Counselling West Bridgford
DESIGNED FOR YOU, WHEREVER YOU ARE
ABOUT
Me
I saw my first counselling client in 2015 and I felt the sense of both responsibility but also privilege of being trusted to hear someone’s innermost thoughts and feelings. Their story. I still feel the same every single day.
My training and experience mean I can “show up” for you, in the emotional sense as well as physical, every time we meet.
How can you be sure I know what I’m doing?
I agree it’s vital to understand my counselling credentials.
I’m a UKCP-accredited psychotherapist with an MSc in Experiential and Person-Centred Psychotherapy so have the certificates I need to give you comfort that someone’s checked I know what I’m doing and that you’ll be safe.
Here’s a link to my UKCP profile to verify my counselling credentials.
And here’s a link to the UKCP website for what it means to be accredited.
Their main criteria are:
- Educated to at least Masters level
- Have completed at least 450 clinical hours
- Have completed at least 160 hours of personal therapy*
- Sign up to their ethical code
- Be actively practicing psychotherapy / counselling
- Complete regular ongoing, relevant education
I’ve had therapy too
*You may be wondering why this matters. It is helpful for a therapist to know what it’s like to be a client.
Perhaps more important though, it is vital that therapists have a heightened level of self-awareness when they are interacting with clients.
For example, if they have their own un-resolved trauma a therapist may be unable to cope with a client who presents with a similar experience and the session becomes about the therapist not the client; if a therapist has their own undiscovered, biased views they may behave in a discriminatory way towards a client yet not be aware of it.
In general, the higher-level training helps therapists to notice when they feel an emotional, cognitive or physical reaction when engaging with a client, and then understand that reaction (in supervision if necessary). Only through that process can therapists be the best they can be for their clients.
A quick Google search soon reveals varying arguments of whether this should be achieved through personal therapy or other means; it is my and UKCP’s view that personal therapy alongside the higher academic level training courses deliver that self-awareness.
What next?
Go to the booking page to arrange your free, ten minute telephone consultation which can help you decide if counselling or coaching is for you.
I hope to meet you soon