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About Dean Richardson

Dean Richardson — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:22:52 +0000

My friend said 'go to counselling'. I'd never been before - I was nervous. Turns out, it was very helpful.

Dean Richardson – Therapeutic Counsellor.

Someone who can ask the questions …
… that no-one else in your life will ask.

Dean Richardson Dip. Psych. Couns., PG Dip. Couple Couns., MBACP (Accred), UKRCP Reg. (explanation of abbreviations) is an experienced, qualified, helpful and professionally ethical counsellor who provides therapies for individual, couples and groups .

Dean has been practising locally for over twelve years.

He is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited counsellor/psychotherapist offering private therapy in Portsmouth & Southsea, Hampshire, and via Skype video conference.

Dean is also a male counsellor.

How Dean Richardson is Distinct from other Therapists.

In counselling, Dean use no magic and no clever-sounding mind-techniques (such as NLP or hypnotic language). To some beginning counselling for the first time, it can seem like you and Dean are just talking/being social; but it’s a very special and effective kind of conversation that has helped people to rid themselves of burden, and to transform their lives.

Dean uses what looks like social-conversation as his main basis of therapy – paying attention to much more than just what is said verbally/the words – using psychodynamic analysis, counter-transference interpretation, human psychology and basic therapeutic skills to maintain/increase empathy in order that the relationship between client and therapist can be used to improve a client’s life.
Dean does not use art, nor drawings, playing roles or acting. He doesn’t use drawing-in-sand or puppets.
Dean doesn’t tell you what he thinks you aught to be doing to resolve your problems. He doesn’t prescribe courses of action that if you follow to the letter you will be “cured”. Instead, although it may seem unlikely to you, the resolutions to your distresses are within you; you and Dean will work together to help you discover them.
Dean’s individual counselling service
is primarily psychodynamic-based, but not scarily analytic (as some might imagine Sigmund Freud to have been); unresolved issues from our histories can have an ongoing detrimental effect on our present-day lives. With careful consideration at combining appropriate skills from other models (eg CBT, Gestalt, Person Centred), Dean can help you work through past issues so that your life can become released from past burden. We communicate with people in many ways other than just verbal. This can leave us wondering why we’re stuck in unhappy certain social patterns (“no-one ever seems to like me”, “I always end up in the same kind of relationship”). Using what’s called the “counter-transference”, Dean will help you learn about yourself in ways that can help you understand how people might relate to you. This can help you make conscious changes that will improve these unhappy patterns.
Dean’s couple couple service
is primarily systemic plus psychodynamic; patterns of behaviour are set up in a relationship to avoid pain and anxiety, sometimes this is helpful and the relationship manages, sometimes this is not helpful and the relationship suffers. Working through matters by perturbing the unsatisfactory patterns of behaviour can release a relationship into working through the shared anxieties, and can help the couple bond again. Similarly, couples who wish to separate, but are struggling to do so, can find working with Dean helps them find mutually-agreeable ways to separate from the relationship; couple counselling is not just about keeping a couple together. Couple counselling is a robust process – couples in conflict may tend towards arguing and bring out the worst in each other – all this is useful in helping the couple work through the bad stuff to help them find the good stuff.
Dean’s group support therapy
is based in the group analytic model and uses helpful group-facilitative techniques. Unlike some group leaders that tell group members what to do, Dean supports the group into leading itself. The group includes Dean as the group conductor rather than the group being lead by him. In this way the group, together, finds its own was through difficult matters and individuals within the group can find support from the whole group matrix.
Dean’s speciality
is a focus on sexuality and gender identification, working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people (LGBT) in personal therapy, couple relationships and groups (read more…). Whilst this is an area in which Dean specialises, he is also qualified to work with a forms of people for counselling, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, abilities within his qualifications to practice.

Why choose Dean Richardson as your counsellor?

Some points that describe Dean Richardson within his therapeutic work would include:-

Caters for a wide-range of counselling problems – regardless of race, sexuality, religion or class.
Maturity, experience, sensitivity, intuitiveness and empathy.
Professional Qualifications.
Clinically Supervised to at-least the minimum BACP guidelines of 90 min/month.
Has appropriate professional civil-liability/indemnity insurance.
Undertakes at least a minimum of 30 hours Continual professional development (CPD) training annually.
Professionally accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy.

Own Private Practice (Portsmouth & Skype).

Unlike some therapy service centres which present therapy services for selection, but their intention is to refer you to third-party therapists, by choosing Dean Richardson you get to work with … Dean Richardson himself.

All the information on this website is written by, or about, Dean Richardson. If this website discusses a particular counselling service offered by Dean Richardson, then it’s Dean Richardson who you will be working with if you decide to take up that counselling service.

You can trust that when you decide to work with with Dean, it’s Dean who will be working with you.

Ethics.

Dean Richardson follows the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)’s Ethical Framework.

Therapeutic Methodologies.

Dean’s methodologies of therapies include the following:-

Psychodynamic, Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for individuals,
Integrated Systemic & Psychodynamic couple relationship counselling (integrating aspects from other models).
Group analytic and facilitation-style principals for support groups.

Dean is fully qualified, supervised & experienced to practice as a counsellor the UK and assesses anyone for counselling regardless of presenting problem, age, gender, education, IQ, (dis-)abilities, relationship status, sexual orientation or gender identification – to mention a few. Dean specialises in working with LGBT individuals and couples including mixed-orientation couples.

Dean Richardson’s Professional Qualifications, Training & Membership.

Qualifications & Primary Awards.

"Level 36 Bureaucrat" © me and the sysop

These are the foundations upon which I practice counselling/psychotherapy/group therapy.

Diploma in Individual’s Counselling (Psychodynamic) (2003 – Chichester Counselling Services – BACP Accredited training course).
Post Graduate Diploma in Systemic & Psychodynamic Couples Counselling (2009 – Chichester Counselling Services).
National Foundation in Group Psychotherapy (2011 – IGA/GASE Brighton).
Business Coaching & Mentoring Individuals (1998 – IBM North Harbour, Portsmouth).
Group (Business) Meeting Facilitator (1997 – IBM North Harbour, Portsmouth).

Explanation of Dean Richardson’s Qualifications.

MBACP : Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. This membership indicates that I subscribe to the BACP’s Ethical Framework. I am listed on the BACP’s “It’s Good to Talk” directory.

(Accred) stands for “accreditation”; achieving BACP accreditation is an official and professionally-recognised way to authenticate a therapist’s substantial level of training, practical experience and continued professional development. The accreditation is reviewed annually with 10% of therapists audited each year.

UKRCP Reg. : Registered on the United Kingdom Register of Counsellors & Psychotherapists http://www.ukrconline.org.uk/

Dip. Psych. Couns. : Diploma in psychodynamic counselling (Chichester) – observes the psychodynamic model for counselling. This was a three year, BACP-accredited, training diploma requiring a minimum of 100 hours supervised individuals practice plus academic submissions to achieve the qualification

PG Dip. Couples Couns. : Diploma in couples counselling (Chichester) following an integrated systemic model, psychodynamic model and appropriate techniques from other models such as CBT & Gestalt. This was a fifteen month (2 days a week) training diploma requiring a minimum of 100 hours supervised couples practice plus academic submissions to qualify.

National Foundation in Group Psychotherapy : Certificate in attending course run by Institute of Group Analysis (IGA) via Group Analysis South East (GASE). 37.5 hours theory, 45 hours experiential group.

In short, certificates generally require a minimum attendance to the training, whilst diplomas also require a minimum number of hours of supervised practice.

Continuing Professional Development (highlights).

"Smile" © SeanBJack

CPD:Continued Professional Development is a requirement of being a member of my professional body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Each year I undertake 30 hours minimum of CPD. This allows me to keep in touch with the latest thinking around therapies, allows me to keep my practice current and modern, and allows me to expand my practice thinking by taking training that stretches my skills and professional abilities.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy “CBT With Heart” (2011-12 Hemmings Field Associates).
“Stopping Self Harm” (2011 – Veronica (Ronnie) Freeman, chartered counselling psychologist).
National Foundation in Group Psychotherapy, Institute of Group Analysis (2010-11 GASE – Brighton).
“It’s not me, it’s my OCD”, (2010 – Marple Cross Centre).
Introduction to Domestic Abuse (2009 – WSCC Harm Reduction team)
Online Counselling (2006-07 – OnlineCounsellors.co.uk – Kate Anthony BSc, MSc, MBACP).
Assessing Clients for Psychodynamic Counselling (2006).
Brief/focal psychodynamic psychotherapy (2004 & 2009).
Solution Focussed Brief Therapy “SFBT” (2005).
Psychosexual identification of male impotence (2002).

Professional Memberships.

'Crop Circle' © .thana/Flickr

Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy - MBACP (Accred) Counsellor / Psychotherapist [directory entry]
UKRCP Registered Independent Counsellor / Psychotherapist.
Wessex Psychotherapy Society.
Chichester Counselling Services.
Counselling Directory [entry here].

Professional Counselling Specialities.

As a professional therapist I have particular areas of interest in working with couple relationships; not just intimate/marriage relationships, but also couple relationships made of people who are not necessarily in an intimate relationship (eg business partners, family members, friends, flat-mates). This does not detract from my professional standards in offering general practice individual & couples counselling and support groups.

Dean Richardson, October 2011.

Choose Brief-Focal Counselling

Dean Richardson — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:00:33 +0000

We agreed 6 sessions - we worked really hard - thank you!

Contact Dean Richardson

An Introduction Brief/Focal Counselling.

Dean Richardson offers a form of therapy for individuals called brief/focal short-term psychodynamic counselling. This is a a type of fixed-number of sessions of therapy available to individuals only (click for couples counselling).

This approach can be beneficial to some clients with certain criteria (explained below). It is important, however, to realise that the time-limited/brief approach is not suitable for everyone, and an assessment at the start of counselling will be helpful in determining if offering brief counselling is in the client’s best interests.

How Brief/Focal Counselling can help.

Brief counselling can help with an individual who wishes to focus upon a clear, defined issue, in a limited amount of time.

The relationship between the client and counsellor must be good to be able to achieve this focussed work. Client and counsellor meet weekly for an agreed set number of sessions (agreed at the start of the work). The structure of the work is the same as open-ended counselling (session lasts for fifty minutes, weekly, same time/location each week). Because brief therapy work concentrates upon a specific matter the therapy aims not to expand into other subject matters.

What’s involved in Brief/Focal Counselling.

A short summary of Brief Counselling.

An agreed focus for the therapy work.
A fixed number of sessions.
Brief work must be suitable for the client’s needs before commencing.
Although other matters may come up during counselling, these matters may need to be put aside (at least for this contract).
The client and counsellor must be motivated and focussed to do this form of therapy.
The relationship between counsellor and client must be good to achieve this focussed work.

Benefits of Brief Counselling.

The therapy lasts for a certain “known” amount of time (and budget).
The end date of the therapy is known at the start (which can be helpful on the focus of the counselling).
The client is aware of how much money the counselling will cost.
Only a specific matter is worked with, agreed between counsellor and client upfront.
It can be useful to be able to measure the outcome of the counselling (discussed & agreed upfront), although this is in no way essential or compulsory,
The rapport between client and counsellor is good, and therapeutically reliable (the client having had at least one beneficial relationship in their life).
Uses client’s own insight into their problem,
Works if the area of conflict can be agreed upon.

When Brief/Focal Counselling is not Suitable.

The counsellor is responsible for judging during the assessment if the client is suitable for brief therapy or if such therapy may cause harm to the client (eg based upon the client’s level of functioning) when, instead, the counsellor may offer other forms of therapy (such as open-ended counselling). Other counter-indications for brief counselling may include:

The client is unable to focus adequately on one matter, instead requiring the time and space to make use of free association.
The client is unmotivated to focus on a particular matter within the limited amount of time.
It is felt by the client and/or counsellor that the client’s needs would not be adequately met by focussing upon just one matter.
When setting a deadline to a psychological or emotional matter would be inappropriate (eg the client is motivated to select short-term work only because of costs or due to an EAP offering only of a fixed number of sessions, when the client’s needs are greater than that offered & beyond the therapeutic interventions available).
The client’s ability or potential for insight is limited (insight = a kind of self-realization or self-knowledge).
The client may be dependant on the counsellor for providing solutions, rather than be motivated to be an active participant in their own therapy.
From a psychodynamic point of view, the client’s defence mechanisms and resistance are too high/too ingrained to invite self-change during brief therapy.

What to do Next…

If you are interested in potentially receiving brief psychodynamic counselling, contact Dean Richardson to make an appointment for an assessment.

Choose Couples Counselling

Dean Richardson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:30:22 +0000

We thought we were separating. Through counselling, we found out that we wanted to do "seperate" things. Our relationship is much better now.

Contact Dean Richardson

Introducing Couple Counselling.

What if curiosity could take your relationship somewhere better?

Whatever type of relationship you’re in: intimate, marriage, living together, straight, LGBT, mixed-orientation, platonic … the choice to come into couples counselling may be the most courageous one you and your partner or friend make together.

Dean Richardson will introduce you to, and help you both through, the couples counselling process.

Couple Counselling is for a pair of adults (same or different genders) who have a form of adult relationship (intimate, marriage, platonic, business-related or personal-related) and who are struggling with dissatisfaction about how the couple relate to each other.

Couple counselling is not just “marriage counselling”. Whilst it can be idea for marriages, couple counselling is a systemicSystemic therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of interaction between family members.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_therapy & psychodynamicPsychodynamics is the theory and systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, especially the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics form of therapy, and it’s useful for all forms of couple relationships.

Deciding if Couple Counselling is for you.

Do any of these situations seem familiar?

A sense that the reasons for staying in the relationship have become lost (to one or both of you).
Repeating patterns of unhappy behaviour that neither of you can shift.
You hardly talk to each other any more.
You want to… and your partner doesn’t…
Sexual problems: physical or emotional.
Intimacy problems (different from sexual problems).
Violence or abuse in the relationship (ranging from feeling bullied to physical and emotional abuse).
One of you, or both of you, have acted outside the relationship’s understanding (eg affairs, open-relationships, social etc).
Relationship experimentation (Open relationships, sexual practices etc.) not going well.

How Couple Counselling can help.

It’s a common misunderstanding that people think couples counselling is aimed at making couples stay together. The couples therapist actually follows what the couple wishes from their therapy; meaning that if the couple wish to work to stay together then the counselling will help the couple to figure that out how this may be achieved. Alternatively, if the couple wishes to separate then counselling will help the couple to figure out how best they may separate. A couple who is undecided / in disagreement can use the couples counselling process to assist them in figuring out a compromise of what they both might wish to do.

The couple doesn’t have to know how they’ll achieve what they want (very often the couple think that they’ve tried everything) – the couples therapist has the skills to help with this.

What’s Involved in Couple Counselling.

…the therapist does not impose normative (or other) views about couple functioning in general, nor about the specific solutions that might be acceptable to this couple in particular. Instead the therapist maintains a stance of open-minded curiosity […] which leads to an exploration with the couple of the history and meanings of their current situation and of their previous attempted solutions and impasses.

Jones & Asen, 2000

Initially, the couple meet with Dean Richardson for an assessment for couples counselling. This usually takes four sessions:-

Session 1: all three of us meet to discuss an overview of what is needed from counselling.
Session 2: one partner meets with Dean separately. This is to discuss their perspective on the couple relationship, and to discuss some personal history.
Session 3: the other partner meets with Dean separately as in session 2.
Session 4: all three of us meet again to discuss what we have learned in the previous sessions, and to begin to set a focus about what the couple counselling should address.

Subsequent sessions are lead by the couple, with the therapist offering observations and therapeutic hypotheses on the relationship to help both partners learn what might be going on. With new information the couple can make informed choices.

A main intention is to help disturb the relationship’s unhappy behaviour patterns by being curious and interested on the relationship system (what the relationship is doing), learning & finding new information and allowing inspiration to address what we are learning plus being creative with solutions that the couple will come up with themselves.

The process encourages more space for thought and inspiration – allowing the couple’s relationship to become unstuck again.

Responsibilities in Couples Counselling.

What is expected of the Therapist?

Ensuring the safety of both the therapist and couple (eg a quiet, confidential room that will not be disturbed, that the session time begins and ends on time).
To take an ethical stance on all matters, to follow the BACP's Ethical Framework, and to ensure his best practice for the client at all times.
To ensure that the couple can discuss their relationship in safety - albeit not necessarily always in comfort (i.e. discussing subjects that the couple have not discussed in front of each other before can be uncomfortable to begin with) - but ensuring the couple can stop at any time they wish to.
To listen without communicating judgement or prejudice and to not take sides with one partner or the other (the relationship is the therapist's client, rather the two individuals).
To assist the couple in perturbing the conflicting relationship patterns through use of curiosity, new knowledge, and a disturbance of current unsatisfactory behaviours ... initially on his own but being active in inviting the couple to participate at their own comfort level,
To try and use the couple's own language to discuss matters where possible (e.g. if one partner doesn't speak in 'emotions' and the other does, to assist the relationship in negotiating a common-enough language so that what is being spoken of can be understood).
To recognise and work with social, sexual, ability and cultural differences (that the therapist is not giving advice from his position ("What I would do is..."), but is being effective in helping the couple find their own resolutions and/or management of problems).
To not meet with one partner without the express knowledge and permission of the other partner - and to not engage in individual therapy with either partner whilst the couple's therapy contract with the therapist is in effect.
To be earnest on assisting the couple out of therapy either when they are ready to leave, or by helping them recognise that what they initially came into address has been so addressed (i.e. not keeping a couple in therapy beyond a legitimate need & not ousting a couple before they are ready to leave).

What is expected of the Couple?

Initially, the couple needs simply to being willing to give the therapy a try - even if sceptical or unsure of the therapist's approach.
To be aware that couple counselling cannot help with a conflicting agenda, but if the couple wish the counselling can help the couple negotiate a mutual agenda for the therapy.
To bear in mind that couple counselling is not done to them as a couple, that they will not be cured by the therapist's approach alone. They are both active participants in the therapy (albeit this may not be possible at the start - and sometimes not during - due to emotional states).
To be willing to embrace the idea that they will be invited to be creative & inspired towards other approaches in their relationships and to open to hypothesise about what's happening in their relationship ... and that the therapist will assist them in this process until they can do it alone.
To ensuring that they tell the truth in all matters but also to be aware that either partner can decline to discuss anything uncomfortable.
To take responsibility for bringing up concerns or dissatisfaction about the therapist with the therapist (e.g. the therapist's conduct, something he said, something he does etc.). All therapists appreciate that this may take courage ... but as the therapist has the best of intentions, and whilst his experience may often tip him off to the couple being disturbed by something he does or says, he may not always be aware of any deep or hidden irritation.
When the couple agree an exercise between sessions is appropriate, to be willing to find the time to address the exercise, or be willing to discuss matters if the exercise was not completed (or, say, not completed to the couple's satisfaction).
Be willing to bring up ending counselling when the couple feels that time is approaching.

Care when perturbing relationships.

…the thing that’s driving you crazy might be the thing that’s keeping your partner sane.

Unknown

Systemic couple relationship counselling consists of – amongst other things – perturbing the unsatisfactory relationship system sufficiently to allow for knew knowledge, inspiration and change. However, the system that the couple brings to therapy is the one that the couple have created themselves. They may not be aware of their involvement in the creation, or why. The way the relationship is working is doing so for very good reasons, even though the couple may not be aware of their own involvement.

Sometimes, couples don’t communicate for very good reasons. Their non-communication can have purpose – whether it may be to protect the relationship, protect feelings, or is a way of avoiding further conflict. When couple therapy begins to stick its nose into the relationship, more unhappiness can be brought out than before the therapy began. The couple’s relationship can feel worse before it can feel better.

Why Separating Couples use Counselling to Break-Up.

During the initial years, a couple’s relationship will go through a process of joining and blending. When one partner decides that they wish to leave the relationship, the separation can be experienced as terribly painful.

The relationship may have introduced assets – children, pets, possessions, property; the couple will have to decide how to manage the division of what the relationship has created.

In couple counselling, the couple can find a safe, secure place in which to discuss how the relationship divides the assets, and discuss the responsibilities of managing children and pets.

Does Couple Counselling Work?

An important question might be: “Will couple counselling work for me and my partner?”

I’m wring from a systemic & psychodynamic point of view to couple counselling. A relationship gets into trouble because of what the partners are both contributing to the relationship-conflicts. It may seem that just one partner is doing all the trouble-making, but I would also suggest to you that it takes two partners’ combined behaviour (whether conscious or unconscious) to bring a relationship onto conflict.

There has to be reasons for the conflict to occur – even if the reasons are not understood.

Couple counselling aims to help the partners perturb the conflict (actively get on the way of stuff going wrong, so that they can introduce stuff going right). This can have an important consequence: whatever the reasons for the conflict being introduced will also be effected by the conflict being removed.

The thing that’s driving you crazy, may be the thing that keeps your partner sane.

Couple counselling can be a friendly, socially-respectful process. I don’t want to give the impression that the therapist will wield a huge blade, cutting away conflicts and disturbances. This is not surgery.

At the same time, the couple are being helped by the therapist to – metaphorically – diagnose where the injuries lay and are being helped to discover for themselves treatment that the couple believe may help treat the injuries.

From the therapist’s position, he is actively learning about how the relationship works (even when it is unhappy) to help the couple discover matters which they are blind to (or cannot talk about to each other). With the couple’s position, he may actively assist in perturbing the conflicts too.

Seriously – does it work?

If you and your partner believe you may have the courage and a strong desire to address the problems that undoing the unhappy behaviour may reveal… if you and your partner might be able to support each other during the therapy, and both of you can contribute (or try, and then get used to contributing) new ideas & inspiration for changing relationship behaviours… then yes, couple counselling works well – regardless of the couple wanting to reconcile or separate.

If, however, the relationship behaviours may be protecting matters that cannot be addressed (at least, cannot be addressed yet…), or you and your partner are not very interested in discovering newer ways to relate and a desire to address the unhappy behaviours (and some relationships manage just fine in this way) … then couple counselling may not be for you together. In which case, individual counselling might be of help.

It’s perfectly legitimate to begin couple counselling without knowing if it will be successful or not. The process is an investment in your relationship, and like any investment: what you get back may be more – or less – than you had hoped for. But, unlike investing in a third-party (like stocks and shares) you’re investing in your relationship … something that you and your partner have an influence upon … and by involving an experienced couple counsellor you are not doing this alone.

What Couple Counselling isn’t suitable for.

Long Distance Relationships.

Skype logo © Skype

Couples who are separated by distance – but who still need couple counselling – may find Dean Richardson’s Skype Couple Counselling Service useful (read more…)

A couple who have separate mutually-exclusive agendas cannot be helped by this process (albeit the couple may wish to discuss their separate agendas with a view to finding a common goal).
Families – couple counselling is not family therapy (ie groups of more than two people).
Adults who wish someone to change their partner to their satisfaction. Couple counselling is a mutual process that will involve both partners.
Domestic Violence – excepting if both couples wish to change the violent relationship.
One partner coming to help the other / has nothing to contribute to the work – couple counselling involves both partners.
One partner was not informed about the other partner’s desire to come to couple counselling – both partners have to wish to take part in the process.

What do to next…

If both of you are interested in potentially receiving couples counselling (systemic/psychodynamic model), contact Dean Richardson to make an appointment for an assessment.

Contact Dean Richardson...

Choose LGBT Counselling

Dean Richardson — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:41:11 +0000

As a lesbian couple, we found Dean safe to work with.

Contact Dean Richardson

Private Hampshire LGBT Counselling with Dean Richardson.

LGBT: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Individuals.

With over thirteen years’ experience working in Hampshire, Dean Richardson set up his private Portsmouth counselling practice to specialise in working with gay / lesbian / transgender/transvestite and bisexual clients in therapy.

There are very few private Hampshire counselling practices that specialise in gay & lesbian clients, and Dean offers three primary Hampshire LGBT services in his practice in Southsea (south of Portsmouth, PO5, 4 miles from M275 J12):

LGBT Individual’s Counselling
LGBT Couples Counselling (same/mixed gender & same/mixed sexualities)
LGBT Support Groups

… these LGBT-therapy services are available to anyone in Portsmouth, Southsea, Southampton, Fareham, Gosport, Havant & Hayling Island, northwards to Petersfield and eastwards to Chichester.

Specialist LGBT Counselling for Hampshire.

Counselling focussed specifically on lesbian, gay, trans and bi clients isn’t just about understanding an LGBT-lifestyle and same-sex life-choices. For one thing, a counselling speciality involves an understanding the language characterised by LGBT lifestyles (“BDSM”, “PEP”, “CBT”, “S&M”). It involves knowledge of appropriate LGBT psychological-related studies, as well as having a reliable core psychotherapeutic framework that’s appropriate for the therapy being sought.

By choosing Dean Richardson – offering LGBT-specialist counselling in Hampshire – you’re beginning to tick the right boxes for gay people with specific therapeutic needs.

Why Consider a Specialist LGBT Counsellor?

The following are just just some of the reasons why choosing Dean as your Specialist LGBT Counsellor for same-sex relationship- or simply individual- needs is worth considering.

Whilst it’s accurate that most therapists in Hampshire could work with most clients in the local areas, LGBT people sometimes seek counselling from a specialist LGBT private counsellor for specific reasons.

Perhaps not least is to seek a sense of assurance that the counsellor understands and empathises with LGBT social, sexual & community conduct and that this type of counsellor is sought after to convey the sense of understanding to the LGBT individual or couple that is sometimes not experienced from a generic-practice counsellor.

Most counsellors will work with LGBT people. Dean Richardson is an LGBT Counsellor. Spot the difference?

Within many therapies, the idea of the “therapeutic alliance” is an important concept. In its basic form, it is the relationship between client and therapist where the therapeutic work is achieved, regardless of the therapist’s technique or the therapist’s model or level of skills. Part of this alliance is based out of trust: the therapist has to prove they are someone who can be trusted, and sometimes this proof is required during the most very difficult parts of the therapy work.

Whilst there is therapeutic benefits in an LGBT client imagining that a specialist LGBT counsellor will immediately be understanding & trustworthy, I would suggest that it is the qualities of the therapist who handles this imagination that is paramount during the initial part of the therapy. Yet, an LGBT-specialist counsellor can still offer an empathic understanding of the client or couple’s real world that other therapists may not be able to.

LGBT Couples Counselling.

"I Bet It's `Can't Get You Out of My Head`" © CarbonNYC

When gay, lesbian or mixed-orientation couple relationships suffer conflicts & breakdowns and partners wish to engage a professional to help them understand what may be going on, LGBT couples may prefer to work with someone who is also member of their own sexuality group.

Couples choose counselling due to experiencing a negative recent event, or one from years ago, infidelity, mistrust, life stages, birth, ageing, death, wishing to separate and so on. Some relationships struggle to manage certain conflicts.

The counsellor is a neutral participant who doesn’t impose solutions. Instead he offers observation, curiosity and therapeutic hypotheses about the relationship’s behaviour – and invites the couple to take on similar acts to help perturb the unsatisfactory behaviour.

In aiming to help the couple help themselves in understanding what’s going on in their relationship, the couple can teach themselves to become unstuck and move through relationship problems. With new information a couple can notices differences and use these to make changes (by themselves) for the better.

Click to learn more…

LGBT Individual’s Counselling.

"Gay pride 2011 à Toulouse" © Guillaume Paumier

Whilst it’s true that a gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or “questioning” person may be able to work with most any counsellor, some LGBT individuals choose to work on personal matters with a counsellor who also identifies as a member of the individual’s sexuality group.

All sorts of LGBT&Q individuals come to counselling for all sorts of reasons. Those experiencing a negative recent event, or one from years ago, unexplained behaviour, infidelity, mistrust, life stages, relationships, aging, death … they all have an impact on an individual’s life – and counselling is there when you have temporarily lost your ability to manage on your own.

The topic of your sexuality may not be the focus of your counselling and this is perfectly natural. Sometimes the LGBT client simply wishes to talk about particular struggles in their life without feeling as if they have to explain their life choices or define their choice of words for their counsellor to understand.

Click to learn more…

LGBT Support Groups.

"Circle of Friends" © Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha

Sometimes, joining a therapeutic support group can help the LGBT individual recognise that they’re not struggling with their problems alone.

Groups not only discuss problems similar to each group member, but can also discuss “non-problems” (i.e. by the group discussing matters that are not the individual’s problem, the group can helpfully demonstrate life-management skills that are different to an individual’s personal difficulties).

Groups can be homogeneous (all members share similar personal-problems) or heterogeneous (members exhibit different problems), a closed group (the group starts with the same members that it finishes with) or open (the group allows new members to join and others to life during the life of the group).

Dean Richardson’s support groups can either be created “On Demand” – (a minimum of 4 & maximum of 8 participants are required for a new group) or, if a suitable open group is already running, you may be able to join an existing group.

Click to learn more…

LGBT Skype Counselling .

"Bon Anniversaire" © Global X

Sometimes you find your ideal counsellor … and he works 100s of miles away from you. Fortunately, you can access Dean Richardson’s LGBT counselling services from your camera-enabled computer or Smartphone.

Simply install the free Skype software, and you can engage in counselling sessions with Dean using video conferencing.

Gay & Lesbian Couples who are in a distance-relationship can also make use of Skype Couples Counselling – as Dean supports group conferencing (both of you – along with Dean – using Skype simultaneously with everyone seeing the other two people on their screen). Dean’s LGBT Skype Couples Counselling services is also suitable for couples of mixed-gender & mixed-sexuality (e.g. gay male and straight female intimate relationship).

What’s Skype counselling like? Initially some people find video conferencing a little unusual, but a handy tip is that if you maximise the video window, looking at the computer feels like the person is in the room as you.

Want to work with Dean, but are unable to get to his Portsmouth location? Consider Skype Counselling.

Click to learn more…

Choose Personal Counselling

Dean Richardson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:17:55 +0000

I'd separated from my partner of 20 years - I wanted help finding out where I wanted to go next.

Contact Dean Richardson

Introducing Individuals Counselling.

What if a single idea could transform your life?

Individuals counselling is ideal for a single person wishing to deal with anything from anxiety, depression, phobias, confidence, work issues, relationship problems and many more issues. Counselling can help you address and work through problems in your life, to help you resolve them.

Taking up private counselling means that you don’t need to be referred to a counsellor by the NHS or your GP. You won’t have to go on a waiting list and you are not limited to a strict maximum number of six sessions. Neither are you restricted to one particular form of counselling – which may or may not help you – the choice being made on your behalf by what’s available on the NHS . By going private your GP will not be informed of your counselling – it remains totally confidential.

How Counselling can help.

When you have issues on your mind, and you either cannot talk with friends or family – or friends and family are unable to help sufficiently – private counselling helps an individual address difficulties and distresses. Sometimes it’s impossible to explain to a family member or a friend why you feel down, or anxious (a typical question from famiy and friends is: “… but why are you feeling like this” as if knowing the answering will help fix the problem) – but to a therapist you don’t have to explain yourself.

Counselling can help by supporting you in many ways:-

Helping you work through a difficult life issue (health, losses, work stresses, past traumas and so on).
Assisting you weigh up options or goals.
Talking through making a difficult choice.
Talking through past experiences which need to be put to rest (eg issues/trauma from growing up).

Some people come into counselling not knowing why. And we can help with that too.

Sometimes just knowing that someone is on your side in empathy can be enough.

What’s Involved.

We initially meet to discuss your needs from counselling … and to have a think about what counselling might help you. This is called the “assessment” session.

If we agree that counselling could be helpful, and we think that we can work with each other, we will arrange subsequent sessions. Sometimes brief/focal counselling (a fixed number of sessions) is agreed suitable, sometimes working until the issues are worked through is a better choice.

Then we talk.

You will lead the sessions (with the counselling helping at the beginning of the work). Whatever you want to talk about is OK. The counsellor will listen, be inquisitive and curious to help understand aspects of the problems that, perhaps, you had not considered before. The counsellor may sometimes offer thoughts and interpretations about what might be happening for you … giving you another perspective that is intended to help you understand the issues. Sometimes, looking forward into the future will be discussed; how will things be when the issues are resolved and put away. Sometimes the therapist will work with your emotions, sometimes the therapist will work with your patterns of thinking. All of this is aimed to help you find your own ways that work for you in putting the problems to bed, leaving you unburned/less burned than when you came to therapy.

All sessions are fifty minutes, are held weekly on the same day and time and same location.

Responsibilities within Individual’s Counselling.

What is expected of the Therapist?

Ensuring the safety of both the therapist and client (eg a quiet, confidential room that will not be disturbed, that the session time begins and ends on time).
To take an ethical stance on all matters, to follow the BACP's Ethical Framework, and to ensure his best practice for the client at all times.
To ensure that the client can discuss his/her subjects in safety - albeit not necessarily always in comfort (i.e. discussing trauma will be uncomfortable to begin with) - but ensuring the client can stop at any time they wish to.
To listen without communicating judgement or prejudice.
To try and use the client's own language to discuss matters where possible (i.e. if the client doesn't speak in 'emotions' but instead talks about 'behaviour', then the therapist speaking exclusively in terms of 'emotions' may not be very helpful).
To recognise and work with social, sexual, ability and cultural differences (that the therapist is not giving advice from his position ("What I would do is..."), but is being effective in helping the client find his/her own resolutions and/or management of problems).
To be earnest on assisting the client out of therapy either when the client is ready to leave, or by helping the client recognise that the therapy may have been concluded (i.e. not keeping a person in therapy beyond a legitimate need & not ousting a client before he/she is ready to leave).

What is expected of the Client?

Initially, the client needs simply to being willing to give the therapy a try - even if sceptical or unsure of the therapist's approach.
To bear in mind that counselling is not done to him/her as a client, that he/she will not be cured by the therapist's approach alone. He/she is an active participant in the therapy (albeit this may not be possible at the start - and sometimes not during - due to emotional states).
To ensuring that he/she tells the truth in all matters but also to be aware that he/she can decline to discuss anything uncomfortable.
To take responsibility for bringing up concerns or dissatisfaction about the therapist with the therapist (e.g. the therapist's conduct, something he said, something he does etc.). All therapists appreciate that this may take courage ... but as the therapist has the best of intentions, and whilst his experience may often tip him off to a client being disturbed by something he does or says, he may not always be aware of any deep or hidden irritation on behalf the client.
When the client/therapist agree an exercise between sessions is appropriate, to be willing to find the time to address the exercise, or be willing to discuss matters if the exercise was not completed (or, say, not completed to the client's satisfaction).
Be willing to bring up ending counselling when he/she feels that time is approaching.

What Individual Counselling isn’t suitable for.

Skype Counselling.

Skype logo © Skype

Individuals looking to work with Dean, but live too far away to travel weekly to Portsmouth, may find Dean’s Skype Personal Counselling Service useful (read more…)

Counselling is not an advice service. The therapist cannot give you solutions based upon his own experience, judgement or from a reference manual.
The therapist cannot take action on your behalf (e.g. writing to a government agency, or writing a complaint to a company on your behalf).
Counselling isn’t a social meeting – although it can appear as though it is a social relationship.
Counselling is not held anywhere public (eg a cafe, library). Some therapists will offer home-visits.
Individual counselling cannot help change a third party. Sometimes people wish to come and talk about their problems with another person, sometimes wanting solutions for that other person to be changed. The only person we can work with to change in individual therapy is you.

What do to next…

If you are interested in potentially receiving individuals’ counselling, contact Dean Richardson to make an appointment for an assessment.

Contact Dean Richardson...

Costs of Counselling & Therapy

Dean Richardson — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:37:10 +0000

My friend said 'go to counselling'. I'd never been before - I was nervous. Turns out, it was very helpful.

Contact Dean Richardson

Private Counselling – Per-Session Fees.

Counselling can be an incredibly liberating and helpful experience and when working with a qualified and experienced counsellor, such as Dean Richardson, both the client or the couple and therapist together can make life transforming experiences.

However, private counselling is not free of charge and my investment in your therapy and commitment to you is appropriately matched by my professional counselling fees.

When deciding whether or not to consider me as your therapist, consider the following:-

I am accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) which confirms my years of experience, substantial training, practical experience and adherence to the BACP’s Ethical Framework.
I work therapeutically with: Individuals, Couples and Groups.
I arrange & attend a minimum of 30 hours additional training (continued professional development) per year which keeps my practice informed and up to date.
I arrange & attend a minimum of 90-minutes/month clinical supervision appropriate to my therapy work.
I work with clients in both long-term/open-ended and short-term/brief therapies.
I operate a sliding scale on a limited number of places. When available, this can make private counselling accessible to those on lo incomes.

How to pay.

Fees are payable weekly and can be paid using these methods:-

Cash (exact money please)
Cheque (made out to “Dean Richardson”)
Credit/debit card* (click here to pay by card)
PayPal* (click to pay by PayPal)

I accept secured online payments service from PayPal. Payments using this method will include a small surcharge on top of your session fee – and you will be shown the total amount before you authorise any payment.

Foreign Currency / Non-UK Clients.

I accept Skype counselling enquiries from people outside of the UK, whose primary language is English, and who wishes to work with someone trained in the British school of psychodynamic, systemic, CBT and group analytic principals..

Apart from arranging a mutually convenient time due to time-differences, payments for therapy services using PayPal may be convenient to you. PayPal will make the necessary currency transformations on your behalf. EG – you use my Online Payments page to begin paying a fee of, say, £45 – PayPal adds their commission charge (including any cross-border fees) and makes the necessary currency change (using a retail currency conversion value) presenting you with the final fee before you pay using your card.

Fees for Private Counselling.

Couples

Therapy for Relationships

Individuals
Couples
Groups
Face-to-Face
Weekly
50 minutes
Portsmouth

£50^{00 *}

more...

Personal

Therapy for Individuals

Individuals
Couples
Groups
Face-to-Face
Weekly
50 minutes
Portsmouth

£45^{00 *}

more...

Groups

Support Groups

Individuals
Couples
Groups
Face-to-Face
Weekly
90 minutes
Portsmouth

£25^{00 *}

more...

Internet

Online Skype Counselling

Individuals
Couples
Groups
Video Conference
Weekly
50 minutes
Your Computer

£-5^{00 **}

more...

NB1: each fee is ‘per session’.
NB2: The session fee for couple counselling is per couple i.e. both partners are included in the session fee.

Post-Christmas Offer:

20% reduction of the fees for first 4 sessions / individuals or couples counselling / new cases.

Individuals: First 4 sessions @ £36/session. Couples: First 4 sessions @ £40/session.

No obligation to continue counselling past your desire to leave therapy. Subsequent sessions after the 4th session charged at the standard rates (above) or other negotiated arrangement.
Offer ends Friday 10th February (read more about the offer…).

*Standard Fee & Sliding Scale.

Private counselling is not free. For all of my counselling services I set a standard fee (the fee shown above). This is the per-session fee that I have set for each particular form of therapy service that I offer & that you might be interested in.

I am aware that some people cannot afford full-fee private therapy and they may have tried and found NHS therapies or charities to have been unsatisfactory for their needs. For these people on a limited number of cases I can discuss with you a lower fee.

It’s important that we agree a fee that you can responsibly afford. Discussing a fee will involve you being able to talk openly with me about your income and expenses, and what expenses you might be prepared to give up for now (i.e. what are you prepared to lose, in return for me also losing a portion of my standard fee during our work together). We would be discussing a fee that you could responsibly afford.

This negotiation isn’t intended to embarrass you, and most have found it helpful and, interestingly, therapeutic too – read more…

Couple Counselling Fee.

Standard fee: £50.00

The standard fee is for an employed couple (one or both partners in employment) or a couple who has an independent source of funds (such as health insurance).

For those couples who are on a restricted income that might make private counselling inaccessible, you are invited to discuss with me my sliding scale.

Individual Counselling Fee.

Standard fee: £45.00

The standard fee is for an employed individual or one who has an independent source of funds (such as health insurance).

For those who are on a restricted income that might make private counselling inaccessible, you are invited to discuss with me my sliding scale.

Support/Therapy Group Fee.

Standard fee: £25.00

The standard fee is for an employed individual or one who has an independent source of funds (such as health insurance).

For those individuals who are on a restricted income that might make private counselling inaccessible, you are invited to discuss with me my sliding scale.

Note: the initial assessment session(s) before joining a group is charged at the Individual Counselling rate.

About Online Counselling Fees.

** Online counselling is charged in the same was as the above fees, except I suggest a £5.00 reduction due to there being no room-hire costs and no travel costs.

Sliding Scale & Concessions on Therapy Fees.

A “sliding scale” is where a therapist may be able to reduce their fees on a case-by-case basis. The aim here is to be able to discuss openly about your finances in order for us to find a fee that you can responsibly afford and which I can accept. This is available on a limited number of cases and you are invited to participate equally in this discussion with me.

Individuals’ Fees.

If I am taking on additional cases where I can reduce the fee, our negotiated fee will be based upon your gross income and your essential expenses. You need to think about what non-essential expenses you’re prepared to give up for the length of our work, in return for me reducing my fee.

To discuss a revised fee with me, firstly work out what could you responsibly afford to pay each week (e.g. take your gross income, deduct essential expenses and do not include any expenses that are a choice or a luxury (such as entertainment, social expenses, holidays etc.)). Remember that counselling is an essential expense – not an optional luxury – and you must temporarily prioritise your other expenditure accordingly during the time of therapy.

After calculating what you can responsible afford to pay per session, bring this information to our first session to discuss.

Couple Counselling Fees.

If I am taking on additional cases where I can reduce the fee, our negotiated fee will be based upon your combined gross income and your essential expenses. You need to think about what non-essential expenses you’re prepared to give up for the length of our work, in return for me reducing my fee.

To discuss a revised fee with me, firstly work out what you can responsibly afford to pay each week (both of your incomes combined). For example, take your gross income and deduct essential expenses from this figure (do not include any expenses that are a choice or a luxury (such as entertainment, social expenses, holidays etc.)). Remember that counselling is an essential expense – not an optional luxury – and you must think about what you are prepared to temporarily give up in order to afford therapy fees.

As part of the assessment for couple therapy, it will also be important for us to note how you and your partner deal with money matters, and we can talk in more detail about that after the fee has been agreed.

Whilst this may seem an involved process, negotiating a couple counselling fee with me during therapy can also be revealing & helpful with respect to your relationship problems.

After calculating what you can responsible afford to pay per session, bring this information to our first session to discuss.

Deposits for First Session.

When arranging an initial appointment with me, I will ask for a minimum deposit of £30 (or 50% of your fee if your session fee is concessional). This will usually be only for the first assessment session appointment.

Your deposit secures our first appointment together and is subtracted from your session fee, the remainder of which becomes due on the day of our appointment. Your deposit is refundable minus a £15 administration fee if you cancel the appointment giving me more than 2 working days notice, otherwise the deposit is not refunded (e.g. by giving no notice for an absence).

Paying your deposit.

Methods of payment I accept for deposits are:-

Paying online (which incurs a small admin fee )
Sending a cheque made out to Dean Richardson – or postal order – to my Portsmouth address

Deposits must be paid before the session date to secure the appointment.

Cancellation Policy.

Because I offer regular weekly counselling and reserve your appointment for you each week I cannot make the session available for anyone else without sufficient notice. Therefore, I operate a cancellation policy which I will discuss with you in full when we first meet.

Counselling

Dean Richardson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:27:59 +0000

My friend said 'go to counselling'. I'd never been before - I was nervous. Turns out, it was very helpful.

Contact Dean Richardson

Private Portsmouth Counselling with Dean Richardson.

With over thirteen years’ experience, Dean Richardson’s Hampshire private counselling practice, in Portsmouth & Southsea, focuses on Individual’s Counselling, Couples Counselling and Support Groups. His private therapy services are available to all individuals and couples from Portsmouth, Southsea, Southampton, Fareham, Gosport, Havant & Hayling Island, northwards to Petersfield and eastwards to Chichester.

Counselling isn’t about telling someone how to get things right. It’s a very specialised form of therapy that requires years of training and years of practice before the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy will accredit a practitioner. As a qualified, accredited and experienced counsellor, Dean can help you to help yourself work through problems – whether deep or superficial – to the point where you don’t need to work with him any longer.

Within his therapy practice is an ethical approach to ensure you don’t become dependant on him or his therapeutic approach; allowing you to internalise the counselling process and even the therapeutic relationship itself so that you can leave counselling and carry on with your life less burdened than before.

Why choose Dean Richardson?

Whilst it’s accurate to say that most therapists can work with most clients, it certainly is the relationship between client and counsellor that matters.

Dean offers a initial assessment session which covers:-

(i) Taking some administration details (name, address, contact telephone etc)
(ii) Talking through the ethics of counselling (how we will work together, what are the boundaries for our work, fees etc)
(iii) Giving you the time to tell your story (with assistance from the counsellor).

During this time Dean is checking to see if he thinks you and he can work together. Of course this is a mutual assessment (you are checking Dean and his way of working too) and by the end of the assessment a conversation will be in order about if carrying on with future sessions seems appropriate, discussing a referral to someone whose specialities may suit you better, or ending therapy there.

Couples Counselling.

'Couples Therapy' © Grace Weston Photography

When a couple relationships suffer conflicts & breakdowns and partners wish to engage a professional to help them understand what may be going on, couples may prefer to work with someone who remains neutral, doesn’t side with one partner or the other, and assists the partners in supporting them discover their own resolutions to their relationship problems.

Click to learn more…

Individual’s Counselling.

All sorts of individuals come to counselling for all sorts of reasons. Those experiencing a negative recent event, or one from years ago, unexplained behaviour, infidelity, mistrust, life stages, relationships, aging, death … they all have an impact on an individual’s life – and counselling is there when you have temporarily lost your ability to manage on your own.

The counsellor does not impose a procedure, nor offer excrcises that if the client follows to the letter will discover that they are cured. Instead, the therapist and client engage in discussing the problems whilst, at the same time, a therapeutic relationship builds between then. This trusting, professional relationship can become the basis for the counselling work – using examples in the here and now (what’s happening between therapists and client) to help both understand the difficulties in real time. Working through problems in the present is an effective way of addressing problems from the past because … obvious as it may seem … we cannot change the past no matter how hard we try.

Click to learn more…

Support Groups.

Sometimes, joining a therapeutic support group can help the LGBT individual recognise that they’re not struggling with their problems alone.

Dean Richardson’s support groups are created “On Demand” – a between 6 and 8 participants are required for a new group to commence. If you’re interested in joining a group, contact Dean to discuss what’s currently scheduled.

Click to learn more…

Skype Counselling .

Sometimes you find your ideal counsellor … and he works 100s of miles away from you. Fortunately, you can access Dean Richardson’s counselling services from your camera-enabled computer or Smartphone.

Simply install the free Skype software, and you can engage in counselling sessions with Dean using video conferencing.

Couples who are in a distance-relationship can also make use of Skype Couples Counselling – as Dean supports group conferencing (both of you – along with Dean – using Skype simultaneously with everyone seeing the other two people on their screen).

Want to work with Dean, but are unable to get to his Portsmouth location? Consider Skype Counselling.

Click to learn more…

Counselling Locations

Dean Richardson — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:08:20 +0000

My friend said 'go to counselling'. I'd never been before - I was nervous. Turns out, it was very helpful.

Contact Dean Richardson

Finding Dean Richardson’s Private Practice (Hampshire).

Practice Address: The Marple Cross Centre, Albemarle House, Osborne Road, Southsea, PO5 3LB (map).

About the location: The Marple Cross Centre is a light, airy and pleasant location. We have a reception area where you will be greeted (usually a bowl of sweets is on offer to pick from) and we have magazines, a radio, and fish to keep you occupied if you’re waiting for your appointment. The Marple Cross Centre is a ground floor location which has easy wheelchair access via a ramp and wheelchair-compatible toilets.

Areas Covered: Anyone from Portsmouth, Southsea, Southampton, Fareham, Gosport, Havant & Hayling Island, northwards to Petersfield and eastwards to Chichester. Counselling services for Hampshire and West Sussex.

On your arrival: You will be invited to sign in. This is for Health & Safety (e.g. fire safety) and, if you prefer, you can sign-in using a pseudonym. Take a seat, read a newspaper, feed the fish. Dean Richardson will come to collect you from reception at the time of your appointment and take you to his consultation room.

When you leave: Please sign out of the book.

Advice on Travelling to Portsmouth & Southsea.

Buses: See Portsmouth Bus Service routes planner:- http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/living/592.html

Railway: Nearest railway stations are: “Portsmouth Harbour” (click for directions) and “Portsmouth & Southsea” (click for directions).

Both stations are an approximate 20 minutes’ walk to The Marple Cross centre.

Hovercraft: Five minutes walk from Southsea Hoverport – suitable for Isle of Wight visitors.

Car Parking: Convenient parking (up to three hours free-of-charge along one of the streets parallel to The Marple Cross Centre (Nightingale Road, etc)) or a parking meter on the road, or one of the car parks near the building. Approximately £1.20 for one hour’s parking fee.

View Larger Map

Skype Counselling (Worldwide).

I offer regular weekly counselling via video conferencing Skype service.

Skype counselling is suitable for individuals, couples and groups.

The advantage of using Skype Counselling is that you can access Dean Richardson’s therapy services from a safe location – be it your home, your office, or your hotel room.

Skype Counselling for Individuals.

Using the same tried & tested processes as face-to-face counselling, you gain access to a fully qualified & experienced counsellor on a regular, weekly basis for a full 50 minutes. Dean will “meet” with you online using your camera in your computer or other Skype device (read more).

Skype Counselling for Couples.

Using effective systemic counselling processes, couples meet with Dean online using either a single Skype device (the couple sit within range of the camera in the same room), or each use a separate Skype device (such as using separate computers). Skype couple counselling is idea for long-distance relationships in conflict as neither partner has to travel to meet with his/her partner or the couples therapist (read more).

Skype Counselling for Groups.

Based in group analysis and support group facilitation, you can gain access to group therapy from your Skype device on a regular, weekly basis. All group members access the group from their remote locations, with Dean’s computer controlling the conference (so there is no additional Skype fee for you to pay) (read more).

LGBT Couples Counselling

Dean Richardson — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:41:52 +0000

I'd separated from my partner of 15 years - I needed help figuring out if I'd made a mistake.

Contact Dean Richardson

Private LGBT Couples Counselling (Hampshire & Skype).

What if curiosity could take your relationship somewhere better?

LGBT couples may seek counselling from a specialist LGBT couples’ counsellor for many reason. Not least to seek a sense of assurance that the counsellor understands and empathises with LGBT social, sexual & community conduct. These qualities of the LGBT couples counsellor are sought to convey a sense of understanding to the couple that is sometimes not experienced from a general counsellor.

It’s a myth to think that couple counselling is always aimed at helping a couple stay together. Couple counselling offers couples a way to work with what the couple want from therapy; this may include helping the couple to separate (as amiable as the couple wish), or finding ways for the relationship to be repaired; to deal with issues of sexuality, sex, open- (or closed) relationships, S&M/BDSM, family issues, thinking about a baby (or not) and many, many more LGBT couple issues.

This is why a significant number of LGBT couples in Hampshire, (Portsmouth) and on Skype video choose to work with Dean as an LGBT Specialist Couple Counsellor for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & mixed-orientation/mixed-gender relationships-in-conflict.

Why choose Dean for Couple Counselling?

Practising since 1999.
Fully qualified & accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy.
Added Diploma in Couple Counselling in 2009.
Studies LGBT couple counselling with gay & lesbian relationships & therapeutic approaches as a speciality.

What do we mean by “LGBT Couple”?

An LGBT couple is two people involved in an intimate relationship who are either of the same gender & sexual orientation (e.g. gay male, lesbian female) or who are of mixed sexual orientation and/or gender (such as a straight cis female & gay male, a transgendered M-F and a straight male, a transgendered F-M and a gay male etc.) and other combinations of gender and sexuality.

Deciding if LGBT Couple Counselling is for you.

Do any of these situations seem familiar?

A sense that the reasons for staying in the relationship have become lost (to one or both of you).
Repeating patterns of unhappy behaviour that neither of you can shift.
You relate like siblings now, instead of lovers like you used to.
You want to… and your partner doesn’t…
Sexual problems: physical or emotional.
Intimacy problems (different from sexual problems).
Violence or abuse in the relationship (ranging from feeling bullied to physical and emotional abuse).
One of you, or both of you, have acted outside the relationship’s understanding (eg affairs, open-relationships, social etc).
Experimentation in BDSM, S&M, Open Relationships not going to plan … or haven’t been planned at all.

How LGBT Couple Counselling can help.

Sometimes couples can find their relationship behaviour has gotten stuck in unsatisfactory or unhappy patterns. Couples who cannot get themselves out of these patterns may find psychodynamicPsychodynamics is the theory and systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, especially the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics & systemicSystemic therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of interaction between family members.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_therapy couples counselling suitable in helping shift the “unstuckedness”.

Some couple counsellors will gladly work with LGBT couples. Dean Richardson is an LGBT Couples Counsellor. Spot the difference?

It’s a common misunderstanding that people think couples counselling is aimed at making couples stay together. The couples therapist actually follows what the couple wishes from their therapy; meaning that if the couple wish to work to stay together then the counselling will help the couple to figure that out how that gets done. Conversely, if the couple wishes to separate then counselling will help the couple to figure out how they want separate. A couple who is undecided / in disagreement can use the couples counselling process to assist them in figuring out a compromise of what they both might wish to do.

The couple doesn’t have to know how they’ll achieve what they want (very often the couple think that they’ve tried everything) – the couples therapist has the skills to help with this.

What’s Involved in LGBT Couple Counselling.

Jones & Asen, 2000

Initially, the couple meet with Dean Richardson for an assessment for couples counselling. This usually takes four sessions:-

Session 1: all three of us meet to discuss an overview of what is needed from counselling.
Session 2: one partner meets with Dean separately. This is to discuss their perspective on the couple relationship, and to discuss some personal history.
Session 3: the other partner meets with Dean separately as in session 2.
Session 4: all three of us meet again to discuss what we have learned in the previous sessions, and to begin to set a focus about what the couple counselling should address.

The process encourages more space for thought and inspiration – allowing the couple’s relationship to become unstuck again.

Responsibilities in Couples Counselling.

What is expected of the Therapist?

Ensuring the safety of both the therapist and couple (eg a quiet, confidential room that will not be disturbed, that the session time begins and ends on time).
To take an ethical stance on all matters, to follow the BACP's Ethical Framework, and to ensure his best practice for the client at all times.
To ensure that the couple can discuss their relationship in safety - albeit not necessarily always in comfort (i.e. discussing subjects that the couple have not discussed in front of each other before can be uncomfortable to begin with) - but ensuring the couple can stop at any time they wish to.
To listen without communicating judgement or prejudice and to not take sides with one partner or the other (the relationship is the therapist's client, rather the two individuals).
To assist the couple in perturbing the conflicting relationship patterns through use of curiosity, new knowledge, and a disturbance of current unsatisfactory behaviours ... initially on his own but being active in inviting the couple to participate at their own comfort level,
To try and use the couple's own language to discuss matters where possible (e.g. if one partner doesn't speak in 'emotions' and the other does, to assist the relationship in negotiating a common-enough language so that what is being spoken of can be understood).
To recognise and work with social, sexual, ability and cultural differences (that the therapist is not giving advice from his position ("What I would do is..."), but is being effective in helping the couple find their own resolutions and/or management of problems).
To not meet with one partner without the express knowledge and permission of the other partner - and to not engage in individual therapy with either partner whilst the couple's therapy contract with the therapist is in effect.
To be earnest on assisting the couple out of therapy either when they are ready to leave, or by helping them recognise that what they initially came into address has been so addressed (i.e. not keeping a couple in therapy beyond a legitimate need & not ousting a couple before they are ready to leave).

What is expected of the Couple?

Initially, the couple needs simply to being willing to give the therapy a try - even if sceptical or unsure of the therapist's approach.
To be aware that couple counselling cannot help with a conflicting agenda, but if the couple wish the counselling can help the couple negotiate a mutual agenda for the therapy.
To bear in mind that couple counselling is not done to them as a couple, that they will not be cured by the therapist's approach alone. They are both active participants in the therapy (albeit this may not be possible at the start - and sometimes not during - due to emotional states).
To be willing to embrace the idea that they will be invited to be creative & inspired towards other approaches in their relationships and to open to hypothesise about what's happening in their relationship ... and that the therapist will assist them in this process until they can do it alone.
To ensuring that they tell the truth in all matters but also to be aware that either partner can decline to discuss anything uncomfortable.
To take responsibility for bringing up concerns or dissatisfaction about the therapist with the therapist (e.g. the therapist's conduct, something he said, something he does etc.). All therapists appreciate that this may take courage ... but as the therapist has the best of intentions, and whilst his experience may often tip him off to the couple being disturbed by something he does or says, he may not always be aware of any deep or hidden irritation.
When the couple agree an exercise between sessions is appropriate, to be willing to find the time to address the exercise, or be willing to discuss matters if the exercise was not completed (or, say, not completed to the couple's satisfaction).
Be willing to bring up ending counselling when the couple feels that time is approaching.

Care when perturbing relationships.

…the thing that’s driving you crazy might be the thing that’s keeping your partner sane.

Unknown

Why Separating Couples use Counselling to Break-Up.

The relationship may have introduced assets – children, pets, possessions, property; the couple will have to decide how to manage the division of what the relationship has created.

In couple counselling, the couple can find a safe, secure place in which to discuss how the relationship divides the assets, and discuss the responsibilities of managing children and pets.

Does LGBT Couple Counselling Work?

An important question might be: “Will couple counselling work for me and my partner?”

There has to be reasons for the conflict to occur – even if the reasons are not understood.

The thing that’s driving you crazy, may be the thing that keeps your partner sane.

Seriously – does it work?

What LGBT Couple Counselling isn’t suitable for.

Long Distance Relationships.

LGBT couples who are separated by distance but who still need couple counselling, or are a long distance from Dean Richardson’s Portsmouth consulting rooms, may find Dean’s Skype LGBT Couple Counselling service useful (read more…)

The couple do not identify themselves as LGBT – thus this form of therapy is not required.
A couple who have separate mutually-exclusive agendas cannot be helped by this process (albeit the couple may wish to discuss their separate agendas with a view to finding a common goal).
Families – couple counselling is not family therapy (ie groups of more than two people).
Adults who wish someone to change their partner to their satisfaction. Couple counselling is a mutual process that will involve both partners.
Domestic Violence – unless both couples wish to change the violent relationship.
One partner coming to help the other / has nothing to contribute to the work – couple counselling involves both partners.
One partner was not informed about the other partner’s desire to come to couple counselling – both partners have to wish to take part in the process.

What do to next…

If both you and your partner are interested in potentially receiving LGBT couples counselling (systemic/psychodynamic model), contact Dean Richardson to make an appointment for an assessment.

Contact Dean Richardson...

LGBT Individuals Counselling

Dean Richardson — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:32:30 +0000

As a gay male, I wanted to talk about my civil partnership in private. It helped to put some matters from the past to rest.

Contact Dean Richardson

Private LGBT Individuals’ Counselling (Hampshire & Skype).

What if a single idea could transform your life?

LGBT individuals counselling is ideal for any Hampshire (or Skype) individual gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning person. It’s for when you want to deal with issues like anxiety, depression, phobias, confidence, work issues, relationship problems, “coming-out” (or not), being unsure of your sexuality, and many more issues. like that.

Whilst it’s true that any gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or questioning individual could form a good working relationship with any counsellor, LGBT individuals sometimes seek a therapist who identifies themselves as a member of their own LGBT community. Dean Richardson is a therapist who focuses on the needs of LGBT clients in therapy working with the particular needs of LGBT individual clients.

This is why a significant number of LGBT individuals choose to work with Dean Richardson – in Hampshire (Portsmouth) and on Skype video – as an LGBT Specialist Counsellor.

Why choose Dean for Individual Counselling?

Practising since 1999.
Fully qualified & accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy.
Studies LGBT therapies, publications & therapeutic approaches as a speciality.

How LGBT Individual Counselling can help.

When you have issues on your mind, and you either cannot talk with friends or family – or friends and family are unable to help sufficiently – private counselling helps. Whilst most counsellors will see LGBT clients, Dean Richardson is an LGBT Therapist – spot the difference?

Sometimes a family member of friend will ask “… but why are you feeling like this” as if knowing the answering will help you fix the problem. To a professional LGBT therapist you don’t have to explain yourself.

We all usually have someone we can talk to about our problems in life. But sometimes we want to speak to someone who is going to help us work through the more difficult things. Counselling can help you work through problems in your life and to help you resolve them for good.

LGBT counselling can be supportive in many ways:-

Thinking about “coming out” at work or to friends.
Dealing with problems in an LGBT intimate relationship.
LGBT lifestyle and/or sexual issues (eg BDSM, S&M, Cottaging, Club & Nightlife, drugs etc)
Helping you work through life issues like health, losses, stresses, traumas.
Helping you talk through weighing up a difficult decision.
Talking through past experiences which need, finally, to be put to rest.

Some people come into counselling not knowing why – perhaps a friend has suggested it – and we can talk about that too.

Sometimes just knowing that someone is on your side helps too.

What’s Involved with LGBT Individuals’ Counselling?

We initially meet to discuss your needs from counselling … and to have a think about what counselling might help you. This is called the “assessment” session.

Most counsellors will work with LGBT people. Dean Richardson is an LGBT Counsellor. Spot the difference?

If we agree that counselling could be helpful, and we think that we can work with each other, we will arrange subsequent sessions. Usually these sessions will be on the same time and day each week. Sometimes brief/focal counselling (a fixed number of sessions) is agreed suitable, sometimes working until the issues are worked through is a better choice.

Then we’ll talk.

You will usually lead the sessions (the counsellor will help at the beginning of the work). Whatever you want to talk about is OK. The counsellor will listen, be inquisitive and curious to help understand aspects of the problems that, perhaps, you had not considered before. The counsellor may sometimes offer thoughts and interpretations about what might be happening for you … giving you another perspective that is intended to help you understand the issues. Sometimes, looking forward into the future will be discussed; how will things be when the issues are resolved and put away. Sometimes the therapist will work with your emotions, sometimes the therapist will work with your patterns of thinking. All of this is aimed to help you find your own ways that work for you in putting the problems to bed, leaving you unburned/less burned than when you came to therapy.

All sessions are fifty minutes, are held weekly on the same day and time and same location.

Responsibilities within Individual’s Counselling.

What is expected of the Therapist?

Ensuring the safety of both the therapist and client (eg a quiet, confidential room that will not be disturbed, that the session time begins and ends on time).
To take an ethical stance on all matters, to follow the BACP's Ethical Framework, and to ensure his best practice for the client at all times.
To ensure that the client can discuss his/her subjects in safety - albeit not necessarily always in comfort (i.e. discussing trauma will be uncomfortable to begin with) - but ensuring the client can stop at any time they wish to.
To listen without communicating judgement or prejudice.
To try and use the client's own language to discuss matters where possible (i.e. if the client doesn't speak in 'emotions' but instead talks about 'behaviour', then the therapist speaking exclusively in terms of 'emotions' may not be very helpful).
To recognise and work with social, sexual, ability and cultural differences (that the therapist is not giving advice from his position ("What I would do is..."), but is being effective in helping the client find his/her own resolutions and/or management of problems).
To be earnest on assisting the client out of therapy either when the client is ready to leave, or by helping the client recognise that the therapy may have been concluded (i.e. not keeping a person in therapy beyond a legitimate need & not ousting a client before he/she is ready to leave).

What is expected of the Client?

Initially, the client needs simply to being willing to give the therapy a try - even if sceptical or unsure of the therapist's approach.
To bear in mind that counselling is not done to him/her as a client, that he/she will not be cured by the therapist's approach alone. He/she is an active participant in the therapy (albeit this may not be possible at the start - and sometimes not during - due to emotional states).
To ensuring that he/she tells the truth in all matters but also to be aware that he/she can decline to discuss anything uncomfortable.
To take responsibility for bringing up concerns or dissatisfaction about the therapist with the therapist (e.g. the therapist's conduct, something he said, something he does etc.). All therapists appreciate that this may take courage ... but as the therapist has the best of intentions, and whilst his experience may often tip him off to a client being disturbed by something he does or says, he may not always be aware of any deep or hidden irritation on behalf the client.
When the client/therapist agree an exercise between sessions is appropriate, to be willing to find the time to address the exercise, or be willing to discuss matters if the exercise was not completed (or, say, not completed to the client's satisfaction).
Be willing to bring up ending counselling when he/she feels that time is approaching.

What LGBT Individual Counselling isn’t suitable for.

Skype Counselling.

Individuals looking to work particularly with Dean, but who live too far away to travel weekly to Portsmouth, may find Dean’s Skype Personal Counselling Service useful (read more…)

When questions of your sexuality are not important, LGBT counselling won’t apply to you.
Counselling is not an advice service. The therapist cannot give you solutions based upon his own experience or judgement.
The therapist cannot take action on your behalf (eg writing to a government agency, or writing a complaint to a company on your behalf).
Counselling isn’t a social meeting – although it can appear as though it is a social relationship.
Counselling is not held anywhere public (eg a cafe, library). Some therapists will offer home-visits.
Individual counselling cannot help change a third party. Sometimes people wish to come and talk about their problems with another person, sometimes wanting solutions for that other person to be changed. The only person we can work to change in individual therapy is you.

What do to next…

If you are interested in potentially receiving LGBT individuals’ counselling, contact Dean Richardson to make an appointment for an assessment.

Contact Dean Richardson...

iCounsellor.co.uk - Portsmouth's Professional Private Therapist (Individuals, Couples, LGBT) » Portsmouth Counselling

About Dean Richardson

Contents

Dean Richardson – Therapeutic Counsellor.

How Dean Richardson is Distinct from other Therapists.

Dean’s individual counselling service

Dean’s couple couple service

Dean’s group support therapy

Dean’s speciality

Why choose Dean Richardson as your counsellor?

Own Private Practice (Portsmouth & Skype).

Ethics.

Therapeutic Methodologies.

Dean Richardson’s Professional Qualifications, Training & Membership.

Qualifications & Primary Awards.

Explanation of Dean Richardson’s Qualifications.

Continuing Professional Development (highlights).

Professional Memberships.

Professional Counselling Specialities.

Choose Brief-Focal Counselling

Contents

An Introduction Brief/Focal Counselling.

How Brief/Focal Counselling can help.

What’s involved in Brief/Focal Counselling.

A short summary of Brief Counselling.

Benefits of Brief Counselling.

When Brief/Focal Counselling is not Suitable.

What to do Next…

Choose Couples Counselling

Contents

Introducing Couple Counselling.

Deciding if Couple Counselling is for you.

How Couple Counselling can help.

What’s Involved in Couple Counselling.

Responsibilities in Couples Counselling.

What is expected of the Therapist?

What is expected of the Couple?

Care when perturbing relationships.

Why Separating Couples use Counselling to Break-Up.

Does Couple Counselling Work?

The thing that’s driving you crazy, may be the thing that keeps your partner sane.

Seriously – does it work?

What Couple Counselling isn’t suitable for.

Long Distance Relationships.

What do to next…

Choose LGBT Counselling

Contents

Private Hampshire LGBT Counselling with Dean Richardson.

Specialist LGBT Counselling for Hampshire.

Why Consider a Specialist LGBT Counsellor?

LGBT Couples Counselling.

LGBT Individual’s Counselling.

LGBT Support Groups.

LGBT Skype Counselling .

Choose Personal Counselling

Contents

Introducing Individuals Counselling.

How Counselling can help.

What’s Involved.

Responsibilities within Individual’s Counselling.

What is expected of the Therapist?

What is expected of the Client?

What Individual Counselling isn’t suitable for.

Skype Counselling.

What do to next…

Costs of Counselling & Therapy

Contents

Private Counselling – Per-Session Fees.

How to pay.

Foreign Currency / Non-UK Clients.

Fees for Private Counselling.

Couples

Personal

Groups

Internet

Post-Christmas Offer:

*Standard Fee & Sliding Scale.

Making Use of my Fee Structure.

Couple Counselling Fee.

Individual Counselling Fee.