapy and what you hope to gain and to get a sense of whether we feel able to work together.
I will gather information to get to know you and understand your situation better.
If you choose to, we'd then agree on a regular time and day to commit to weekly 50-minute sessions.
Then our sessions are led by whatever you wish to talk about.
We review our work after 6 sessions, and at regular intervals afterward, to check in on how you’re experiencing the therapy and our progress towards your goals.
Your therapy can be time limited or open-ended, depending on your needs.
Generally, it ends whenever you feel ready, and we would prepare for this together.
I charge £65 per 50-minute session, payable in advance by bank transfer.
I am located a 10-12-minute walk from Kingston Upon Thames train station, or I can meet you online.
Please get in touch if you would like to book an initial free 15-minute consultation over the phone.
