Anna Parker

I currently have limited liability but do have a waiting list. 

Trust for me is at the heart of any effective counselling. In private practice since 2003, I have a depth and range of experience in different contexts and focusing on different issues to offer you.  

Your experience and perspective are crucial as this is a collaborative process. 

Counselling can be looking for support in a current crisis, an understanding of something long-term or wanting specific change in behaviour.  

My work is based on evidence based practice and informed by best clinical practice.

I came to training in the 1990s as a counsellor, through being a client.  I believe in the power of therapy through personal experience.

Our  first meeting would be to understand what is happening now.  We might check out anything relevant from the past which might be affecting today.  Discussing influences, experiences and beliefs helps us develop awareness of the scope of working together.

Sometimes people have a very clear idea of a specific focus and goals.

We identify what you would like to be different and what can be changed.  Then different ways of behaving and responding can be practised and put into action.  All the way along there is choice about what is useful and what not.

I am an integrative practitioner which means, as above, I bring together theory to fit what best works for you:

Psychodynamic theory to explore what might have an impact from the past

Humanistic theory to develop greater awareness and acceptance 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to develop understanding about the links between our thought patterns and behaviour

From an enquiry, we would arrange a brief Zoom session to see if I seem like someone with whom you would like to work. 

We can then book an initial assessment session. After which, we can either decide to go ahead with 6 sessions or I can suggest other colleagues if that seems most useful to you.  At the sixth session we decide if goals have been met.  That might mean enough for now or that we are to continue.  

I focus on the experiential in workshops, training or groupwork as my starting point.  

I have facilitated reflective practice using writing to deepen our understanding of work with clients and supervisees.

Face to face workshop and training include: 

Creative interventions in Counselling joint presentation with art therapist, Woking and Sam Beare Hospice

Training in use of Sandtray Woking and Sam Beare Hospice 

6 session work: what do you feel and think as client, as counsellor? Release Counselling, Surbiton

With a background in education, I am practised at linking new skills to curriculum requirements.  This is transferred to offering experience and theory to develop practice.

I primarily work from an experiential and collaborative perspective: participants being client and reflecting on their own process.  Workshops balance the experiential with details of theory into practice as handout material.

Workshops are evaluated at the time and feedback taken on board for future development.

My supervisory sessions are primarily between 8.15am and 5pm Tuesday to Thursday, whether these are fortnightly or once a month.  I offer sessions of 50 minutes or 90 minutes sessions, which are treated as a double session.

'Ethical Competence, Confidence, Compassion, Creativity': Inskipp and Proctor's 4 C's are key to me in the development of practice as a therapist and supervisor. 

Myria Khan in 'Choosing a Supervisor'* talks about the supervisor's role to 'develop and encourage entrepreneurial spirit alongside clinical aspects'.  

Both the above are about a holistic support and development of you as practitioner and your practice.  

I draw on Hawkins and Shohet's 7 eyed model of supervision. If it suits you, I include creative and experiential ways of working.  I want to encourage you in resilience and flexibility in whatever way those qualities best express you.

My supervisory experience includes: 

time limited NHS settings

low cost and third sector counselling 

private practice

supervision of supervision

I have worked with different approaches: integrative, person-centred, psychodynamic and systemic. 

I work by Zoom and face to face, in whichever way works best for you and your caseload.

Fees: my standard fee starts at £65.00 with some reduced fee places for trainees. 

* BACP Learning Hub

The foundation of my work is based on us creating a trusting mutual relationship, intended to support you. Using Inskipp and Proctor's 4 c's, competence means clarifying together if there are new skills to develop and then gaining greater confidence in their use.  

Creativity is intrinsic from use of metaphor and imagery to specific interventions like Sandtray. Those 'sparkling moments' (Robin Shohet : spoken) creates a connection or insight, which might take us in a new direction. There is creativity in keeping our work collaborative. I use creative interventions like Sandtray and small object work as part of my practice and it may be of interest or relevance to our work together.

I work with the Formative part of supervision: developing your skills. The Normative element is checking how work is being grounded ethically. The Restorative part of our relationship is when you may need to offload, recalibrate or vent. It links with Inskipp and Proctor's compassion, without which both for ourselves and the client our work becomes arid. Hawkins and Shohet's 7 eyed model holds focus on the relational and societal context with each client and with our relationship.

After an initial conversation, we would meet either by Zoom or face to face to go through what you are looking for. This would include me asking what are your expectations. I am interested in your previous experiences of supervision, good and bad. I anticipate that you want to know about me and how I work and what experience I have. So please ask whatever you want.

If we decide to work together, I would suggest 3 sessions to see if this would work to your benefit.