Elle Heasman

A Little About Me:

I am an accredited professional registrant of the NCPS, which means I have demonstrated that I am “considered by the society to be safe, competent and ethical to practice the vocation of counselling/psychotherapy”.
 
My specialist training is in working with trauma in relation to childhood sexual abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and violence, kidnapping, torture and intergenerational trauma in families.
 
How I Practice:

I use a pluralistic approach because of its flexibility, inclusivity, and pliability, which is anchored in the principle that each client is unique. I use the core conditions as my conceptual foundation to foster psychological safety within the working alliance. This provides a secure base from which a client can begin processing their experiences at a manageable pace.
 
I prioritise the relationship throughout, which enables me to strengthen emotional inquiry and help clients feel validated and heard. I collaborate with the client to observe and adapt to their responsiveness and to work within a shared decision-making alliance.
 
Qualifications In Counselling and Supervision:

I am core trained in the modalities of person-centred, psychodynamic, CBT, transactional analysis, gestalt and pluralistic therapy. I also have extensive training in EDI and a diploma in diversity, cultural competence, race & anti-discrimination practice, including work with disabilities, neurodiversity, and class.
 
I also completed a postgraduate Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Counselling Supervision for a year, which was in-person training one weekend a month under the stewardship of Dr Kathy Raffles in Somerset, where I achieved a distinction in practice supervision.
 
I attend many professional CPDs throughout the year, and I am currently training in EMDR.

Supervision Fees:

Individual Supervision:

1-hour: £70 - In-Person, online, or Via Telephone

30-minutes: £40 - Online or via Telephone (Only)

1.5 Hours on one day per calendar month: £90

Group Supervision:

2-hours on one day each calendar month in groups of 2, 3 or 4 participants: £60 - Online Only

*Please note that group supervision is split in time depending on how many participants there are, so you may need to top up with a 30-minute session or attend fortnightly group sessions. This will be charged at the lower fee of £30. 

*Group of up to four: Half the time of the session can be claimed*.

                                 Current BACP Guidelines

Please review your membership requirements regarding the split of hours in group supervision and the frequency of supervision for trainees.

The Way I Work as a Supervisor:

Supervision is a mandatory arrangement, set out by the voluntary professional counselling and psychotherapy memberships, between a supervisor and a supervisee. They detail the frequency and amount of supervision needed, and each membership body differs in these requirements.

So, working competently and professionally with a supervisee, I need to know their ethical framework and mandatory requirements for hours and frequency. Ultimately, (benevolence) is a layer to protect clients from undue or unseen harm (non-maleficence). These two principles are indeed ones I adhere to and use as benchmarks as a supervisor.

Models I Am Trained In:
 
Inskipp & Proctor’s Functional Model (2001)
Stoltenberg & Delworth’s Developmental Model (1987)
Hawkins & Shohet Process Model (2013)
Lambers (2000) & Mearns (1997-1998) – PCT Model
Carroll's (1996) Generic Tasks of Supervision
Page & Wosket’s Cyclical Model (2001)
 
Supervision and Peer Support:
 
I provide a setting where qualified practitioners, trainees and students intending to become counsellors can feel validated and supported in their practice and learning. Not judged and, most importantly, where their voices can be heard. Sharing challenges and concerns in individual or group supervision helps normalise experiences of doubt, anxiety, or uncertainty common among trainees and those qualified in our profession, including imposter syndrome.

This environment I have established in supervision helps lessen feelings of isolation that qualified practitioners and trainees may experience and build a sense of community, fostering professional self-confidence and resilience.
 

Development of Reflective and Reflexivity Skills:

I encourage all supervisees to reflect on their practice in an active, dynamic way, using advanced reflective practice and reflexivity to look inward. This deeper process involves examining unconscious biases and one's own belief systems. This space lets you safely evaluate practice interventions, explore ethical issues, and pinpoint opportunities for development. This self-reflective practice is important for developing self-awareness and gaining professional maturity and growth in the counselling profession.
 
Why is Group Supervision Mixed?
 
Group supervision is beneficial because it exposes qualified practitioners and trainees to a range of professional experience levels and new, industry-forward ways of working, including clinical case studies and approaches. Trainee counsellors learn not only from their own experiences but also from observing how another qualified peer, or indeed a peer, may handle different counselling situations. This does not mean your approach is wrong. It just provides an additional window (a set of eyes) into a clinical consideration or dilemma. This broadens understanding of client issues, therapeutic techniques, and problem-solving strategies, which strengthens clinical competence.
 
Observation and Modelling:

Observing supervisor interventions and peer observations provides opportunities to model effective counselling behaviours. Witnessing different communication styles, questioning techniques, and therapeutic approaches enhances skill acquisition and practical understanding of counselling dynamics.
 
Preparation For Professional Collaboration:

Group supervision mirrors multidisciplinary work outside of the therapeutic setting, especially if you work in an agency or team context in counselling and mental health services. Qualified counsellors/psychotherapists in private practice and trainees develop professional interpersonal, collaborative, and communicative skills by engaging in group discussions, giving and receiving feedback respectfully, and negotiating different viewpoints.
 
Cost-Effectiveness Plus Accessibility:

Counselling training has long been expensive for many trainees. Group supervision may be more cost-effective than individual supervision, enabling supervisors to support multiple individuals simultaneously whilst preserving high-quality learning. This also increases the range of feedback without a proportional increase in supervision hours.

Please get in touch via email here or directly by WhatsApp on 07492332877 or at elle@therapyforthosethoughts.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you soon and to being part of your professional counselling journey.