£50.00
Hello my name is Matthew; I am a qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist and supervisor. I hold a Master’s Degree from the University of Leicester and come from a background of working in residential units, and supporting people with range of Mental Health issues and physical disabilities. I am registered member with the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). I have experience of working for the NHS through IATPT (Improved Access to Psychological Therapies) services, private practice, and Online video call-based counselling.
I offer both short term (6-20 Sessions) and longer-term counselling (Open ended) depending on the nature of your problem. Brief therapy would have a specific focus typically around one or two main issues, whereas longer term allows deeper exploration of the roots of your issues.
I specialise in working with:
– Profoundly Deaf / Hard of Hearing people. (In BSL)
– Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs)
– Young people (14-25) and adults on the Autistic Spectrum.
– Anger management (1-1, and Group sessions)
I aim to provide an empathic, safe, non-judgmental and confidential environment to make sense of, and work through, the issues that brought you to therapy. My theoretical approach is based on the psychodynamic model, with a specific focus on relational dynamics, object relations, and attachment styles.
Broadly speaking, my approach is to help you better understand your experience and develop insight into thoughts and feelings that may be contributing to areas of difficulty in your life. By knowing ourselves better, we are able to engage with the world and others more productively. We can learn to recognise the things in our life that we can control, and accept those things that we cannot. One particularly important area of the work is the relationship between the client and the therapist. Rather than offering advice or attempting to impose my views, and perspective on your situation I seek to work with clients as “co-workers”, together attempting to understand what you bring to the sessions. I am aware that seeking help might not be easy. We all experience challenges and difficulties and wish to be able to work through them and move forward.
Deaf / hard of hearing / Children of Deaf Adults.
I grew up with several members of my family being profoundly Deaf, I am a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), meaning I have grown up using British sign language to communicate both social and professionally. I previously worked in a residential unit for Deaf people with severe mental health. As part of my master’s course, I did research into “Deaf clients experience of counselling and psychotherapy delivered in BSL.” I have an in-depth understanding of the Deaf world, Deaf Culture, British Sign Language and the Deaf community. As well as the common barriers that Deaf people face in society. My aim in counselling with Deaf clients is to work in a way that is culturally and linguistically affirmative way based on a cultural-linguistically minority model of Deafness. I match the preferred communication style of my clients for example: BSL, SSE, Oral and Lip-reading.
Furthermore, I also offer a specialist CODA counselling service, based on my personal lived experiences and working within the complexity of the background context, and how to overcome common issues that CODAs can face. In particular addressing the common experience of feeling stuck between the Deaf and the Hearing world and how this can impact individuals’ identity and sense of belonging.
Supervision
In a broad practical sense supervision is a relationship-based form of education and training. Therapists provide an account of their work and reflect on it with supervisors providing feedback and guidance with the aim of being able to improve their practice. In my view the broad aim of supervision is to facilitate supervisees professional development throughout their careers and enable them to reach their full potential as competent practitioners. While continually ensuring that they work within the wider ethical framework, maintaining a consistent high level of ethical standards and professionalism that protects client welfare and the wider profession. I consider the broad functions of effective supervision to be normative, formative and restorative. Encompassing aspects of monitoring supervisees work ensuring accountability and efficacy. Facilitating supervisees learning through reflection on and exploration of their work; supporting them to develop their skills and abilities. To provide a safe containing environment to support them with managing and processing the emotional impact of their work.
In line with my core training, my approach is grounded in a psychodynamic framework. It provides the theoretical lens, knowledge, techniques and skills being used as a guide to inform supervision practice. I work in a relational and collaborative way, and take an egalitarian approach to the relationship. I seek to tailor my approach to the individual differences and needs of specific supervisees, considering individuals developmental level, styles of learning and at all times strive to create a facilitative learning environment that meets their individual needs allowing them to create their own therapeutic style.
I see my role as being an embedded participant and emphasise the importance of a strong working alliance through attending to the relational aspects of the supervisory relationship and how this can facilitate both professional and personal growth. I seek to create optimal conditions for supervisees to be able to develop their own personal style and way of working as a therapist, through integration of their own theoretical knowledge, personality and style increasing their ability to work at relational depth with their clients.
Training
I also deliver Continuing Professional Development courses for therapists:
– Anger Management (1 day course)
– Autism Spectrum Disorder: An introduction for therapists working with clients on the spectrum.
Qualifications
Introduction to Counselling Skills (20 HE Credits, University of Leicester)
Counselling & Psychodynamic Therapy (MA: Merit): (University of Leicester)
NCFE Level 2 Understanding Autism.
Diploma in Solution Focused Brief Therapy (on-going)
British Sign Language (Level 6)
Post-Qualification Certificate in Supervision
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