Teresa Shortall
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I specialise in working with teenagers and adults in their 20s and 30s who may be struggling with a range of challenges that can cause emotional, mental and even physical pain. These challenges may arise from issues related to anxiety, home life, academic or work stresses, social pressures and health issues, just to mention a few, often impacting on overall well-being and development.
When these challenges overlap, they can exacerbate each other, leading to feelings of hopelessness or being overwhelmed. Without proper support, you may struggle to express your emotions, leading to behaviours like avoidance, withdrawal, aggression, or even self-harm as coping mechanisms.
Working together, our focus will be to help you better understand and manage your thoughts and feelings so that they feel less crushing. We will work through your difficulties and build your resilience to take you forwards in the journey towards understanding, healing and growth.
How counselling can help
Having worked with many individuals navigating issues such as anxiety, bullying, self-esteem, difficult home situations, academic pressures, and identity, I feel that I understand the unique challenges young people face in today’s complex world.
My approach is person-centred and I draw on techniques including CBT, mindfulness and transactional analysis to ensure that every session is tailored to your unique needs and preferences. I also like to provide you with practical tools, techniques and resources that you can take away to support yourself through life.
Why Work with Me?
My clients say that working with me has helped them to feel more empowered to cope with and respond to the challenges in their lives, and more confident in building resilience and self-reliance.
Person-Centred Therapy: Offering empathy and acceptance to empower you.
CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy): helping you to identify and change unhelpful, automatic thought patterns that contribute to emotional distress. Breaking free from self-critical or pessimistic thinking can reduce anxiety, depression, or stress.
I offer a warm, approachable, and confidential environment where you as a client can feel truly heard and acknowledged.
Areas where I have helped clients
- Anxiety and stress management
- Coping with difficult home life situations
- Bullying and loneliness
- Working through issues with self-harm and suicidal thoughts
- Building self-esteem and self-confidence
- Managing academic or peer pressure
- Coping with grief, loss, or family changes
- Addressing issues related to gender and sexuality
- Depression and low mood
What to expect in your first session
If you are exploring whether counselling might be right for you I encourage you to contact me to set up a free 15-20 minute introductory video (or telephone) call.
It will be an opportunity for you to talk about what is concerning you and what you hope to get from counselling. I will explain how the counselling process works, including confidentiality and privacy and what you can expect from working with me.
If you feel you would like to go ahead with counselling we can arrange weekly follow on sessions (50 minutes) on a day and time that suits you.
Together, we will work towards understanding and overcoming the issues that may be holding you back.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and work in accordance with their ethical framework for good practice.
My training, qualifications & experience
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Diploma in Careers Guidance
- Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Secondary ages 11-18).
- BA (Hons) Degree.
My experience
Seven years counselling experience, working with young people across secondary and sixth form schools in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Essex.
Registered counsellor with YMCA and volunteer counsellor with Open Door in Saffron Walden.
Over 30 years teaching experience in secondary schools in the UK and Canada.
I am enhanced DBS certified and fully professionally insured
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.
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
£55.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Each counselling session lasts 50 minutes.
When I work
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I work Monday-Friday from midday (12.00) to 7pm. I always endeavour to be as flexible as I can.
Further information
I look forward to supporting you on your journey toward self-discovery and well-being. Feel free to reach out to me for an initial consultation.
