About me
Welcome
Hello, I'm Trisha, and if you're reading this, I'm guessing that things are not going well for you right now, maybe you're struggling to cope, feeling overwhelmed and are looking for someone to talk to about your problems. I know that starting counselling or psychotherapy is a big and courageous step. But I can help you. I will not judge you or tell you what to do. I am a highly experienced, qualified and accredited counsellor with over 30 years experience.
My experience as a counsellor and psychotherapist
I was employed for many years as a Welfare Officer covering Devon and Cornwall, and then as a Counsellor in the same national organisation, and subsequently worked as counsellor in a number of different Occupational Health and Employee Assistance Programmes. In the past I have been a counsellor to HM Coastguard, Royal Navy, the Embarrassing Bodies TV show, homicide support within Victim Support, the Police Firearms Officers Association, and a number of charities, to name just some of my wide expertise. This, together with experience gained in my private practice as a psychotherapist, has allowed me to help hundreds of people from all walks of life, backgrounds and cultures, through all kinds of difficulties. I offer help in many different scenarios, but particularly specialise in trauma and also sex and porn addiction.
Who am I accredited by and what does being accredited mean?
I am qualified and accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Association for the Treatment of Sex Addiction and Compulsivity (ATSAC) and I am thus entitled to use the word "accredited" after this designation. You may be surprised to know that, technically, anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist, which means that someone with little or no training can use these titles. However, being accredited means that I am recognised by recognised professional bodies to have a higher level of competence, and meet higher standards of training, experience and ethical practice than people without accreditation.
How can I help you?
I will explore with you, in confidence, the things that are troubling you, to try and help you find a way through. The sort of things I can help with is includes anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, anger, bereavement, low-confidence, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, relationships and family problems. As a trauma informed psychotherapist, I have a particular interest in many kinds of trauma, including child abuse (emotional, physical and sexual), other early childhood traumas, sex abuse and rape (both female and male), assaults and violence, military and war trauma, trauma caused by witnessing family violence, and inter-generational trauma. About 8% of people will develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sometime during their life, and psychotherapy is seen as the most effective way of working toward recovery (Harvard Health Blog).
Couple's Counselling
I am a qualified and accredited couples' counsellor with advanced certification, and can provide therapy to couples (whatever their gender or sexuality) where the relationship is in struggling, or has broken down. There are many reasons for this, including when a couple feel they have fallen out of love; they're struggling to recover from betrayal or discovery of an affair; one partner feels insecure or jealous; or they've somewhere along the way lost the ability to communicate kindly or respectfully with each other. The most common issues for which people seek couple's counselling are communication problems, rows and arguments, and managing conflict. Over 40% of marriages today end in divorce and it's an even higher figure for couples who aren't married. This inevitably has a huge emotional impact not only on the couple but all the family, especially so for any children involved. Even if it looks like your relationship is in real trouble, couple's counselling may give you a chance to turn things around, or can help you bring the relationship to a close with kindness, respect and dignity.
Sex Addiction Therapy
I have had extensive specialised training in this field, and am a qualified and accredited ATSAC (Association for the Treatment of Sex Addiction and Compulsivity) therapist working in this highly specialised field with individuals who have sexually compulsive behaviours which they find they can't stop and which have become out of control (this includes porn, sexting, flirting, using sex workers, repeated one-night stands, affairs and infidelity, love addiction etc). This is not the same as having a high sex drive, and it takes specialist professional help to enable you identify if you're addicted or not. People with any kind of addictive or compulsive behaviour invariably feel a deep sense of shame, guilt and helplessness, and the roots of addiction may lie in early childhood experiences or trauma. However, I do NOT work with individuals whose sexual behaviour would be regarded as offending, illegal or pose a sexual risk (for example, they are being investigated by Police or have been accused or convicted of a contact, non-contact or internet sexual offence against a child, adult or animal), though I am trained to work with the partners of such individuals.
Helping partners of sex addicts
I am accredited and qualified to work with the partners of sex addicts. Partners are invariably in shock and traumatised as they struggle to come to terms with the discovery of their loved one's behaviours and betrayal. I can help you move from feeling broken to brave, and help you rebuild your life, either with or without the partner who shattered your trust. I am trained and qualified to work in a therapeutic safeguarding programme work with the partners of sexually offending individuals, and I absolutely recognise that such partners are invariably traumatised at the devastation of such a discovery.
Animal-Assisted therapy
There is increasing evidence in the value that animals can play in helping humans cope with physical and emotional pain, as well as lowering of levels of the stress hormone cortisol, increasing levels of oxytocin (the hormone that gives a sense of happiness and bonding), and raising levels of dopamine. Research shows that having a dog around during therapy can help with a number of mental health problems, particularly anxiety and trauma. Dogs have high levels of empathy with humans, and dogs can offer unconditional acceptance, affection and comfort with no strings attached. Allow me to introduce my small and friendly therapy dog called Ziggy Stardust. He is a Poodle-Bichon cross, has a non-moulting and hypoallergenic coat, will greet you enthusiastically, and would love to befriend you and join us in our sessions. However, it's fine if you prefer not to have Ziggy present, the choice is yours. I abide by all relevant guidelines about using animals in therapy.
Where to find me
I have a private practice in Newquay where I see both individuals and couples. My therapy room is in a quiet residential street, within walking distance of the town centre, trains and buses, and with free on-street parking nearby. Our initial assessment session can be a one-hour WhatsApp or FaceTime session but I work mainly in face-to-face sessions from my own comfortably furnished designated therapy room.
Want to know more?
If you're unsure whether counselling is for you, please email me (trishaparsons@hotmail.co.uk) and ask for an hour-long initial session with no-obligation assessment. This can be done by phone, WhatsApp video, FaceTime or Zoom (if you invite me) so that we can explore together how I can help. I know that some therapists offer a free brief consultation, but I don't, as I feel it isn't possible for either you or me to see if we'd be a good fit, or to get a real understanding of each other in a ten or 15 minute chat. My fee for an initial session and all follow-on individual therapy sessions is £65.
Thanks for reading my profile, and all the very best with your journey in resolving difficult issues, and your personal happiness.
Training, qualifications & experience
About me I have formal qualifications in Person Centred counselling, Gestalt Counselling, Organisational Counselling, as well as professional training in many other areas. I spent many years working as an occupational health counsellor in a number of different organisations. I am trained and qualified in the specialist fields of sex addiction and couple's counselling. I am committed to continuous and extensive further additional professional training and development, including alcohol and drug misuse, bullying, suicide, bereavement, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), unresolved childhood issues, childhood trauma (including emotional, physical and sex abuse), hypnotherapy, neuroscience, attachment theory, intergenerational trauma, and grief and loss. On average, I partake in five or six training workshops and conferences each year in order to keep up to date with new research, ideas, and ways of working. In the past, I have provided training for counsellors.
Although I now work mainly with individuals, and couples, I have worked as a counsellor for a number of different organisations, including Royal Mail, HM Coastguard, Firecracker Films, NSPCC, Retail Trust, Victim Support and the Royal Navy. I am committed to ongoing professional development and training, and have carried out training with renowned experts from the UK, the USA and Germany.
British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and thus entitled to use the letters MBACP (Accred) after my name. BACP is the UK's largest counselling organisation. Choosing a practitioner who is a both BACP registered and accredited will give you an assurance that the counsellor meets the standards of proficiency and ethical practice you have a right to expect and will typically have had extensive professional training, will be engaged in on-going supervision, will continuously update their practice, will have substantial professional indemnity insurance, and will practise within BACP's Ethical Framework for Good Practice. Becoming an accredited member involves a further detailed application and assessment process and is a higher quality status for experienced practitioners who can demonstrate high standards of competent and ethical practice. Please be aware that, as the law stands, anyone can call themselves a counsellor, psychotherapist or therapist with no specific or defined training, so it's important that you find a therapist who is fully qualified and works to professional standards.
Sex Addiction I am qualified, and have had extensive training and experience, to work with individuals in the specialist field of sexually compulsive behaviour or addiction. I am an accredited member of the Association for the Treatment of Sex Addiction & Compulsivity (ATSAC). My therapeutic work is with either the individual with the addiction, or with their partner. Psychotherapeutic work on recovery from sex addiction is seen as long term work and individuals would need to be prepared for this.
Partners of Sexual Offenders I do not work with sexual offenders but I am trained in one-to-one therapeutic safeguarding programme for the partners of individuals posing a sexual risk.
Couple's Counselling I am qualified as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Couple Therapy, and my training has encompassed the work of many-world-class relationship therapists, and follows a well-proven and evidence-based model of relationship therapy.
I have had training in many different psychotherapies, including Gestalt Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Transactional Analysis, solution-focused therapy and hypnotherapy, IFS (internal family systems).
How many sessions will you need? I have considerable experience of working in a time limited way (which is usually regarded as between six and 10 sessions) as well as long-term therapy that could last a year or more. Some people may find that one or two sessions are all they need but much of my work is with individuals on a long-term basis. Every individual is different and no one can predict how much therapy is enough for a specific person. Research suggests that, on average, it takes roughly six months of weekly therapy for people to start to see meaningful change, and therapy becomes incrementally more effective as it progresses over time. For people who have suffered from significant trauma in their life, the therapeutic recovery work is much longer term. I usually work on the basis of weekly sessions to start with and may suggest we increase to two or even three times a week in the event of a major crisis or suicidal intent. However, I do recognise that financial constraints mean that some people may only be able to afford fortnightly sessions, and I'm OK with this.
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.
The Association for Treatment of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity (ATSAC) is the leading UK organisation providing hope, information, support, and treatment options for those affected by sexual addiction and compulsivity.
ATSAC sets standards of practice for qualified therapists and provides accreditation for specialist training courses. A therapist who has gone through ATSAC recognised training will have the knowledge to respect and work with you sensitively to find out how best to support your needs.
Therapy options may include one-to-one sessions, group work, and/or relationship counselling. ATSAC is a not-for-profit organisation.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £85.00
Additional information
My fees are £65 per hour for individual one-hour counselling sessions, and £85 per hour for couple's counselling, payable either in cash at the time of the session or by bank transfer before commencement of session. Please email me if you'd like to know more. My email address is trishaparsons@hotmail.co.uk.
When I work
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