Andrew Spencer (Accred) - 362372^

Counselling

Counselling is about offering someone a supportive relationship in a safe and confidential environment where they can talk through whatever is concerning them. It is not about giving advice and an individual or couples counsellor can never be experts in other people’s lives. Counsellors use a number of ways to help people find their unique strengths to work through a particular issue in the best way for them so that they can live their life to the fullest. I work with Gestalt, Transactional Analysis and Person Centred Counselling and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as appropriate for my clients. 

I work with both individuals and couples (marriage and other couples) in Guildford and Godalming on an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period, with the aim of enabling you to enhance your life and to live it more fully.

My specialities are couples counselling, relationships, eating disorders, trauma, bereavement (including through suicide), anxiety and depression. 

I am a counsellor offering both face to face & online Individual and Couple Counselling and therapy across 2 areas, Guildford, Godalming in Surrey.

My Counselling sessions last for 50 minutes. They usually take place weekly, however I can offer fortnightly counselling if circumstances require. Sessions cost £65 for individual counselling and £90 for couples counselling. Please note that if you cancel a session with less than 24 hours notice you will still need to pay for the missed session. I accept payment by cash or bank transfer.

Supervision. 

I am a Humanistic Counsellor integrating person centred, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. I have an advanced Diploma in Humanistic counselling and certificates in Couples and Group Counselling. I have a Diploma in Clinical Supervision. My Diploma allows me to work across many different areas of counselling using different modalities. I supervise face to face or online as my Supervisee wishes.

Supervision is about supporting, challenge at times, and facilitating someone’s practice. My intention is to bring the best out of you to allow you to deliver good therapy for your clients and facilitating your own creative process to unfold. A key component of my philosophy is not striving to find a quick solution but taking time to reflect on a wide range of different aspects for you and your client. It is about moving flexibly through different concepts and modalities as appropriate. I integrate and adapt the seven-eye model, cyclical model and Integrative Development Model of supervision according to the needs of my supervisee.

Fundamental to my supervision practice is the use of the therapeutic relationship. It is essential that we develop a collaborative, open and trusting relationship where you feel safe. My hope is that this will allow you to bring what you are finding difficult with your clients, explore any mis-timed or less well thought out interventions made and doubts about how to go forward without feeling judged.

My aim will be to support to keep safe from issues such as burnout and compassion fatigue and encourage hobbies outside work and time to relax. My hope is that this will help give the best of yourself to your clients as well as a high level of self-care. Safeguarding issues regarding their clients need to be brought to supervision such as risk of suicide or self-harm. This ensures you can fulfil your ethical responsibility to keep your client safe where possible, involving others where appropriate.

It will be important for us to develop and agree a contract for supervision. This will include administrative details such as time, fee, your learning style, any neurodiversity you wish to share, and frequency of meetings. I will also discuss with you what you expect from supervision and the process by which we do supervision in the session. Our contract will be reviewed regularly.

I will endeavour to provide the right balance of regular feedback in respect of what I consider went well and helping you to find your growing edge and helping you to develop confidence, autonomy, and self-awareness. I will also support you to resolve ethical dilemmas I would encourage you to take time to consider all the different aspects of the dilemma from different perspectives before deciding a way forward. I would help you to identify any cultural differences between them and their clients. The focus would be on how their own culture might influence how they perceive the client and how their client may perceive them and how this may influence the therapy.

My Supervision sessions last for 1 hour. They usually take place monthly, however I can offer further supervision either face to face, online or on the telephone if required. Sessions cost £70. Ad hoc supervision in between monthly sessions is charged pro rata. Please note that if you cancel a session with less than 24 hours notice you will still need to pay for the missed session. I accept payment by cash or bank transfer.