“It has been the most enlightening experience of my life and has enabled me to explore and develop in more ways than I thought possible. I constantly tell friends or colleagues that they should have a hour with Steph, although I cannot explain how or what she does, all I can is say is I’m happier now than I have been for over 10 years.” – Client, 2017
Prior Experience:
- Director of MIND Manchester Mental Health Charity
- Family Support Lead/ Bereavement Counsellor/ Counselling Co-ordinator at local hospice
- Counsellor at the Manchester and Salford Counselling Service
- Counsellor at AGE UK Tameside
- Board Member on Domestic Abuse Management Group – Manchester City Council
- Director of Healthwatch Oldham (Patient involvement/ advocacy)
- Director of CN4M
- Deputy Manager at Oldham Carers Centre (Adult Social Care)
- Lead Trainer and Course Author of 6-week Mindfulness, Introduction to CBT and Stress Reduction course, The Link Centre
- Lead Trainer and Course Author of 6-week Bereavement, Grief and Loss programme delivered across Tameside and Glossop
- Member of the Association of Bereavement Service Co-ordinators (ABSCo)
- 10+ years of Senior Project Manager experience across a variety of sectors
- Published writer and mental health blogger – Psychotherapy & Politics International (Wiley), Therapy Today (BACP), Counselling Directory, The Counsellor’s Café Magazine, Psychreg, KEIA Wellbeing, Sounds Magazine, Manchester Evening News
Professional Qualifications:
- Postgraduate diploma (PGDip) and postgraduate certificate (PGCert) in Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies – Professional training accredited by the BACP (University of Salford) including:
– Person-Centred Theory and Practice (Distinctions)
– Mental Health for Counsellors (Distinctions)
– Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
– Research Methods in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Distinctions) - Graduate Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapy (University of Salford)
- BSc (Hons) – 1st Class honours degree including Grosvenor Prize Award for Best Final Year Student (Leeds Beckett University)
- Higher National Diploma – Distinction (The University of Salford)
Additional Training:
- TA101 Transactional Analysis Training – Manchester Institute for Psychotherapy
- Getting the Most out of Counter-transference (Object Relation Theory) – The Horsforth Centre
- Ongoing research areas – Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex PTSD/ PTSD
- Working with Bereavement, Grief and Loss (multiple training providers)
- Safeguarding Adults
- Safeguarding Children
- Equality and Diversity
- Essentials of Information Governance
- Clinical Audit (Tameside & Glossop PCT)
- End of Life and Palliative Care (Macmillan Cancer Support)
- The Yoga of Relationships: Exploring Connection and Sexuality Through the Lens of the Soul (Love Serve Remember Foundation)
- Holistic practitioner (including First and Second Degree in Usui Reiki)
- PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation and Practitioner
- ILM Level 3 in Management
Assurances:
- Enhanced DBS (checked annually)
- Fully insured through Holistic Insurance
- Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) and working towards further accreditations
- Approved by Accredited Register Scheme (Professional Standard Authority)
- I receive monthly casework support with a highly skilled and qualified supervisor
- I work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 and BACP Professional Conduct Procedure
- Member of Counsellors Together UK, the Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy and Manchester MIND
- Trauma-informed practice
Professional Development:
As a Registered Member (MBACP) of the BACP I am committed to ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and regularly undertake additional training to enhance my core offer.
I am also currently working on my Masters Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy expected to be completed by 2020.
Like everyone I am flawed, imperfect and human (thank goodness!) and in order to feel as clear and resolved as possible for the health of my practice I choose to work on myself through study, meditation, clinical supervision and peer co-counselling.
Over the years I have engaged in a great deal of personal therapy and passionately believe that a therapist’s lived experience should be regarded as the most important item in their professional toolbox. I continue to write and campaign on this topic.
