Thomas Keith Irwin
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
We seek the support of a counsellor for many different reasons. Maybe you are experiencing problems in your life at work, home or in relationships, and you do not fully understand why. Perhaps you have been through early trauma or traumatic experiences that are having difficulty coming to terms with. You may have been bereaved, separated, divorced or are struggling to find fulfilling relationships in your life. You may have financial problems, debt or addiction.
Sharing experiences, difficulties and feelings with someone who is not connected to your life and is non-judgemental can help you make sense of what has happened or is happening. Therapy is a creative and healing process but can also stir up painful feelings - I aim to be facilitative and respectful at all times but therapy also involves being challenged at times.
There are many different sorts of approaches offered by therapists which can be confusing for clients. I am an integrative therapist which means I tailor therapy sessions for the individual client as each person will need something different. I believe in accepting the person as they are and that everyone has the capacity for positive change - I am not there to give advice or tell you what to do. Being integrative, I draw upon many different psychological theories and approaches. At the heart of my work is the belief in the importance of the therapeutic relationship and that through this the client will have different experiences of relating with others which leads to positive shifts, over time in their lives.
I offer an initial assessment to understand your current difficulties and to talk through together what sort of help you are looking for. After the assessment we discuss whether you are happy to continue and start therapy or whether you would like to find support elsewhere – it may be that we are not suitable to work together or that you require a different kind of support that I am unable to offer.
If we agree to begin therapy, then a therapeutic contract is made, setting out the expected duration of the therapy, where and when we will meet, and the cost.
Therapy can be short-term or long-term – I will discuss with you what is appropriate for your circumstances as everyone has different needs. We can also work together using the telephone or voice and video conferencing over the internet.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
- Diploma of H.E. Counselling (University of Ulster)
- Relate Certification in Relationship Counselling
- Certificate in Working with Addictions
Accredited with National Counselling Society and listed on BACP's Accredited Register
Additional Study and Conferences Attended
- Brief Solution Focused Therapy
- Understanding Autism
- Sexual and Domestic Violence
- Anger, Rage and Relationships
- Motivational Interviewing
- OCTIA (Online Counselling and Therapy in Action) Conference – ‘Beginning, Developing and Strengthening the Way We Work Online’
- Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection
- Equality and Diversity
- Working with Suicidality and Risk
Experience
- Working with young people and adults at risk in Public Health Authority funded crisis counselling service
- Counselling students in University student support service
- Working with couples an individuals directly and indirectly affected by substance misuse
- Working wth addiction linked to offending behaviour at Probation Service
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
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Next Steps
Therapy is an interactive and collaborative process between you and the therapist. Making the first move towards getting in touch takes courage and it is natural to feel a little apprehensive.
I offer an initial consultation which will give us an opportunity to meet each other and ascertain how therapy might be helpful to you at this time. As part of this first consultation, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. There is no commitment to ongoing work at this stage.
During this consultation we can think about whether you would like to meet for regular weekly appointments, and if so, establish a regular day and time to meet. Regular sessions last for 50 minutes and their consistency is important in facilitating and giving momentum to the work of therapy.
I offer daytime, evening and weekend appointments.
My standard fee is £50 per 50 minute session.
I have a limited number of concession spaces available for students or those on a low wage.
When I work
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