Experiencing anxiety, low mood, uncertainty, loss and grief are what it is to be human. It can be helpful when going through these difficult times to have a confidential, safe space to share your difficulties, concerns or anything that matters to you without the fear of being judged.

Counselling can help you to process your emotions, explore your situation to gain a better insight into what you are going through and provide you with tools to approach life with more balance and peace.

Counselling does not need to be accessed solely during times of feeling low and overwhelmed. It is healthy to have a space where you can discuss how you are feeling, gain a better understanding of yourself and work towards self-improvement and self-development.

Life’s experiences, past and present, can impact your wellbeing and lead to unhelpful patterns. My aim is to provide a safe, supportive space where you can work through difficult issues. Counselling is not an advice-giving service; it is a relationship which allows you to explore new or different ways of relating to yourself and others and of living your life.

As a counsellor, I offer you my honesty and respect whilst we explore issues you feel you would like to bring to counselling. I aim to build a trusting and non-judgmental relationship that helps you develop self-awareness. When you understand the causes of your concerns or triggers for your behaviour, you can confidently set goals and develop new behaviours to improve your satisfaction with life.

It is important for you to engage in the process as openly and honestly as possible in order to benefit from our work.
We are both making a commitment of time and energy to each other in deciding to work together. It is important for you to know what agreements we are making together and what to expect from our working together.

Contact:

My contact number is - 07926985334
My email address is - kariseberrycounselling@gmail.com 

Please contact me if you are unable to attend your session or if you are running late for a session.

If you are unable to attend a session, I ask that you give me as much notice as possible, as I will with you, if I am unable to attend a session because of illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

Confidentiality:

Information disclosed in a counselling session is not disclosed to any outside person(s) or agency without your permission except when such disclosure is necessary “to protect you or someone else from imminent harm” or is otherwise legally required &/or allowed by law for safeguarding purposes such as abuse of a child, elderly or disabled person.

Whilst we are working together, I will collect and record information about you and your sessions in the following ways.

- I record your contact details. This allows us to manage your sessions and keep you informed.

- I record your GP information. If I become worried about your wellbeing, I may inform your GP so that they can also be involved in your care. I will always aim to discuss this with you beforehand.

- I will record a brief summary of what was discussed in each session. This means that I have an ongoing record of your sessions which allows me to provide continuity of care.  

To comply with GDPR regulations (General Data Protection Regulation), I must have a legal basis to record and use your data in this way. The legal basis I use is that you have given me your consent by agreeing to the counselling terms and conditions. All information is securely held, either in locked filing cabinets or secure databases, for 7 years. 

Professional Ethics:

I work within the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) code of ethics. This means that I am accountable to a higher national organisation and must work within their guidelines. They have their own complaints procedure. 
Details of which are available on the BACP website: www.bacp.co.uk 

Supervision:

I attend regular supervision with an experienced BACP accredited supervisor, which allows me to reflect on my practice to support me in working as effectively and ethically as possible. I discuss my clinical work with my supervisor - your identity and identifying details about you will not be disclosed.

Counselling Sessions:

Our sessions will take place on the same day, at the same time, each week/ every other week, with each session lasting for 50 minutes. 
If you arrive late for a session, it will not be possible to extend the session beyond the scheduled end time and depending on how late you arrive, it may be inappropriate to start the session.

Sessions will not take place if you are under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs.

Face to Face Sessions:

Sessions are held in the comfort and warmth of my therapy room in Sutton, SM1 3JZ.

Please note that there is unfortunately no wheelchair access. As I do not have a waiting room, please arrive for your session on time or, at most, two minutes before.

Free parking is available on the driveway. The road is permit only during the hours of 8am-6:30pm.

Online and Telephone Sessions:

I offer counselling sessions remotely via telephone and online.

You will need to find a suitable, quiet place where you can sit down comfortably and won’t be disturbed during your sessions for privacy and confidentiality reasons. When agreeing a mutually convenient day/time for your session, please consider practicalities i.e. when is it likely to be a good and quiet time for you to have your session without being disturbed by others?

Payment:

All counselling sessions must be booked and paid for in advance. Sessions must be paid for no later than 48 hours prior to the session via bank transfer.

Sessions are £55 during the day (before 5pm) and £60 during the evening (after 5pm). Weekend sessions are available at £75.

The way that I work:

There are a variety of approaches to the way practitioners work with their clients. I have been trained in a therapeutic approach called integrative. 
This method of therapy looks at the whole person, taking into account your mental, physical and emotional needs. I will use techniques and tools from different modalities to tailor an individual approach for you, including:

- Psychodynamic theory: explores how unconscious processes and past experiences influence your present-day emotions and behaviours, with the aim of bringing you a greater understanding and awareness.

- Person-centred theory: prioritises your individual experience from your perspective. Facilitating personal growth by allowing you to explore and utilise your own strengths and personal identity.

- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): focuses on better managing your current problems by exploring the way you think and behave. You will learn coping skills and techniques to help you in future situations.

There may be times during counselling when you feel distressed and as though counselling is not helping you. It is helpful to discuss these difficulties within the containment of a counselling session and to not suddenly end the sessions. This will provide you with an opportunity to understand and perhaps resolve your distress. If you decide that you no longer wish to continue with the counselling sessions this will provide the space to end the counselling work appropriately.

*Please note: Due to conflict of interest, I am unable to see two members of the same family.