I have a variety of different therapies that you can use, tailored to your needs. All are tried, tested and evidence-based. I offer:
Individual Counselling Sessions
This is what most people understand by therapy: two people in relationship and working towards change in a friendly, supportive and, above all, in a non-judgmental manner. Most of our sessions are short-term solution focussed although open-ended psychotherapy for deeper problems or core issues is also possible.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
I have a range of evidence based courses for people suffering from depression, anxiety, chronic worry or generalised anxiety, shyness or social anxiety, anger management, aggression control, assertiveness training, procrastination, low self-esteem, shame reduction, panic attacks, and bipolar disorder mood management.
Group Psychotherapy
Also called support groups. A powerful way to get to know yourself with the help of others who understand what you are going through. Facilitated by an experienced counsellor, these groups meet weekly and are very useful if you feel lonely, dislocated or just lost.
Workshops
An opportunity to explore single persistent problem areas with a group. Examples include: Anger Management, Self-Esteem, Assertiveness Training. We have many others so call us for more information.
Addictions
I am a qualified and highly experienced addictions consultant and have decades of experience working with all forms of substance abuse and dependency. I offer assessment and diagnosis, referral to detox or primary treatment, both individual and group relapse prevention, aftercare, family support, workplace substance abuse education, and psychoeducational groups on demand.Qualifications & Training
I did my original training at Clouds House as an Addictions Counsellor. A few years after this, I did a postgraduate generic counsellor training course at the University of Bristol in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am completing a MSc in Counselling there, at the moment.
I am a registered member of the BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and I adhere fully to their Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling & Psychotherapy. I am also an accredited member of FDAP, the Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals.
However, as important as qualifications and understanding the theories underlying human distress and development are, most of my ‘feel’ for this work comes from my own personal experience. I embarked on my own journey of discovery and recovery, renewal and redemption on 1st May 1982 and from that day forward, I have tried to change my mind and my moods; to refine my consciousness and transform unskilful behaviours into skilful ones. But above all, I have learnt to accept myself.
I believe that therapy is all about relationships and I understand relationship as the state of being related; a condition or character based upon this; as kinship. It is the first condition of being human and creates bonds between people which is greater than the sum of the parts. This interconnectedness between two people has been significant in healing since the time of Hippocrates. The different relationships available in a therapeutic encounter are as follows:
The Working Alliance
The Real Relationship
The Transferential Relationship
The Developmentally Needed or Reparative Relationship
The Transpersonal Relationship
I strive to bring all of these into the therapeutic experience.
The qualities I bring into the therapy room include, kindness, curiosity, respect, humour and compassion.
My Qualifications
25 years experience of mentoring, face-to-face counselling and running groups
Diploma in Addictions Counselling - Clouds House
Diploma in Addictions Counselling - CPCAB Verified
Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling - University of Bristol
Certificate in Clinical Supervision
Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision
Member of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Accredited Member of Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals (FDAP)Experience
I have 5 main methods of working. I will outline these below:
1. Short-term solution focussed counselling.
2. Long-term open-ended psychotherapy.
3. Addictions consultation & counselling.
4. Interpersonal group psychotherapy.
5. Psychoeducational individual or group work.
Short-term solution focussed counselling is where the counselling sessions are focussed on a single particular problem or issue. These are generally Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions. They include depression, anxiety etc. I have excellent evidence and research based programmes and these usually take between 6 and 10 sessions. The length of therapy will be decided at the first session. CBT sessions are fairly directive and are based around assignments. This means that there is quite a lot of homework.
Long-term open-ended psychotherapy is quite different. People come to therapy for many different reasons but for some there is a need to have space to talk and be listened to without limitations.
Addictions consultancy is a multi-tiered service consisting of a series of modular programmes or interventions from assessment, diagnosis and referral to a year-long Intensive Outpatient Programme (IOP). There are core programmes, such as primary, secondary or outpatient treatment etc. The other services are “bolted-on” when there is a need. The client chooses what s/he believes is appropriate and we start a group when 3 or more people have expressed an interest. I also offer relapse prevention counselling and psychotherapy (based on CENAPS Model).
Interpersonal group psychotherapy is based on the idea that when people gather in a group and when safety and intimacy has developed, old patterns and behaviours from the past will surface into the here-and-now allowing awareness, change and healing to begin. The emphasis is on process rather than content; on how people say things rather than what they say.
Psychoeducational groups and workshops are available to develop and enhance emotional and cognitive literacy and health. These include communicational skills, assertiveness training, HIV/AIDS Education, parenting skills etc. Workshops are usually group sessions devoted to a single topic. We have a repertoire of over a hundred topics. Examples include intimacy, grandiosity, Johari Window, and Cycle of Change. Call for more details.Fees
£50 per session.
Key words for this entry:
Couples, Groups, Individual Counselling, Adults, Elderly, Men, Women, Young, Long-term, Short-term, Single sessions, Time-limited, Face-to-face, Mentoring, Training/tutoring, Workshop, Concessionary rates, Low-cost sessions, Abuse, Addiction, Aging, Anger, Anxiety, Attachment, Bereavement, Bipolar, Body image, Bullying, Child Abuse, Commitment, Conflict, Crisis Support, Depression, Disabilities, Discrimination, Divorce, Separation, Domestic abuse, Eating, Gender, HIV, Identity, Insomnia, Loss, Self-esteem, Mental Health, Narcissism, General counselling, Panic, Psychosexual, Psychosis, Relationships, Self-confidence, Self-harm, Sexual Abuse, Sexuality, Spirituality, Stress, Substance Abuse, Suicide, Trauma, Unemployment, Workplace, Assertiveness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Counselling, Existential, Group, Humanistic, Integrative, Motivational Interviewing, Person-centred, Psychotherapy, Relaxation, Solution-focused, Stress management, Time Line, Transpersonal. |
