Andrew Alexander

At present I work from my home in a confidential space when working online , and I have a safe space at Broadmead Community Church, Broadmead Ave, NN3 2QY where I see clients in person in Northampton.

Due to Work commitments at present I can only do Tuesday day between 09.00 - 18.00, and every other Saturday afternoon however this will be negotiated with the client.

I've  been working in care for over 25 years. I've  always felt my best self is working as a frontline lead support worker with children and young adults with various challenges with mental health difficulties, dual diagnosis, emotional and behavioural difficulties, as well as learning difficulties.

My passion for helping  develop their abilities and confidence inspired me to pursue further training and in the past 5 years I have become a Person-Centred Counsellor.  I feel I want to do more for anyone who wants a Counsellor. 

I am a volunteer Counsellor for the Child Adolescent Bereavement Counselling Service for NHS, I value what the service provides and believe it is really needed. It offers individual and group bereavement counselling to children and adolescents in the Northamptonshire area, in a school setting or at the NHS’s children’s out-patients department. I am proud to be part of this service.

My approach to therapy is rooted in authenticity, understanding and empathy, for you to go on your personal journey there must be a therapeutic relationship between myself and my client only then I firmly believe change can take place.

Person-centred therapy is a humanistic approach to psychotherapy. It places the individual client at the centre of the therapeutic process and emphasises their unique experiences, values, and perspectives. 

In person-centred therapy, the therapist creates a safe and non-judgmental environment where the client feels accepted and understood. The therapist adopts a genuine and empathetic stance, seeking to develop a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust and mutual respect.

The key principles of person-centred therapy include:

Unconditional Positive Regard.

The therapist maintains a non-judgmental and accepting attitude toward the client, valuing them as a person regardless of their thoughts, feelings, or behaviours. This unconditional positive regard creates an atmosphere of acceptance, facilitating the client's self-exploration and growth.

Empathy.

The therapist strives to deeply understand the client's subjective experiences and perspectives, putting themselves in the client's shoes and reflecting their feelings and thoughts. This empathetic understanding helps the client gain insight into their own experiences and promotes self-acceptance and personal growth.

Congruence.

The therapist aims to be genuine, open, and authentic in their interactions with the client. They are encouraged to express their own feelings and thoughts appropriately, creating an atmosphere of honesty and transparency. By being congruent, the therapist models authenticity and encourages the client to be true to themselves.

In person-centred therapy, the client

The goals of person-centred therapy include enhancing self-esteem, promoting personal growth and self-actualisation, improving emotional well-being, and developing greater self-awareness and self-compassion. It is a collaborative approach where the therapist and client work together to identify and address the client's needs and goals.

Where necessary if the therapist sense more support is required, this will be discussed together with yourself and you will be signposted to the best place of relevance.

Why Do I work with young people and adults.

Counselling provides invaluable support by a range of issues that young people and adults face, including relationship troubles, stress, anxiety, self-harm, self-esteem, struggles, grief, and depression.  

Cost and payment:

The cost of each 60-minute session with the last 10 minutes for notes is £67.50 payable via BACS or with cash during the appointment. Please use your initials as your reference. Fees will be reviewed annually. 

Counselling students, including those that require a counsellor working in person-centred modality are charged at a flat rate: £47.50 per session. (Evidence from your training provider will secure this lower rate).

Cancellation:

If I am unwell or need to schedule a break in our work, I will provide as much notice as possible. If I cancel an appointment at short notice there will be no charge, and I will reschedule it. If you do not attend a session without providing notice, there will still be a charge.

If you give 7days notice this would allow the community centre to work out the weekly plan for the room and gives us time to reschedule without charge. However, if you cancel less than 48 hours before the appointment, in most cases you will be charged for the appointment. If you fail to attend any two appointments without prior notice, I will assume you no longer wish to continue, and our sessions will be bought to a close. If there is a technical problem with an online session at either end, I will seek alternative ways to contact you (e.g., a phone call). If the session cannot go ahead for technical reasons, we will reschedule and there will be no charge.

The Counsellor will agree the time and dates of the counselling sessions with you and 48-hour notice will be required for cancellation or you will be charged for the time. It is a good idea to keep a note of the dates and times of your agreed counselling sessions.

*If you miss 2 sessions of counselling without informing the Counsellor of your reasons for the absence, we will have to end the counselling process.

There is an assessment sheet to completed before the first session which can be found on the website  and and sent back to me , I hope all of the above helps.