Victoria Bates
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello and welcome! I am here to support you in working through your challenges so you are able to better understand your thoughts, feelings and experiences, at your own pace, with empathy and without judgement. I specialise in anxiety and OCD.
How Counselling can help
The Counselling Relationship is like no other. It provides you with the opportunity to embrace all the parts of you no matter where you are in your life, how confused, challenged or unsure you may be feeling, in an environment that is completely free of judgement. The counselling relationship accepts you unconditionally which enables you to connect more deeply with yourself and feel safe to explore the things that are bothering you.
How can I help
I offer a confidential, safe and supportive space for you to explore anything you wish to. My aim is to understand you and how your world looks for you. Beginning therapy takes a huge amount of courage and I consider it a privilege to work with my clients, sharing their journey to support them in finding their own inner peace.
I am a Psychotherapeutic Integrative Counsellor. Working in an integrative way means I am trained in a number of theories and therapeutic approaches that enables me to tailor the therapeutic approach to meet your unique needs. Working in this way honours individuality and difference, ensuring our sessions work in a way that brings about positive change for you.
I work with a range of presenting issues such as self esteem/low confidence, relationship/family issues, work related stress, eating disorders, family breakdown/divorce, domestic violence and phobias and panic attacks to name a few.
I specialise in Anxiety and OCD, a subject close to my heart that i have spent many years researching to fully understand how it takes a hold and becomes overwhelming causing distress in daily life.
Working together we will look deeper at what's driving your thoughts and what's keeping you in the anxiety cycle, learn different thinking patterns, find healthy coping skills and address any underlying issues which will all make your anxiety/OCD more manageable. The goal of my therapeutic approach is to help you understand why you feel the way you feel, what your triggers are, and how you can change your reaction to them. CBT techniques used in therapy sessions teach practical techniques to help reframe your negative thinking and help you change your behaviors.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a registered member of The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I work within their ethical framework to ensure safe practice for all of my clients. I am fully insured and am DBS checked. I am committed to continuous professional development and have regular supervision.
Training & Qualifications
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
Level 3 Counselling
Level 2 Counselling Skills
Level 2 Domestic Violence
Level 2 LGBT in the Workplace
Level 2 Suicide and Self Harm
I am also a qualified EFT practitioner.
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Fees
£55.00 - £65.00
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
I offer a small number of sessions at a concession rate for people who are on low income or benefits, please be advised that evidence will be requested. Concession rates are available for online sessions only.
Further information
I currently offer face 2 face appointments in St Albans. I also offer online sessions available via Microsoft Teams and What’s app video call.
Sessions are for 50 minutes. In person sessions are £65. Online sessions are £55.00.
If you would like to further read about my private practice you can click through to my website at the top of this page.
You can contact me here via the Counselling Directory by using any of the details above. Upon you making contact with me, we will initially arrange a free 15 minute phone call for you to ask any questions you may have, to discuss any goals you have and to see if I am the right counsellor for you. If you are happy to work together at the end of this call we will arrange your first counselling session.
If you call and I am unable to answer, please leave a message and I will call you back as soon as possible. If it is unsafe for me to return your call please leave a voicemail stating so and I will hope I can answer when you are next safe to make contact.
