Tracy McDonald
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This professional is currently not accepting new clients at this time.
This professional is currently not accepting new clients at this time.
About me
Life is full of challenges for us all but there may be occasions when we struggle with these difficult times and come to realise that we need some help, some support and someone to talk to, to help make sense of what is happening and how we are feeling. I can offer you this opportunity especially when it may be too difficult to speak to those closest to you. I provide a warm, confidential safe space which is non-judgmental and allows you the freedom to be yourself and also to get to know yourself. Together, we can explore your feelings, thoughts, your hopes, your fears and make sense of what you are experiencing at a time which can often feel very scary and isolating.
I am an Accredited member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) and have been practicing for 11 years. I have worked with a drug and alcohol support agency and was also a lead counsellor working for Mind, the mental health charity for 5 years. I now work in private practice and also work with 2wish as a bereavement counsellor.
My practice is based on an Integrative approach and have been trained to use a number of different counselling theories. What that actually means, is that I am able to tailor these to your needs and work in an empathic, accepting and compassionate way which values your needs and what is best for you as the client. I work collaboratively with you to understand your needs and how to meet them. You are not alone; we are in this together, working in an open and honest manner at your pace. You remain in control throughout the work as I firmly believe that you are the expert on your life. I am there to understand you and essentially, to help empower you; to enable you to understand yourself better and for you to make more effective choices within your relationships and your life as a whole.
I am extremely passionate about my work as a therapist and am committed to working with you on your goals of therapy whether they require short-term support or longer, more in-depth work. I know from my own experience as a client how terrifying a time this can be but again, I truly believe that counselling can make a huge difference to how you feel about yourself and your sense of wellbeing and can help improve your relationships, not only with others but also with yourself. It can be well worth taking that first step and I hope we can work together on your journey to make a difference in your life.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training
Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy
Post Graduate Certificate in Counselling Skills
I have also done additional training including ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and Mental Health First Aid Training.
Further training courses:
Anxiety and depression
Trauma and the body
Working with shame
Childhood sexual abuse
Working with relational trauma
Dealing with distress: working with suicide and self-harm
Bereavement and loss
Experience
I worked as a counsellor in the Torfaen area with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre for two years.
I also worked for 5 years as a lead counsellor with a mental health charity in the Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent area.
I have worked for Cyfannol, working with clients who have experienced abuse and domestic violence.
I currently work privately and work with clients through the charity 2wish who have experienced sudden and traumatic bereavement.
I have experienced working with a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, bereavement and loss, abuse including childhood sexual abuse, anger, low self-esteem and lack of confidence and relationship difficulties.
Member organisations
school 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 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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I work with most issues and believe that it is the therapeutic relationship which we form that will be the catalyst to change. The way I work also encourages acceptance of self and helps you to understand your difficulties which then leads to greater choice and freedom to make changes.
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 per session
Additional information
Sessions cost £55 and last one hour.
Concessions are available in particular circumstances. I am quite happy to discuss this with you so please contact me if you have questions.
When I work
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Please contact me to discuss specific availability. My days for face to face sessions are Tuesday mornings and evenings, Thursday daytime and Friday mornings.
Further information
Please contact me if you have any questions. I am more than happy to have a chat first in order for you to get an idea about counselling and how I work. You can then decide whether you would like to book a session.
Telephone: 07717332146
Email: tracyj-mcdon@hotmail.com
As an accredited member of the BACP, I attend monthly Supervision to ensure I am practising to a high ethical standard and I have a DBS Certificate.
I am also committed to my own personal growth which for me, includes continually working on myself as a person and in continually increasing my knowledge and experience as a therapist.
