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By visiting this website you have already taken a step closer to a new you where you feel empowered and on a path towards positive growth and well-being. I believe we all strive to achieve a sense of fulfillment but sometimes we find we are blocked by conflicting feelings. The aim of our therapy is not to provide advice on how to proceed, but help you gain a deeper understanding of where these conflicts arise and so provide you with options that may have been unavailable without therapy. I offer to provide you with a warm, respectful and genuine relationship. A relationship free of judgement and one that is open and honest. I believe that through experiencing such a relationship, you will develop deeper understanding of yourself and how you relate to others. Entering into therapy may seem rather daunting, or maybe you feel you should be able to sort out yourself without resorting to therapy. So I hope you will find these pages useful to understand a bit more about me and what therapy entails. Enough to reassure you that this step is not one you will come to regret. AttentionYour browser either does not support JavaScript or requires you to enable it (possibly asking for you to allow scripts or allow blocked content). This website requires JavaScript to function.
I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am also listed on the United Kingdom Register of Counsellors /Psychotherapists. I trained as a counsellor at the Metanoia Institute in London, which is a well-respected institute dedicated to the training of counsellors. I have trained there for several years as well as attending many other training workshops and continuing personal development courses. I have a degree in person-centred counselling from Middlesex university and a diploma from Metanoia Institute. I have chosen to focus my training on the person-centred approach to therapy, as this accords most closely with my own experience and philosophy. I believe that respect for my clients and providing them a nurturing environment will allow them to fully access their own resources. I believe that working in this way will facilitate the development of greater self-awareness and provide a greater capacity to address changes in life. I believe that therapy opens doors and makes growth possible, enabling my clients to achieve more of their potential. I have worked with a wide variety of issues in therapy, and worked in a number of settings. I have particular interest in working through depression and coping with bereavement and loss. I continue to work as a counsellor within the voluntary sector as well as in my own practice. Prior to training as a counsellor, I worked for many years as a university lecturer and have led research groups and trained students to the highest levels of doctor of philosophy. I have always been particularly drawn to the
Considering entering therapy can leave you full of questions and doubts. Is this the right course of action for me? In this section I will try to give you some idea how therapy operates, and what you might expect. I may not cover the questions you have, so feel free to email me if you don’t find what you are looking for here. What sort of problems are suitable for therapy?Essentially therapy is about you and not the specific problem. In a trusting therapeutic relationship we explore what motivates the way you respond to changes in life. If a problem is persistent in causing you anxiety or stress, then it is appropriate to bring to therapy. Anything that involves you is appropriate for therapy. What is expected of me?Usually we would meet once per week for a 1 hour session. We will agree a mutually convenient time for this meeting. If, for any reason, either of us cannot make the appointment, then let the other know at least 48 hours in advance. How many sessions will I need?We are all individual, so the number of sessions will vary from person to person. My commitment to my clients is to work efficiently and effectively to minimize the number of sessions. Throughout, however, you decide when you feel ready to end therapy. I believe that the ending of therapy is a significant part of the therapeutic work. It is something we should discuss and plan a few sessions in advance. How much will it cost?Currently my fee for a one hour session is £40. Although it is likely you will come for several sessions, there is no requirement on you to come for a minimum number of sessions. You are in complete control and if you feel you would like to stop therapy, you just need to let me know. Payment is made on a session by session basis, so you are not buying into anything up front. Is it confidential?I believe that for therapy to be beneficial it is of paramount importance that you can speak openly and frankly about yourself. As a result, I believe confidentiality is an essential requirement so that you can develop a level of trust with me to be able to explore freely your thoughts and feelings. I subscribe to the codes of Ethics and Practice of the Metanoia Institute and the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). As a consequence, I take regular supervision of my work with an experienced counsellor, where I may discuss our work. My supervisor is also bound by the same code of ethics and so confidentiality is assured. There are, however, certain exceptional circumstances where the law may require me to break confidentiality. These are:
In all cases, I will not break confidentiality without first working with you to allay my concerns, and even then I will notify you prior to breaking confidentiality, to ensure you are fully aware. How safe am I?I am a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (http://www.bacp.co.uk) which is the largest professional body in the UK. The role of this body is to maintain the highest standards in counselling and psychotherapy. This body, to which I subscribe, treats with the utmost importance public accountability. There is a rigorous code of ethics to which members agree to work by, and they provide a complaints procedure for you the client to ensure proper standards of care. What about if I have to miss sessions?Therapy is most effective when we meet regularly, and I offer a regular time slot which I keep open for you. At times, however, unavoidable circumstances do arise which necessitates missing a session. We also take planned breaks for our own well being. If you are going to be away, or have some other commitment that means you may not be able to make a session one week, then just let me know. I do ask you to give me more than 48 hours notice so I can make best use of that time. I will continue to reserve that slot for you. When I need to miss sessions I will inform you at least the week in advance, unless unexpected circumstances mean I need to cancel a session at short notice. I will always endeavour to give you as much notice as I can of any cancelled sessions.
Dr Phil Palmer Here are several ways to contact. Give me a call or send me an email. I am looking forward to speaking with you. Click on the map to be transfered to Yahoo! maps
Here are some links to other organisations from which you may find help on a variety of issues. I hope you find these links useful. Samaritans: http://www.samaritans.org MIND: http://www.mind.org.uk British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): http://www.bacp.co.uk UK Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP): http://www.psychotherapy.org.uk Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Worried about drugs: http://www.talktofrank.com |
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Phil Palmer |
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developmental aspects of teaching students at a university and developing their skills as enquirers and researchers. I built up an international reputation for my research in Astronomy and Space Technology, but as part of my own self growth following therapy I decided to pursue a career as a counsellor, attracted by working with people.
I work from my own home where I have a special purpose counselling room. The room has a bright perspective with dual aspect. I hope you will find it conducive.
