Hello, I’m Darren (‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’).
I’m a Counsellor/Psychotherapist experienced in many areas, including:
- stress and anxiety
- fear, panic and phobias
- family and relationship issues
- sadness and depression.
I offer concessions, face-to-face and telephone/online sessions.
Whether or not you’ve had counselling before, it can be daunting trying to choose a therapist to work with, and then taking those first steps to meet your new therapist.
I want to help make the process as easy as possible for you. That’s why I offer a free informal consultation, which can happen over the phone, to help you decide if you’d like to work with me.
We can then begin face-to-face sessions at my practice in central Hove, as often and for as long as you like (most people come for an hour of therapy per week, for as long as feels right to them). Our sessions can be open-ended, or limited in number if that’s what you prefer.
There are other options for you if my clinic in Hove isn’t convenient. I can offer locations elsewhere in the city (and across East and Mid Sussex) for people who are seeking regular, long-term therapy. Sometimes I travel to people’s homes or other locations, if that feels right for them. I can also offer telephone sessions and online sessions if you live further away, if you have accessibility needs, or if you travel away often (for example). All these options are flexible.
Whichever way we work together, the relationship we build will be an important bedrock for the therapy. I hope that you’ll find me to be warm, engaged, and genuinely committed to finding solutions that are helpful to you.
I will always aim to:
- Respect your wishes and work in a way that most suits you
- Respect your privacy (confidentiality) at all times
- Work safely and professionally
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
MA (Cult. Stud.), Dip. Int. Hum. Couns. (Accred.), MBACP (reg.)
I am proud to have gained my professional Counselling qualifications through the Wealden Institute’s renowned Diploma in Integrative Humanistic Counselling. This is a high-level (level 7) BACP-Accredited course, with an excellent reputation for the quality of its graduates.
My core models of counselling are Roger’s Person-Centred Counselling, Gestalt therapy and Transactional Analysis (TA). I also draw on the work of Egan, Erikson, Clarkson and Bowlby (amongst others). My training places emphasis on the strength of the relationship – the ‘working alliance’ – between counsellor and client. It is Integrative and Humanistic.
‘Integrative’ means that I’m trained in a range of complimentary techniques, that I’ll draw on to meet your own circumstances. ‘Humanistic’ means I that I value your unique human potential, putting your needs at the heart of the therapy we do.
I also hold an MA in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths College (University of London), where I read subjects including Gender Studies, Existentialism and classical Psychoanalysis.
Background
I have gained my counselling experience in a range of settings, working with a really broad range of clients from diverse backgrounds. I’ve worked with a major charity, providing specialist counselling for children and young people under contract to the NHS. I trained in placement with organizations that work with LGBTQ mental health and wellbeing, and I have a background in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s) in education.
Alongside my private practice I currently work as a Counselling Coordinator, managing a busy counselling service for a mental health charity.
I have professional experience and/or additional training (CPD) in the following areas:
- Suicide awareness and prevention
- Asperger Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Trans mental health and wellbeing
- Children and young people
- Anti-racist practice, and cultural awareness
- Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)
- Telephone and Online counselling
- Privacy and data protection
- Safeguarding
- Hearing Voices (auditory hallucination)
- Working safely with clients who’ve experienced trauma and abuse
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and ‘winter blues’
- Eating Disorders, including eating disorders in men
- Animal-Assisted Therapy
- TA-101 (Transactional Analysis)
I am a Registered Member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), the leading professional body for counsellors in the UK. My being a member of the Register means that you can be sure I work to the highest standards of training, supervision and professional diligence.
In my experience, most people come to counselling holding an intention – a hope – for what they want to achieve through therapy.
Sometimes this is very clear. Sometimes it is a vague feeling.
The first step in counselling, can be to help understand what it is you wish to achieve.
What are your ‘counselling intentions?’
What change do you want to bring about for yourself?
Find out about options I can offer for counselling sessions (including fees), or enquire via a contact form.