(c) Mark Whale, Flickr

Thinking of seeking Counselling training near Portsmouth?

Introduction.

Chichester Counselling Services are running their highly successful training course in psychotherapeutic counselling – commencing September 2010.

Thinking about training to be a counsellor – interested in continued professional development? Make contact with Chichester Counselling Services today.

Background to Counselling at Chichester.

Chichester Counselling Services established their counselling services over thirty years ago and their training establishment educates potential counsellors in the skills of counselling (year one – certificate level) before inviting suitable candidates to enter the second and third years (Diploma level) to begin practising therapy with real clients.

Candidates are interviewed prior to starting the first year (certificate in counselling skills) which helps students to enhance their people & relationship skills learning about the psychodynamic model of counselling … and later may enter the Diploma training (a further two years) to be able to practice as a counsellor..

Counselling students do not see clients during the first year of training, and you will be required to enter weekly psychodynamic counselling yourself as part of the training. The course is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, assuring students of the quality of this training course.

Benefits of training at Chichester Counselling Services:

• Students are trained in house, and when ready to see clients the clients are provided by CCS itself (you don’t need to find your own placement with another counselling agency).
• Supervision is provided in house – you don’t need to find your own supervision.
• Training is on a Friday late afternoon – which will fit in with many people’s work life.
• The first year is 30 weeks of training on counselling skills and psychodynamic theory.
• After qualification, students can remain practising at CCS for support at a now a familiar counselling establishment.

Arrange your interview at Chichester Counselling Services.

If you are interested in investing in your future to work professionally as a psychotherapeutic counsellor, make contact with Chichester Counselling Services today

http://www.ccs-counselling.com/training/

Counselling Training in Chichester

Introduction.

Chichester Counselling Services will be running again their highly successful training course in psychotherapeutic counselling – September 2010.

Thinking about training to be a counsellor – interested in continued professional development?  Make contact with Chichester Counselling Services today.

Background to Counselling at Chichester.

Chichester Counselling Services established their counselling services over thirty years ago and their training establishment educates potential counsellors in the skills of counselling (year one – certificate level) before inviting suitable candidates to enter the second and third years (Diploma level) to begin practising therapy with real clients.

Commencing in September 2010, candidates are interviewed prior to starting the first year (certificate in counselling skills) which helps students to enhance their people & relationship skills, or later to enter the Diploma training (a further two years).

Counselling students do not see clients during the first year of training, and you will be required to enter weekly psychodynamic counselling yourself as part of the training.  The course is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, assuring students of the quality of this training course.

Benefits of training at Chichester Counselling Services:

• Students are trained in house, and when ready to see clients the clients are provided by CCS itself (you don’t need to find a placement).
• Supervision is provided in house – you don’t need to find your own supervision.
• Training is on a Friday late afternoon – which will fit in with many people’s work life.
• The first year is 30 weeks of training on counselling skills and psychodynamic theory.
• After qualification, students can remain practising at CCS for support at a now a familiar counselling establishment.

Arrange your interview at Chichester Counselling Services.

If you are interested in investing in your future to work professionally as a psychotherapeutic counsellor, make contact with Chichester Counselling Services today

http://www.ccs-counselling.com/training/

(c) danielbrezina.com, Flickr

Introduction.

A current problem (2010) is that counselling and psychotherapy is not yet governed by UK law.  Anyone can advertise themselves as a counsellor or therapist without actually having any professional training, appropriate qualifications or any actual experience. Unfortunately, this might suggest that the client seeking therapeutic treatment could be at risk of working with an unqualified therapist.

However, finding a qualified and experienced counsellor can be a straightforward process if you know of some helpful things to look for.

This post describes how to find a suitable therapist – and offers some topics to check out with your potential therapist.  At your first meeting, most – if not all – therapists should not be phased by you asking about the topics (in later sessions, however, some therapists may not answer your questions about them directly, but be interested with you in the purpose of your question – keeping the focus upon you.  This is a legitimate form of therapy (eg psychodynamic / psychoanalytical) – but I include it here just so that you are aware).

Advice for Clients.
Read: “How to get the best out of your therapist”
(c) BACP – 2010

Search a Professional Body

An easy way to find a suitable therapist is to use a professional therapists’ body that offers a “find a therapist” type of service. The therapists listed may have had to pay for an entry, but would also have had their qualifications checked before being allowed to pay for an entry in the list.  It’s a good place to begin searching for a therapist.

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
  http://www.bacp.co.uk/seeking_therapist
• British Association for Psychotherapy
  http://www.bap-psychotherapy.org/
• The British Psychological Society
  http://www.bps.org.uk/

… however, if you wish to find your own therapist – or you would like some advice on what to check out about your potential therapist – then read on.

Finding your Own Therapist.

Finding your own therapist can be easier when you want to find a counsellor with specific criteria.  Sometimes professional bodies do not include such criteria.  Use search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing to begin your search – and then refer to the information below about what you might want to check about each potential therapist.

Qualifications.

Does the counsellor has a recognised qualification in counselling.

Diplomas and Degrees – check that the qualification included actual supervised practice (eg 100 hours counselling practice to achieve the qualification).  Having a qualification in the theory of counselling without any actual practice may be insufficient for your needs.

Certificates in counselling may not include any actual practice to gain the award if they are just certificates of attendance.

Membership of Professional Body.

Is the counsellor a registered member of a professional body?  Do they subscribe to a recognised code of ethics or an ethical framework for their therapeutic work?  Is there anyone to whom you could report your complaint if you needed to?

Special interest/experience.

Does the counsellor have any special interests or special experience in working in particular therapeutic areas?

Theoretical approach.

There are different forms of counselling and psychotherapy – and whilst it’s the relationship between therapist and client that is shown to matter, some approaches might suit you better than others.

See Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychotherapies for information on therapy models.

Who does the counsellor work with?

Does the counsellor state what types of person they can work with (eg adults, couples, young people, children, elderly etc).

“This is how I work”.

Does the counsellor give you an idea of how they work therapeutically?

Fees.

Do you understand what the therapy will cost?

Supervision.

Counselling supervision is a formal meeting in which the counsellor meets with a qualified supervisor (or another counsellor) to review their clinical work.  Sometimes their professional development and their personal development is reviewed too – depending on the counsellor’s needs. A supervisor is not a managerial role, but more of a professional service designed to support the counsellor.

Is the counsellor taking regular supervision?  Some therapists’ professional bodies require the therapist a minimum amount of supervision every month (eg 90 minutes).

Continual Professional Development.

Does the therapist make you aware that they attend CPD (a form of contining their training and experience throughout their practice).  Some professional bodies, such as the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, require that the counsellor obtain a specific number of CPD hours per year.

Portsmouth & Southsea, Hampshire / Chichester, West Sussex

Counselling in Portsmouth & Southsea, Hampshire.

(c) aeFusion, Flickr

Where.

My Portsmouth & Southsea consultation room is on Landport Terrace, Portsmouth, PO1 2RG (click for location map).

When.

I offer appointments here on Monday afternoons & evenings, and Friday mornings.

Location.

The building is on the main road, easily accessible by train and local bus routes – both ten minutes from your counselling.  Opposite Landport Terrace is a small & peaceful park, which is quiet to sit in after a session (when the weather is nice!) and the coast, Southsea Clarence Pier and the hovercraft is a 10 minute walk from the building.

Within the building we have a reception and a comfortable waiting room with a toilet – I will come and collect you from the reception before each session.

If you bring someone with you for support, your friend is welcome to visit the many local shops, museums and coffee shops/cafes during your session as, for confidentiality and health & safety, we are unable to cater for someone sitting in the waiting room during someone’s counselling session.

My consultation room is at the top of the building (second floor) so is unfortunately inaccessible by wheelchair. Arrangements can be made for mobility impaired.

Advice on Travelling to Portsmouth.

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

Railway:
Nearest railway stations are:
“Portsmouth Harbour” (click for directions)

“Portsmouth & Southsea” (click for directions – cut through Portsmouth Guildhall walk).

Both stations are an approximate 10 minutes’ walk.

Car Parking:
Convenient parking (up to three hours for free behind the building (St. Paul’s Road etc) or a parking meter on Landport Terrace). Parking passes for your session time are available from reception.

Click to make an appointment.

See also: Fees for Private Counselling.

Counselling in Chichester, West Sussex.

(c) David Spender, Flick

Where.

My Chichester consultation room is on Little London, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1PL (click for location map).

When.

I offer appointments here on Tuesday evenings (sometimes Wednesday mornings/afternoons).

Location.

The building is off of East Street and is a short ten minute walk from the furthes car parks and the railway station. Within the building there is a waiting area where you can wait for your appointment, toilets and a water dispenser.  I will come and collect you from the waiting room before each session.  The building does not support wheelchair access and my room,  being on the first floor, may be difficult to negotiate by the mobility impaired.  Arrangements can be made for mobility impaired.

Advice on Travelling to Chichester.

Buses:
See West Sussex Buses & Couches:- http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/roads-and-transport/public-transport/buses-and-coaches/

Railway:
Nearest railway station is:
Chichester (click for directions)

Car Parking:
There are 5 city car parks, the furthest away are a 10 minute walk from Little London (click to see Chichester Parking). Parking is free in most car parks after 5pm.

Click to make an appointment.

See also: Fees for Private Counselling.

GPS image (c) LaertesCTB, Flickr.

Local Towns & Villages covered by iCounsellor’s Counselling.

(c) seier seier seier, Flickr

It’s not unusual to consider that Dean Richardson at iCounsellor.co.uk works with many people from areas that are around his main practice areas (Portsmouth, Hampshire and Chichester, West Sussex), but what might be surprising is the significant number of Dean’s clients who travel from areas much further away than these local areas.

The furthest client regularly travelled 50 miles to each session; the nearest client walked two miles. Many of his clients regularly travel miles to both his central Portsmouth and central Chichester consultation rooms from such places as Arundel, Guildford, Woking, Winchester, Southampton, Lymington, Brighton, Bournemouth, Worthing and so on.

Dean practices as an individual and couples counsellor – and is experienced to work with many people regardless of presenting issues, gender, sexuality and relationship status. He also specialises in working with LGBT couples and individuals.  So, since expanding into private practice in 2009, it has not been unusual for people who wish to work specifically with Dean’s counselling practice to make a distant weekly journey to and from Portsmouth or Chichester.

To make contact with Dean:  click here.

Hampshire.

Dorset

Isle of Wight

Surrey

West Sussex

Therapy Today - October 2009, Vol. 20 Issue 8

If you are troubled by your sexuality and you think that counselling might help you, make an appointment with Dean Richardson to discuss counselling and what you might need from therapy.

The gay cure?

by
John Daniel

http://www.therapytoday.net/article/show/1168/

Except:

The counselling and psychotherapy profession was subject to unflattering media scrutiny earlier this year [2009] following the publication of research which found that a significant minority of mental health professionals in Britain are attempting to help lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients become heterosexual.

Under the headline ‘British therapists still offer treatments to “cure” homosexuality’, the Guardian¹ reported that a survey (of 1,328 counsellors, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts and psychiatrists throughout the country) found that 222 practitioners had attempted to change at least one patient/client’s sexual orientation, while 55 said they were still offering the therapy. The fact that some of those practitioners are members of BACP prompted the following response from Phillip Hodson, BACP Fellow and Media Consultant, in the letters page of the Guardian the next day: ‘[BACP] is dedicated to social diversity, equality and inclusivity of treatment without sexual discrimination or judgmentalism of any kind, and it would be absurd to attempt to alter such fundamental aspects of personal identity as sexual orientation by counselling.’²

Click http://www.therapytoday.net/article/show/1168/ to read the article in full.

(c) -Marlith-, Flickr

Does the sexuality of the counsellor make a difference to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clients? In this post I will discuss briefly my experiences as a gay counsellor in meeting LGBT-identifying clients for an assessment-for-counselling.   This is in my private practice in Portsmouth & Chichester.

Client/Counsellor Differences.

It would be my experience of therapists that many would state that differences between a counsellor and a client do not have to be so different that they are detrimental to the therapeutic relationship.  In other words, I do not have to be female to empathise with a female client.  So, therefore, I would generally agree that differences can be – and are – worked with successfully and often.

Recently, however, in my private practice I have assessed gay and lesbian clients for counselling and have noted that a majority of these clients (who have worked with straight counsellors) have expressed varying degrees of dissatisfaction toward the counsellor when they needed to discuss matters that were particular to their sexual identify.

For example:-

(Male client – identifying as gay) “When I told him [the counsellor] that my sex life with my partner was diminished, he shifted in his chair noticeably uncomfortable.  I couldn’t take it back to discuss with him about his reaction.”

(Female client – identifying as lesbian) “I don’t understand how a little old grey-haired lady can really understand what is happening in my sex life – even though she claims to understand.”

Counselling “Sexuality Workshop” training.

From my experience of my counselling training in the 90s, the subject of “homosexuality” was – interestingly – firstly avoided, and then actively vetoed during our two workshops on sexuality. It was put to us by the trainer that although the trainer understood that some of us were interested in homosexuality and working with gay clients, this topic was not going to be included in the scope of the training.

A number of my colleagues – along with myself – noticed with interest the role playing exercise later in the day regarding bestiality (sex with animals). Bestiality OK? Homosexuality Not OK? We wondered what that message was meant to convey,  and could such a trainer also (unconsciously?) communicate something about this interesting imbalance toward the clients that they took in therapy.

It leaves me wondering what sort of message therapists with – possible – unresolved issues relating to their sexuality or sexual identification are giving to some of their clients.

Perhaps by the nature of society and the homosexual child, LGBT counsellors may be trained from an early age to reflect upon their sexuality, its nature, and how it fits in (or doesn’t) with people around them.  I believe this predisposes an LGBT counsellor toward LGBT client’s issues in a more empathic manner than, say, some heterosexual therapists who have rarely been required to review their own sexuality or their place in a sexual-minority in much depth.

Empathy versus Experience.

I would very much agree with the majority of therapists that we do not have to be experienced in all matters in order to be able to work as a therapist with a majority of clients. We do have to be experienced in working empathically, of course.  But is that the point for our LGBT clients here? Our LGBT clients appear to be looking for therapists whom they believe will understand them … not just empathise with them … actually know what they are talking about.

LGBT counselling for LGBT clients.

I am a qualified, accredited and experienced therapist who work with wide example of client issues, both genders, different relationship setups, and many different life issues.  I also choose to advertise myself as a gay counsellor for gay clients – which I have found is an unusual position in the areas of Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey.  Advertising like this has brought in a significant number of LGBT clients who seek to work not just with an LGBT-understanding counsellor, but whom wish to work with someone whom they feel lives, as well as works, within their LGBT community.

This form of identification, I believe, can be very valuable in the initial stages of the developing therapeutic relationship between gay client and gay counsellor, but tends to become – quite rightly – somewhat less significant as the therapeutic relationship is built sufficiently for the therapeutic work to be done. In other words… initially identifying with a counsellor who is “similar” to the client is a good thing initially for the client, whilst later on it can become to matter less.

Essential Boundaries.

It’s important to reflect on the nature of boundaries in therapeutic work.  Boundaries contain and protect both counsellor, client and the therapeutic relationship. A counsellor should reflect the purpose, say, of them agreeing to meet a client outside of ongoing-therapy for, say, lunch or an evening beer (a practice which I would consider to be highly unethical).

The nature of therapy requires safety, boundary keeping and ethical reflexivity to protect both client and counsellor.

The fact that my sexuality may lend me to be sympathetic toward LGBT issues in counselling should not be confused or misunderstood as my willingness to forego therapeutic boundaries.  Just as, for example, a female counsellor might help a male client work through an eroticised transference whilst maintaining boundaries and ethics, a gay male counsellor should in no way deviate from similar practice when working with lesbian or gay clients in similar transference issues, whilst also maintaining ethicals and boundaries.

In conclusion – so far!

In identifying as a gay man, and therefore a gay counsellor & psychotherapist, I am experiencing that I had unintentionally been offering LGBT clients a way into therapy that may not be quite so available from heterosexual counsellors.  Once comfortably into the work, others differences between client and counsellor can be allowed in and worked with just as most other therapists would work with differences.

There may be something important here in the psychological make up of LGBT clients (and counsellors, for that matter!) from an interesting  need to find similar individuals to identify with each other … and to feel support in bringing in differences later on. After all, I had never heard the term “Lesbian Bed Death” … and needed to ask my lesbian client to explain it to me.

(c) roland, Flickr

1. What do you think has caused you to be heterosexual?
2. When and how did you first decide you were a heterosexual?
3. Is it possible your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of people of the same sex?
4. If you’ve never slept with a person of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn’t prefer it?
5. Isn’t it possible your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?
6. Isn’t it possible that all you need is a good gay lover?
7. If heterosexuality is normal, why are a disproportionate number of mental patients heterosexual?
8. To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies? How did they react?
9. Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex? Why are they so promiscuous?
10. Do heterosexuals hate and/or distrust others of their own sex? Is that what makes them heterosexual?
11. If you were to have children, would you want them to be heterosexual knowing the problems they’d face?
12. Your heterosexuality doesn’t offend me as long as you don’t try to force it on me. Why do you feel compelled to seduce others into your sexual orientation?
13. The great majority of child molesters are heterosexuals. Do you really consider it safe to expose your children to heterosexual teachers?
14. Why do you insist on being so obvious, and making a public spectacle of your heterosexuality? Can’t you just be who you are and keep it quiet?
15. How can you ever hope to become a whole person if you limit yourself to a compulsive, exclusively heterosexual lifestyle, and remain unwilling to explore and develop your homosexual potential?
16. Heterosexuals are noted for assigning themselves and each other to narrowly restricted, stereotyped sex-roles. Why do you cling to such unhealthy role playing?
17. Even with all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiralling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?
18. How could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual like you, considering the menace of overpopulation?
19. There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that could help you change if you really wanted to. Have you considered trying psychotherapy or even aversion therapy?
20. Could you really trust a heterosexual therapist/counsellor to be objective and unbiased? Don’t you fear he/she might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own preferences?
21. How can you enjoy a full, satisfying sexual experience or deep emotional rapport with a person of the opposite sex when the differences are so vast? How can a man understand what pleases a woman, or vice-versa?

(c) armigeress, Flickr

This is not an exhaustive list, but this post lists some of the problems that clients have brought to my psychodynamic counselling/psychotherapy practice over the years:

See also What could Couples Counselling help with.

(c) treesftf, Flickr

Introduction to Short-term, “brief” Psychodynamic Counselling.

In addition to open-ended counselling, Dean Richardson can offer short-term psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counselling to individuals where an assessment & both client & counsellor deem it appropriate to do so.

Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counselling is where the client and counsellor meet weekly for an agreed set number of sessions.  Each session lasts for fifty minutes, occurs once a week, and the whole therapy is limited to an agreed number of sessions (which may be between four to twelve sessions, to give an example).  The actual number will be agreed by mutual consent between counsellor and client.  The brief-therapy work concentrates upon a specific (and agreed) matter in the life of the client(s) and the therapy aims not to expand into other subject matters.  Expanding into other matters is more in the realm of open-ended counselling.

A Summary of Brief Counselling.

• Short-term psychodynamic counselling takes place within an agreed fixed number of sessions.
• The client and counsellor must agree a focus for the counselling work at the beginning (ie during the assessment).
• Although other matters may come up during counselling, these matters may need to be put aside (at least for now).
• The client 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.

Some benefits of short-term, brief psychodynamic counselling work can include:-

• …the therapy lasts for a certain “known” amount of time,
• …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,
• …it can be useful to be able to measure the outcome of the counselling, 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.

This approach (and, possibly, these limitations) can be beneficial to some clients. It is important, however, to realise that this approach is not suitable for everyone, and an initial assessment will be helpful in evaluating if this form of therapy could be helpful and in the client’s best interests.

Counter-indications for Brief Counselling.

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 defense mechanisms and resistance are too high/too ingrained to invite self-change during brief therapy.

The  assessment session will allow client and counsellor to discuss what is and what is not possible, and to reach a decision together as to whether short-term, brief therapy would be suitable as opposed to open-ended therapy.

See also “How long can counselling take”.