Avril Baker

Humanistic integrative counsellor.

Avril Baker has experience of working with bereavement and loss, anxiety, addictions and self harm, as well as general counselling. She offers reduced fees for people on a low income.

Appointments with Avril Baker are available in Holborn, at The Bloomsbury Therapy Centre,
80a Southampton Row, London WC1. 020 7272 2643 : avrilbaker@blueyonder.co.uk

COUNSELLING

If you are feeling distressed or anxious, if you’re finding it hard to cope with the stress in your life, if you are having trouble making important decisions, if you feel stuck in a rut - it can help to talk things over with someone. We can’t always ask our friends to listen, they may have problems of their own or they may just want to give us advice and tell us what to do. Sometimes it is the people who are closest to us that are causing the stress and sometimes it is a lack of friends and supportive family that is the problem.

Counselling gives you an opportunity to think and talk about what’s going on for you in confidence, to understand more about why you are feeling as you do, and to find your own ways of dealing more effectively with the situations that face you.

MY APPROACH & EXPERIENCE

I offer counselling sessions, usually weekly, on either a short-term or open-ended basis. I provide a safe and supportive environment in which you can look at anything that is troubling you – whether in your current situation or from past memories and experiences – without the fear of judgement and without the intrusion of someone else’s opinions and needs.

I have experience in working with issues of low self-esteem and confidence, bereavement and loss, drug and alcohol use, recovering from abusive experiences, stress-related problems, anxiety and phobias, and depression. I feel that personal growth and development is vital for us all and can be a transforming experience. It is an exciting journey but it needs to be taken at your own pace and followed in your own way. In working as a counsellor I use my own life experience as well as my training and counselling experience to support you in this process.

Each person is unique and so the nature of counselling will differ from one person to the next. I am an integrative counsellor working with humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches, and I am able to combine these approaches in ways which suit the individual needs of each client. The humanistic element describes a relationship between counsellor and client which is attentive, respectful and client-led. The psychodynamic aspect provides a way of understanding the complex dynamics of each and every relationship we have. The cognitive behavioural aspect provides simple tools for changing the ways in which you deal with current situations. If you want to know more about these theories you may find some of the books listed below helpful.

I have an Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Counselling from the Centre for Personal and Professional Development. (CPPD courses are accredited by BACP - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy). I have also trained in Imagework with Dina Glouberman at The Skyros Centre and in bereavement work at the North London Hospice. I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and follow the BACP Code of Ethics. I am also on the UK Register of Independent Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

WHAT I CHARGE

My fees are £40 for a 50 minute session. I am happy to offer reduced fees to people on a low income with a minimum charge of £25.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COUNSELLING

How long will I need counselling for?
This varies a great deal, but you are in control. When we first meet we could either agree a fixed number of sessions or agree to have open-ended counselling. Some people will feel that six sessions are enough – certainly in this time it is possible to gain insight into current difficulties and work out strategies for dealing with the situation. Other people may want to take more time to explore underlying issues and look at any repeating patterns. If you are having open-ended counselling and decide you want to finish, it is often useful to have a couple of further sessions to complete our work together.

Isn’t it just like chatting with a friend?
There are some similarities but there are significant differences which mean that counselling is a unique kind of relationship. Counsellors are trained in theories that give them an understanding of why people may relate and act towards themselves and others in particular ways that may be unhelpful. Counsellors are also trained in techniques which support clients in talking through thoughts and feelings to gain a fresh perspective on old problems. A counsellor listens attentively, treats us with respect, does not judge, does not demand attention and does not impose their own advice and opinions – this is very different from what we may be used to in other relationships.

Is counselling effective?
There is plenty of research evidence to show that counselling is effective in many different situations. Its benefits for people with depression are often equal to or better than anti-depressant medication. Many studies show a high level of satisfaction amongst clients. In addition, there is good evidence to suggest that counselling has an important preventative role in relation to mental illness: counselling has the capacity to reduce demand on psychiatric services by preventing less serious problems from becoming more serious, and by helping people to maintain good levels of mental health.

I don’t want the fact that I’m having counselling to be on my medical records or my family to know.
Whatever is said in counselling sessions remains confidential, and no one else will be told that you are coming for sessions. Counsellors who are members of BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, are required by their Code of Ethics to have regular supervision. This involves the counsellor talking about their clients with a suitably trained and experienced person again within a confidential setting. The purpose is to ensure that the clients’ needs are being addressed and that the counselling they receive is as effective as possible. I will therefore discuss some of the issues raised by you with my supervisor, but I will only identify you by first name or initial. My supervisor is also bound by the rules about confidentiality so this information will go no further.

CONTACT ME

If you have any questions or concerns please ring me on 020 7272 2643 or email me to avrilbaker@blueyonder.co.uk and we could arrange to have a preliminary discussion before you decide whether or not to start counselling.

READING

Some books to read if you want to know more about counselling theory and practice:

An Introduction to Counselling by John McLeod, Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Overcoming Anxiety by Helen Kennerley. Publisher: Robinson
Overcoming Depression by Paul Gilbert. Publisher: Robinson
Overcoming Low Self Esteem by Melanie Fennell. Publisher: Robinson
Books in the ‘Overcoming..’ self-help series use cognitive behavioural exercises to cope with a range of problems – they help with understanding the problem and its impact, then suggest ways to challenge and replace the negative beliefs that maintain the problem.