Hello, and a warm welcome to my profile; my name is Bernadette, I am a fully qualified and UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) accredited psychotherapist with a Diploma and MA in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy. I offer individual psychotherapy to adults in Bath. You are welcome to contact me to arrange an initial session.
Whatever your wound or life struggles, I aim to provide a safe, consistent, confidential, space where you can explore and reflect on your current circumstances or past issues at a comfortable pace. I intend to offer you a healing experience, but I am also passionate about helping you grow and develop in new ways.
I endeavour to offer an empathetic, non-judgmental acceptance and an honest approach to our work together where you can feel valued, respected, and validated. I intend to treat you with the sensitivity, compassion, and understanding needed to facilitate your trust in the process.
We all face challenges and difficulties at times in our lives. You may feel like you are completely lost and disconnected from yourself, and this might feel too overwhelming to bear alone. Maybe your past is holding you back and you have realised that something needs to change. Perhaps you are going through a crisis and need support to help you cope, or you may wish to explore some aspect of your experience more deeply. Whatever the reason seeking therapy is a courageous and positive choice to make.
Psychotherapy can help you gain a deeper awareness and understanding of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour patterns, it can provide a deeper connection to yourself and help you understand how you relate to others. With the help of a supportive and trusting therapeutic relationship, you can explore your understanding of the past, gain insight into the present and take greater control of your future. Although this process can be challenging and painful at times, discovering more about who you are can also be enlightening and rewarding. Psychotherapy can bring a fresh perspective, helping you find the serenity and clarity needed for real change.
How I work:
Approaching psychotherapy for the first time can feel like a daunting prospect and for psychotherapy to be helpful, it is important that you feel comfortable with me. Therefore, I offer an initial introductory session to enable you to decide if you would like to work with me. We can discuss how we would work together, your reasons for seeking therapy, what you would like to achieve from the process and any other questions you might have about the psychotherapy process or myself.
I enjoy working warmly and collaboratively, putting the client at the heart of the process. As an integrative therapist, I am influenced by various therapeutic approaches. This way of working enables me to embrace elements of different theories and techniques that feel most effective and therapeutic to the individual client’s needs and circumstances.
In my practice, I value the importance of the therapeutic relationship; it is built on trust, respect, and openness. In therapy, I explore the relational dynamics between the client and myself and how the client relates to others in their life. This is one of the benefits of relational and collaborative work as it can help people learn new ways of relating, becoming less defensive and more open to connecting with others truly and authentically.
About me:
I am a fully qualified accredited psychotherapist, registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and a member of the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (BCPC). My clinical work is regularly supervised by a UKCP practitioner. Furthermore, I am bound by and adhere fully to the BCPC and UKCP codes of ethics and guidelines for good practice. The Codes of Practice of both organisations are available on their websites.
As part of my commitment to ongoing personal and professional development, I regularly engage in CPD such as further reading, and attending workshops, conferences, and training programmes.
I passionately believe that psychotherapy should aim to respect different values, beliefs, and ideas and to recognise that individuals vary widely in terms of ethnicity, social class, culture, sexuality, and gender identity. Therefore, I endeavour to acknowledge and engage fully with your beliefs and unique identity. In my seven years of clinical practice, I have helped people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds cope with life challenges. Some of the areas I have experienced working with include:
As well as training as a psychotherapist, I have also worked as a volunteer counsellor, specialising in addiction and substance misuse, and have volunteered as a befriender for the carers’ centre, supporting parents and carers of adults or children with additional needs, disabilities, and long-term medical conditions. I have also worked for many years with children and young adults in education, where I have had training and experience with neurodiversity, including autism and ADHD.
I am enthusiastic about my work and feel honoured to accompany individuals on their journey towards positive change, growth, and empowerment.
| Individual: I offer weekly 50-minute Psychotherapy sessions. | £55 |