Vicky Chalk

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BSc (Hons) Registered & Accredited Member MBACP
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This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Romsey, Hampshire, SO51
No current availability
No current availability

This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

I have been working as a qualified counsellor for over 20 years and I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  I have also been working as a qualified counselling supervisor since 2009.  Please see the link at the bottom of the page for more information on supervision.  I am committed to providing therapy in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment.


Where I Work
My private counselling practice takes place in a ground floor dedicated room in my home, which is a 15 minute walk from Romsey Town Centre and a 10 minute walk from Romsey Railway Station. There is also easy parking directly outside on the driveway.
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Who I work with
I work with adults from the age of 18 yrs as well as with older adults. This can be short term, or on a longer open ended basis.  My aim is to enable clients to enhance their lives so they may live more fully.

How I work with clients
I work as an Integrative Counsellor, as I have integrated various counselling theory and techniques in to my work as I have developed professionally.  My core way of working is client-centred and therefore it is very important that I am able to listen to you without judgement, and as far as possible, understand how you are experiencing your situation.

It is also important that we find a way of working together that suits you and your needs and therefore other theory or approaches I am able to use include: Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioural Techniques, Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Mindfulness. We can discuss any of these approaches in more detail during the initial session and generally how we can work together in a way that is helpful to you

Finding a good counsellor can be daunting and for this reason I offer an initial 30 minute free appointment.  This gives you the opportunity to assess whether counselling is right for you and to check if we are comfortable working together.  There is no obligation on either side and I encourage you to take some time to reflect on whether you wish to continue working with me before making this decision.

It is my practice wherever possible to treat all information disclosed as confidential.  However, there are limitations to confidentiality that are particular to the field of counselling and I will explain these fully during the initial appointment.  You can also see my privacy statement which is located on my website in the footer of each page.  There is a link to my website in the bar on the right side of this page.

If you have any questions about the way I work and my private counselling practice, please email or telephone me using the contact details at the top of the page.  If you decide to telephone me you will be able to leave a message on the answer machine and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Training, qualifications & experience

I have a BSc. degree in Psychology, (1994) and a Certificate and a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling (1998).  I also hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Supervision (2009).  More recently I have undertaken training in Couples Counselling and hold a Certificate. However, I do not currently offer Couples Counselling in  my private practice but I find this training informs my work with individual clients who wish to discuss relationship issues. In 2021 I completed training as a Mindfulness Teacher and find that this can be helpful for some of my clients who are wanting to be more present in their lives.   I engage in a minimum of 30 hours Continued Professional Development annually and therefore frequently attend other training.

I have been employed within a variety of settings.  Whilst training as a counsellor I worked in an NHS specialist in-patient unit for adolescents and on moving to Hampshire in 1999 worked briefly for Social Services with Children living in care.  I took a counselling post at a College of Further and Higher Education, where I stayed for 8 years, before moving to my current employment in 2008 at a local University Counselling Service.

At the university I provide individual counselling to students and in the past also to staff.  I therefore have extensive experience of working with a wide range of adults in terms of age, culture and ethnicity. I have also facilitated psycho-educational workshops on the subjects of how to manage anxiety and relaxation techniques as well as offering counselling supervision to volunteer counsellors on placement at the University.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

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
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Fees

£50.00 per session
Free initial in-person session

Additional information

The initial session for 30 minutes is free of charge with no obligation on either side. Fees for any further appointments will be charged at £50 each for individual clients receiving a 50 minute session. I ask that payment be made by cash or cheque at the end of each session or by direct bank transfer within 24 hours of the appointment.  Discount is available to trainee counsellors.  Missed sessions will be charged for at 50% of the full fee unless at least 24 hours notice is given.  Prices will be reviewed annually in April.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I run my private practice on  Wednesdays and Friday morning.

Further information

What to Expect from Counselling
Particularly for those people who have never experienced any form of therapy, it can be very difficult to know just what to expect.   I hope the following information is helpful to you.

Counselling  is a very personal process where you have the opportunity to express and reflect on your thoughts and feelings. This is done within a supportive, confidential and non-judgemental relationship that you develop with your counsellor. For some people being truly heard and understood is, in itself, very meaningful. For others, identifying areas in their lives they wish to change and using counselling to help achieve this, can be liberating. Other people may attend counselling because they feel out of sorts but are not really sure why this is. Having time to explore this can be just what is needed.

Counselling is also about having a better understanding of yourself and learning about your own coping resources, so that in the future you will know the sorts of things you can do to support yourself should problems arise.

However, counselling is often not an easy process as sometimes it is necessary to talk about painful feelings or difficult decisions, so you may go through a period of feeling worse than when you started. These are common and natural feelings and for those who can work through this with their counsellor's support usually find it is well worth the effort.

Romsey, Hampshire, SO51

Type of session

In person

Types of client

Adults
Older adults

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Supervision

In person

Vicky Chalk  - Counselling Supervisor I am a BACP accredited counsellor and as a counselling supervisor I work within the BACP's ethical framework for good practice.

View supervision profile

Vicky Chalk
Vicky Chalk