WHAT IS COUNSELLING?
The BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) seeks to promote and develop the profession by evolving standards for practice and training. It is a registered charity and a membership organisation providing information for therapists.
The BACP’s definition for counselling is:
‘Counselling takes place hen a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty with the client I having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss, or of a sense of direction and purpose. It is always at the request of the client as no one can properly be ‘sent’ for counselling.
Counselling is an opportunity to talk about problems that a client is experiencing in a private and confidential setting. It is base on building a trusting relationship between you and the counsellor, by exploring a difficulty the client may be having or a distress they may be experiencing.
The main aims of counselling are to help us to develop our own insight into our problems, help us to reassess and improve our coping skills and o help us find our inner strengths a coping resources.
We can offer a safe place, understanding, acceptance and time to work through your feelings at your own pace away from distractions of your day-to-day life that sometimes interferes with the healing process.
ARE THE COUNSELLORS QUALIFIED?
All our counsellors are professionally qualified and adhere to the BACP Ethical Guidelines. They work in a person-centred way, which means they are non-judgemental and non-directive.
OUR APPROACH to counselling is an integrated, holistic approach, drawing on a range of different counselling theories. We tailor our way of working to individual clients, depending upon their unique needs and goals.
We use a combination of therapies, models and techniques to help facilitate change. These include: psychodynamic models, CBT, person-centred and mindfulness.
Our counsellors believe that you, the client have within yourself the resources for self-understanding, that you can change and that the power is within you to do so. In addition, our counsellors also use a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) approach.
HOW LONG WILL THE SESSION LAST?
Each counselling session last for 50 minutes maximum, at a time mutually agreed. Time keeping is important as other sessions are planned around that time.
HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?
Sessions offered will be assessed on an individual needs basis. Sessions will continue until both you and your counsellor agree that it is a time to end. Every 6-8 weeks, your counsellor will review progress with you. This gives you the opportunity to reflect where you’re within your counselling process.
WHERE WILL THE COUNSELLING TAKE PLACE?
The session will be in a safe place where both the client and the counsellor can feel comfortable and where confidentiality can be respected. Location will be discussed at the time of booking.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
Fees are:
Initial consultation fee: £20 (50 minutes) £40 per session
Fees can be negotiated for those who are unwaged or on low income.
WHO REFERS?
Clients may self-refer or be referred by their GP or any other professionals. Referrals should be made in writing from GP's or other appropriate referrers.
Oral referrals may be accepted initially but should always be followed in writing.
WHO WILL COUNSELLORS TELL?
Counselling is private and confidential. This will be discussed at your first session where you will form a contract with your counsellor. The counsellor you see will receive regular clinical supervision and will discuss client work at this time anonymously, protecting your individual identity.
The counsellor also receives peer supervision from colleagues within the agency, which is strictly confidential.
There are exceptions to keeping confidentiality; these include issues around Child Protection, Suicidal intent, Terrorism or Harm To
