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Counselling
Jane Stringfellow (BACP)
Why come to Counselling?
People come to counselling for a wide
variety of reasons, and may want to do some fairly short-term
work, or to continue on a much longer-term basis. This
is something we would agree upon together, and keep
reviewing as work progressed. Sessions are usually weekly
, and last for one hour each time, though here, too,
there can be some flexibility depending on individual
need.
Just to give some ideas of issues
which can be worked on in counselling, I have noted
down some broad categories below. Don't worry if your
issues do not seem to particularly fit into any of these.
Feel free to come and discuss your own individual needs.
| Depression |
Anxiety |
| Panic Attacks |
Stress |
| Post-Traumatic Stress |
Relationship Issues |
| Bereavement |
Reaction to Life Events |
| Sexuality Issues |
Body Image |
| Self Esteem |
Traumatic Experiences |
| Eating Disorders |
Eating Difficulties |
| General unsureness about whar
now in life |
Wanting a clearer understanding
of how you go about things |
Initial Counselling Sessions
This is a very
brief general description of what to expect from counselling,
and there are more details I would want to discuss with
you if you decided to go ahead and try. For instance,
I would need to gather some information from you, and
explain to you about the confidentiality of your sessions
etc.
There may be
things you wanted to check with me too, and clarify.
A first session is a chance for us to meet each other,
and decide if I am likely to be able to offer what you
need or are hoping for. I will always be honest, and
if I do not feel that I am the best person to help,
I will say so, and try to help and suggest an alternative.
It's very important for you to have chance to meet me,
and get a sense of whether or not you feel comfortable
to go ahead and work with me. You may want to make arrangements
to meet another or several other therapists too, before
making a decision as to who you want to work with.
My Experience
I qualified as a counsellor in 2001,
and have worked as a counsellor in the NHS and privately
since then. Prior to training in counselling I worked
as a physiotherapist in the NHS for 9 years.
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My
initial traing was as a 'Person Centered Counsellor',
and I have gone on to do further training in 'Gestalt
Psychotherapy'. Both approaches believe in respecting
the ability of each individual person to know what is
best for them at the end of each day, and see the job
of the therapist as being there to help individuals to
explore, by various means, whatever difficulties they
may be experiencing in their lives. So the therapist's
job in these approaches is not to 'know the answers' or
give advice - but to help people work out what is best
for themselves.
I am not an
'expert' on someone else's life - but I do have expertise
in how to help people make sense of their own experiences.
I see counselling as a joint effort - where client and
therapist work together to explore what's going on for
the client. You remain in charge of your sessions, in
terms of whether you wish to continue attending etc,
and I always encourage people to talk to me about any
concerns they may have, or things they want to check,
at any stage of counselling sessions. There are other
means of exploring issues, as well as by 'talking' about
them - including art work and other forms of expressive
therapy / body work. These are also areas in which I
am trained to work, and may offer different possibilties
to you in sessions, which you are at liberty to try
or not, depending on your preference.
I am a member of the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which is the
governing body for the profession, ensuring that therapists
work to a particular standard, and code of ethics.
I have obtained BACP Accreditation,
since qualifying, which means that I have submitted
evidence of a recognized level of experience and professional
development. I maintain my Accreditation on an annual
basis.
The BACP have a website - www.bacp.co.uk
- which has lots of useful information for anyone wanting
to find out more about counselling and psychotherapy,
different approaches, list of registered therapists
etc.
I am also a traineemember of the Gestalt
Psycotherapy Training Institute (GPTI), and am in Year
4 of their 4 year training course.
Prices
My hourly fee is currently £
30.00
* although this is due to increase
to £ 35.00 in January 2006.
Any Questions?
Please contact me to arrange a confidential
discussion about your individual requirements.
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