Counsellors

AWC Counselling has a bank of freelance, independent counsellors who have all been recruited to enable us to offer our clients a range of therapies and skills to meet an increasingly diverse number of needs. All of our counsellors are quality assured. Prior to working with AWC Counselling, every counsellor is required to provide evidence that they hold an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring certificate, appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance and membership of a professional body.

Each of the 4 male and 7 female counsellors are qualified to professional diploma level with some also holding masters degree qualifications in counselling and psychotherapy. We currently also have two students on placement.

This professional training includes Person-Centred Counselling; Transactional Analysis; and Integrative Psychotherapy. Further training and skills are available in Clinical Hypnotherapy; Eye Movement De-sensitisation Re-processing (EMDR); Dual Diagnosis; and Trauma work. Counsellors also hold varied interests such as Attachment work; applying Art and creativity; the role of Narrative (story) in therapy.

Access to these skills means that the agency is able to confidently assign clients to therapists in the knowledge that they are able to work with a wide range of issues including Anxiety and Depression, Relationships difficulties, Bereavement, Conflict Resolution, impact of Drug and Alcohol use, experiences of Childhood abuse, Adult abuse including Domestic Abuse.

AWC Counselling will expand and develop the team to: meet increasing demand, extend the times of access to the service and widen the range and skill set of the therapists by providing Continuing Professional Development workshops.

AWC Counselling will offer placements to students undertaking training with accredited agencies. They will work alongside qualified practitioners who can demonstrate additional skills and training that are currently increasing in demand such as EMDR, and Medically Unexplained Symptoms.   It is further hoped that AWC will develop group work and personal development opportunities to assist clients to increase their self-confidence and social skills and widen opportunities for experiencing healthy relationships.

We have trained supervisors within the bank of counsellors and, in the future, we may offer supervision to trainees who are not currently on placement with AWC Counselling but who require supervision as part of their training qualification.

The skills and training of the bank of counsellors are endorsed by the membership of a range of professional bodies including British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP); United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapists (UKCP); International and UK Transactional Analysts Association (I/UKTAA) professional bodies. All the counsellors abide by the BACP Code of Ethics.

AWC Counselling also requires counsellor’s supervisors to sign a professional accountability agreement ensuring shared monitoring and thus supporting the well-being of counsellors.