Alison Jackson

I am a BACP Accredited Integrative counsellor and counselling Supervisor with 10 years experience. 

Are you looking for a counsellor or wondering whether counselling might help you?

Counselling can help when we feel things are going wrong with our lives. Counselling can help us to understand the things that are going wrong and to work out what we can do to deal with them.

Life can be very complex, busy and demanding. We may feel we do not have the space to explore what is happening. We may not think we have a trusted person with whom we can share our personal, and possibly painful, experience.

Seeking counselling is not a sign of weakness. In counselling, you build a trusting relationship with your counsellor who will help you address the issues you want to face. Counselling requires courage and commitment, and choosing the right counsellor to work with is crucial.

About Me

I was trained as an Integrative Counsellor. This means I believe that no one theory will either make sense of or be entirely applicable to every person. Neither will one approach or technique help all people. I work with people in whatever way helps them to resolve the issue they have chosen to address.

We can experience difficulty in a number of ways: in our thoughts; in our feelings; in our bodies and in our spirits. My approach is to explore where the blocks lie and work with a person to help them move forward.

Broadly speaking my approach is humanistic and optimistic because I believe in the essential goodness of people, their innate drive to develop and their ability to use their inner resources to resolve difficulties.

I am a qualified Secondary school teacher. I have also worked with children with learning difficulties (Autism, Aspergers and ADHD), with adults with learning difficulties and physical disabilities and was employed in a University Chaplaincy. 

I hold an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling (Adv Dip Couns). I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (Reg MBACP Accred). I also hold an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Supervision and I supervise the work of other counsellors. I have completed over 100 hours additional training in online and telephone counselling and hold a Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling.

I have completed Clinical Trauma Training (Complex / Developmental Trauma / PTSD): The Institute of Psychosynthesis' Fundamentals of Psychosynthesis course: CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) training and courses in Mindfulness and in Transactional Analysis. I have been trained as a Samaritan Counsellor for Samaritans.

I have attended additional courses on: anxiety, depression and CBT; eating disorders; self-harm; domestic abuse; bereavement; dying; body therapy; anger; children and adolescents counselling.

I employ approaches and methods from Person-Centred Counselling, Mindfulness, Gestalt Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Transpersonal Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Psychosynthesis.

I work within the BACP's Code of Ethics. I receive regular supervision as required by The Ethical Framework of BACP.

I have a Privacy Policy which I explain to clients during the introductory session and, with my clients’ permission, I keep written records in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (May 2018). I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as a keeper of personal data.

I hold an Enhanced DBS check (used to be called CRB check) and am fully insured.

Face-to Face, Online Counselling and Telephone Counselling

It is important for you to find the right counsellor to work with. I offer an initial one-hour consultation costing £20 at the end of which you can decide whether to proceed with further sessions. Counselling can be short- or long-term depending on your needs and goals.

The standard fee for one hour is £45 per session, payable at the end of each session by cash, cheque, BACS or PayPal.

A limited number of concessions are available for students, those in receipt of benefits and trainee counsellors.

Online counselling using Zoom™ video-conferencing software

Many clients have found online counselling to be as beneficial as face to face therapy. Instead of an appointment in my therapy room, we hold the session from our own separate locations using a webcam and audio link. If you do not have a computer, you can use your mobile phone or tablet.

The confidentiality and security of your therapy remains central to all parts of the process. You can find out more about Zoom at www.zoom.us.

You do not need to create a Zoom account. I create a unique link to the meeting and send it to you by email, together with a passcode you will need to enter in order to join the session.

Email Counselling

You send your email (up to 1000 words) to the secure email counselling address emailcounselling@cuthbertcounselling.co.uk. I will respond to email within two working days.

It would be helpful if your first email included some background information about yourself including your gender, age, marital and work status and any relevant health issues: why you are seeking counselling, if you have received counselling previously and what the issues are that you want to address now.

All payments for email counselling are made via the website www.cuthbertcounselling.co.uk using the free and secure payment method Paypal. 

I am an experienced MBACP registered and Accredited Integrative Counsellor with an Advanced Specialist Diploma in Clinical Supervision and 10 years counselling experience. 

I offer supervision face to face or online via Zoom. 

I have completed over 100 hours of CPD in online and telephone counselling and work with clients face to face, online, by telephone and email. 

I see supervision as a joint endeavour in which the supervisor works with the supervisee to improve the quality of their work, continuously developing themselves and their practice.

My aim is to promote and safeguard the well-being of both my supervisees and the people they work with. Therapy is demanding and rewarding work. I help my supervisees grow and learn, build their confidence and competency and celebrate their successes. I offer a valuing and nourishing presence which allows reflection, exploration, challenge and insight to take place in an affirming, creative and good humoured manner. I will work with you in a way that meets your needs and is appropriate to your level of training and experience.

Although I was trained in a humanistic modality, I employ a wide range of approaches and perspectives in my work. I am also a qualified Teacher with an extensive background in learning support.

I have consulting rooms in Tavistock.

My fees for supervision are £40 per hour (£35 for student counsellors), or £52 for an hour and a half (£45 for student counsellors).

Please contact me at alison@cuthbertcounselling.co.uk or telephone 07980 442 171

www.cuthbertcounselling.co.uk