 Debbie Kelly MSc MBACP Counsellor
I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and as such I adhere to their Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. | My pathway to counselling was a logical and progressive one to fill the gap in knowledge I encountered as a nurse caring for women facing all aspects of pregnancy loss, and also patients and carers living with life-limiting diagnoses.
I found that I needed additional information and tools to help my patients cope with the emotional aspects of their experiences. I therefore took a Masters degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy as a Means to Health over four years at the University of Surrey, awarded in 1999. The course I studied encompassed several different theories of counselling, such as existentialism (attempting to find meaning in existence, the ‘why’ questions in life), phenomenology (facilitating clients to make sense of their life-world), psychodynamic (looking at the role of the unconscious) and person-centred (viewing the client as being fully capable of fulfilling their own potential for growth under the right conditions).
I work with a predominantly person-centred counselling approach informed by the other elements of my course that prove useful for individual clients. I believe that counselling starts with the client, the relationship that is formed with the counsellor and the thoughts and feelings that the client brings with them into the therapy space. By offering empathy, and non-judgment, as a counsellor I can help the client find their own inner resources and tools to tackle their difficulties at their own pace.
I see clients for a variety of reasons including loss or bereavement, miscarriage/pregnancy loss, change in personal circumstance or relationship, life adjustment such as having children, your children leaving home, the so called 'empty nest syndrome', retirement and poor health, or any other issues that seem too difficult to tackle alone. |