Gaia Therapy

Welcome to Gaia Therapy

Hello,
My name is Valerie; I am a fully qualified Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and Counsellor, who offers a personalised service to meet the needs of each individual, working with adults, young people and children. I use an eclectic range of theoretical approaches such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), Person- Centred and Mindfulness, offering individuals the opportunity to explore difficult life experiences and to work through uncomfortable feelings in a safe and supportive environment.

Life can sometimes present with challenges and very difficult problems that are not easily resolvable, even with the support of friends and family and sometimes more specialist help is required in the form of Counselling / Psychotherapy. By working with a trained professional you can explore the many creative, evidence-based strategies and techniques to help you work through your problems and achieve a greater understanding of factors that are triggering and maintaining problems in your life. Engaging with the therapeutic process can help you to see your life from different perspectives, helping to reduce the levels of emotional distress in your life; enabling you to achieve a greater sense of well-being and in turn improve your quality of life in a more balanced way.

Services Provided

General Areas of counselling (this is not an exhaustive list ).

• Abuse • Anger management  • ASD 
• Bereavement • Bipolar Disorder • Bullying
• Carer support • Depression • Additional needs
• Domestic violence • Emotional abuse • Family issues
• Generalised anxiety • HIV/AIDS • Low self-confidence
• Low self-esteem • OCD • Personality disorders
• Panic disorder • Phobias • Physical abuse
• PTSD • Relationship issues • SAD
• Separation and divorce • Sexual abuse • Sexual issues
• Sexuality • Stress / Work related Stress • Trauma

I offer face-to-face, long-term and short-term counselling, with telephone and on-line counselling services on request. I accept referrals from work-based organisations, GP referrals and Third Sector parties.

Session Information & Fees

Each individual Counselling / Therapy session lasts for 50 mins, Sessions are usually weekly or as mutually agreed between Therapist and Client.

Fees per Session

Adults - £40

Children & Young People - £40

Students requiring Personal Therapy for Coursework - £30

 

Cancellation of Appointments

Cancellation of an appointment requires at least 24 hours notice or the full fee is charged.

Valerie Williams PgDip, PgCert, BA(Hons) MBACP(Accred)

Professional Qualifications:-
Advanced Specialist Training in Counselling Children and Young People Level 5 CPCAB Accredited. (Oct 2019)
Post Graduate Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, University of Wales; Newport. (July 2013)
Post Graduate Certificate in Person Centred Counselling, University of Wales; Newport. (June 2012)
Level 2 Certificate in Counselling CPCAB award. (June 2010)
BA(Hons) Degree in Social Sciences, University of Wales; Swansea. (July 1999)
BTEC National Diploma in Business Studies and Finance. (July 1987)

Professional Membership:-
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with the ethical framework of this professional body, for further information visit:-
http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework

Experience:-
As an experienced Psychotherapist and Counsellor, I have worked within the NHS and the Third Sector, working with individuals experiencing chronic medical health conditions such as HIV, renal failure, heart disease and cancer. I have obtained specialist training in medical crisis counselling and bereavement counselling, helping individuals and families to work through these very difficult and challenging life experiences within a caring and supportive therapeutic relationship.

I have experience of working as a School- Based Counsellor, in both Primary and Secondary Schools in the Neath/Port Talbot area and I have worked with families with children and young people with special educational needs. Additionally, I have worked as a Therapist with Action for Children, working with children, young people and adults who have experienced domestic, emotional and sexual abuse.
I am currently working as a student Counsellor at Bridgend, Neath and Afan Colleges, working 1:1 with students experiencing wide-ranging problems and difficulties with mental health. I also work as a private practitioner at The Well, Bridgend and The Health Dispensary, Wellness Clinic, Neath, working therapeutically with adults, children and young people.

Continuing Professional Development:-
• Medical Crisis Counselling Training
• Complicated Grief Training
• Coping with Cancer Stress Course
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
• Mindfulness Workshop
• Invisible Walls Training (Parc Prison integrated family support)
• Building Resilience in Therapists
• Working Effectively with Mental Heath issues in Troubled Young People (CAMHS)
• Equality and Diversity Essentials
• Suicide and Suicidal Ideation
• Working Effectively with Anxiety
• GPDR: Data Protection Essentials Training
• Safeguarding Young People and Vulnerable Adults
• Counselling and Specialist CAMHS Training
• Severe Psychological Distress in Young Adults
• Autistic Spectrum Issues Training
• CBT for Suicidal Thinking and Self-Harm
• PREVENT Training
• ACE-Building Resilience in the Face of Adverse Childhood Experiences

Locations

Counselling rooms available in the following areas:-

Neath, Bridgend and Swansea.

Neath, The Health Dispensary, 153-155 Windsor Road, Neath, SA11 1NU

Bridgend, The Well, 18a Dunraven Place, Bridgend, CF31 3JD

Swansea, CISS, 2-2a Gwydr Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, SA2 0AA

Sorry, no new clients until further notice.


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