About me
I am a warm, compassionate and curious practitioner with a passion for self development and wellbeing, philosophy and psychology. I feel privileged to work with my amazing clients, who are all so different in so many ways, but show the same great courage when coming to me to face their fears, pain and distress. Before retraining as a counsellor in 2019, I was a primary school teacher for nearly 20 years. This experience built a strong foundation in my knowledge and understanding of childhood, parenting and family dynamics, as well as SEN and neurodiversity. I have lived and taught in many different schools and countries including Spain, Malaysia and Nigeria.
How can I help you?
My clients struggle with fear, anxiety, stress, anger, sadness and/or a feeling of being 'stuck', alone or confused about who they are or what they want from life. This distress is often rooted in trauma, grief, work stress, relationship breakdown, poor health, a childhood of unmet needs, and/or identity crisis. Life is tough; we must navigate multiple relationships, search for meaning and purpose in our lives, balance responsibility with choice and freedom, and endure physical and emotional pain, loss and loneliness. My clients want to be heard, accepted and understood. They want to find inner peace and to heal from their pain.
I will provide a compassionate and accepting relationship in which you can be yourself and tell your story. Together, we will untangle your feelings, thoughts and behaviours, at your own pace. I will accept and understand you, just as you are, and help you to accept and understand yourself. We can work towards change, healing and/or self-fulfilment.
Training, qualifications & experience
My professional training and experience has been an integration of humanistic approaches (Person-Centred and Existential Counselling) with Psychodynamic approaches. I also have experience of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and can work with you in this way, if you so wish. I work integratively as I believe no single approach holds all the truth and suits every unique individual. I see the commonalities among the models and I draw upon and integrate their concepts and theories depending on the unique needs, circumstances and preferences of each client. In any case, it is now widely accepted that the relationship between counsellor and client (and not the model or approach) is the most important factor in the success of therapy. My priority is to establish a therapeutic relationship with you that is safe, trusting, collaborative and compassionate, yet challenging. There will be regular opportunities for us to discuss how the counselling is going and whether you are finding it helpful.
I have worked in voluntary placements at EASE Wellbeing in Clapham and at ACT in Bromley (formerly Bromley Community Counselling Service). In private practice, I work both online and in person from my counselling room in SE22. I have worked with clients with a wide variety of presenting issues such as trauma, depression, anxiety, low self-worth, grief and gender identity, to name a few.
I am a registered member of The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) which demonstrates that I meet high standards of proficiency, professionalism and ethical practice. You can find me on the BACP register online by searching for ‘Victoria Gale’ or my registration number 408604
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£80.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
All sessions, including the initial assessment, last 50 minutes and are priced at £80 (or agreed concession rate). Our appointments will occur weekly on the same day, at the same time and in the same location (or online). I offer concession rates for clients with lower incomes. Please get in touch to discuss.
When I work
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Further information
I have worked with many clients who have faced prejudice, discrimination and hatred, just because of who they are. I am committed to a proactive stance against social injustice by challenging the status quo and advocating for those without power or voice. I welcome difference from me in all its forms.
I offer counselling short-term (usually 6 or 12 weeks), medium-term (6 months) or long-term / open ended. We will discuss these options at the beginning and agree on the time-frame together, taking into account your needs, circumstances and preferences. You can change your mind about the length of the counselling, or terminate the counselling, at any time.
Our first session is a confidential online assessment, where we discuss your concerns, some background information, what you want from counselling and whether I might be able to help you. If I feel there are other services that could help you more, I will discuss these options with you.
