Cesare | Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor

Counselling Gillingham

I am a NHS trained integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor, mindfulness and compassion teacher and clinical supervisor. I have been training and working in the mental health profession since 2009 and have 20 years experience working in the public, private and charity sectors. I am a registered member of BACP, and of BAMBA and I am on the Professional Standards Authority Professional Accredited Register.

I specialise in working in stress management, dealing with anxiety, depression, crisis of meaning and sharing the benefits that mindfulness and compassion training can have in our relationship with ourself, in our interpersonal relationships and in the workplace, as well as how they help us meet and heal from trauma.
 

I have been running my own private practice since 2015 and have been working as a psychotherapeutic counsellor, mindfulness and compassion trainer and clinical supervisor during that time.

I mainly work with adults and enjoy doing so with people from all backgrounds and orientations and I do this locally in Medway in North Kent, UK, in-person and nationally and internationally via secure video conferencing. Previously I qualified as a teacher and worked in education and training within secondary schools and adult education in prisons, as well as working as a counsellor for students in college and for adults within drug and alcohol services in prisons.

How can I help you?

I believe that ultimately you are the expert on you, however I provide an open, kind, aware space that is accepting, empathic, safe and confidential to help you explore your life situation and yourself. Helping you bring more awareness, clarity and kindness to your experience, we can then explore what choices and options there are regarding how you relate to your inner and outer worlds, and then see what strategies you can use to help implement those choices in a way that is beneficial to you in your life.

My past experience, integrative training and continuing professional development, provide me with the flexibility to draw on a number of theories and approaches including, Person Centred, Relational, Existential, Psychodynamic, Cognitive, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as Mindfulness and Compassion based approaches, to match what best serves you.

What happens in the first session?

Our first session will give us an opportunity to get to know each other a little, find out more about your needs, what has brought you to therapy and what it is you would like us to initially look at together.

If you have had therapy before, then I would be interested to hear about your past experience, what went well or not so well, for example.

We would also talk over our working agreement, looking at things like confidentiality, ideas and expectations of therapy and practical considerations like how often we plan to meet and when, for example.

We may also get a sense about the work ahead and if it will be shorter-term, more goal orientated work aimed at resolving a few specific issues, what we typically understand as counselling. Or maybe it will be longer-term and slightly deeper work, aimed at resolving more complex and often interrelated issues, what we typically understand as psychotherapy. Although both approaches can have a degree of overlap and lead to a greater sense of personal well-being.

There is no need for you to share everything all at once, anything you are uncomfortable about sharing or discuss anything you don't want to. As a therapist grounded in a person centred approach, I take your lead in terms of what you want to look at and where you want to go. You are invited to share your experience and give feedback about the process whenever you choose to and during times when we review how we feel the work we are doing together is going.

So, whether you are looking to make defined and definite changes in your life or are less clear about your current experience and would like a more open exploration, the style, structure and pace of the sessions follow your needs.

Where do I offer counselling?

I work out of a professional Counselling and Therapy Centre in Gillingham. The centre offers a quiet, calm, comfortable atmosphere and is easily accessible by car (with parking close by), bus or train and has wheelchair access and rooms on the ground floor.

I also have access to a therapy room in Rochester. This space has a peaceful atmosphere and is easily accessible by car (with parking close by), bus or train and has wheelchair access.

If you are unable to physically attend in-person or you prefer to work remotely, then I have a lot of experience working online via secure video call and over the phone, although I prefer that we can see each other either in-person or via video where possible.

Please feel free to get in touch and find out more or to book an initial session as I will be happy to answer your questions.

Cesare