Darren Taylor
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
My name is Darren Taylor and I am a qualified, accredited and experienced Counsellor and Psychotherapist working with individuals and couples. I also provide supervision for other counsellors and psychotherapists.
I see clients face to face from my counselling room in the village of Croston, Lancashire and I also offer online sessions. Some clients find that a hybrid model, combining in person and online sessions, is a flexible and helpful way of working with me.
Your mental health is important
There are times in our lives when we feel stressed, anxious or unhappy. Times when we are just struggling to cope with our circumstances or we have been knocked off balance by a serious life event or trauma. Times of loss and grief, times when our relationships break down and times when our life just feels empty and lacking in purpose. During these times we may feel overwhelmed, lost and confused and we may not know what to do.
Counselling can help
Whatever it is that you are struggling with right now, your mental health is important and talking with an experienced counsellor or psychotherapist can help. Counselling and psychotherapy will help you to increase your self-awareness (both conscious and unconscious) so that you may begin to understand what is going on for you and the reasons why. Through therapy, you will develop an improved capacity to cope, make better decisions and start to live a more fulfilled life.
Meeting a counsellor for the first time may be a challenging experience for some. It involves talking about the issues that are troubling you, sharing your thoughts and feelings and opening-up in a way that may be completely new for you. Making the decision to see a counsellor is a courageous one but, in so doing, it is often the first step to changing your life.
Counselling and psychotherapy can help with most issues, including:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Anger
- Relationship issues
- Divorce, separation, affairs and betrayal
- Bereavement, pre-bereavement and loss
- Addictions
- Eating disorders
- Low self-esteem and confidence
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and phobias
- Abuse
- Trauma and post trauma
- Childhood and family issues
- Major life passages such as parenthood, mid-life, retirement & old age
- Meaning and fulfillment
- Loneliness and isolation
- Ageing, illness and fear of death
- Spirituality and religion
When you meet me
I endeavor to build a relationship with you in which you are encouraged to be your true self, where you feel permitted to explore anything that is bothering you without the fear of being judged or the worry that you must please or conform. Our relationship will be one in which you are understood and accepted for who you are and how you experience your life, one from which you can begin to heal and grow.
My personal approach to counselling is one in which I try to hear and understand you, your life and whatever it is you are bringing to therapy, as much as I am able. I will fully accept you for who you are and, over time, you will find that our relationship is one in which you can be open and honest, without feeling judged or the need to please. I hope you will see me as compassionate and caring and, whilst I will not judge, I will always try to be honest which may sometimes involve gentle challenging in a way that may reveal alternative perspectives or new insights.
My theoretical approach is primarily Person Centred. When appropriate, I will sometimes take a more pluralistic approach incorporating Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Jungian psychology. If you are interested in learning more about these different theoretical approaches, please have a look at the brief descriptions on my site.
To answer any questions you have and to help you with your decision, I offer either a free consultation (20 minutes, online or by telephone) or a more in-depth, face-to-face session (50 minutes, in person or online) which is chargeable.
Training, qualifications & experience
My early career was spent in commerce working for large organisations in the IT and outsourcing sectors. However, after 20 years of doing this, I decided to change career and, following three years' training in Person Centred counselling, I qualified as a counsellor. I completed a further two years post graduate training in CBT/Mindfulness and went on to study Jungian psychology at master's level. I have also trained and qualified in relationship/couples counselling, mindfulness teaching and supervision.
I have been working as a psychotherapist for around 20 years and, as well as my private practice, I have worked in various settings including the NHS, community support, schools and the hospice sector.
I have a commitment to ongoing training and CPD. My formal qualifications are:
- MA (with distinction). Jungian and Post Jungian Studies. Essex University.
- Grad. Cert. Person Centred Counselling. UCLAN
- Grad. Dip. Person Centred Counselling. UCLAN
- PG. Cert. CBT and Integrated Mindfulness. University of Salford
- Mindfulness Training. University of Bangor.
- Mindfulness Advanced Teacher Training. Breathworks
- Supervision Training. University of Strathclyde
- Certificate in Transactional Analysis (TA)
- Certificate in Couples Counselling
- Registered Member British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. (BACP)
- My first degree is BSc (Hons) Management. University of Aston
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
As well as working with your issues and symptoms from a historical (or pathological) perspective, I might also work with you in a way that is more future orientated (or teleological). In other words, you might wish to work on your future, as well as your present and your past, exploring and opening up to a life which holds more meaning and fulfillment for you.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Additional information
I offer a free telephone or online introductory session (20 minutes).
A more in depth initial assessment session (50 minutes face to face) is charged at the same price as a normal session (currently £60).
Face to face counselling (60 mins): £60 per session
Couples (60 mins): £90 per session
Supervision: £70 per 1.5 hour session
When I work
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Further information
I am based in the village of Croston in Lancashire. My counselling room is on the ground floor of my house and is completely private. Parking is easy and, if you wish to take public transport, Croston station is half a mile away and there are bus services to the village.
