In November 2016, my wife, my daughter and I were shipwrecked in the Caribbean. It was time to stop sailing, come home and do something else. I decided on the helping professions. There was a need. Counselling would be a more useful occupation. Whilst waiting for the next intake, I studied Adult Social Care and Dementia Care.
At Brock, I studied Gerard Eagan (The Skilled Helper), Humanistic Counselling (Maslow, Rogers), The Therapeutic Relationship (Petrûska Clarkson), Counselling for Grief and Loss (Kübler-Ross), Couselling for Children and Young Adults (Winnecott), the Psychodynamic Approach (Freud), Object Relations (Klein), Attachment Theory (Bowlby), R.E.B.T (Ellis), Transactional Analysis (Berne).
At City College we studied Rogers’ Client-centred Approach, Bowlby's Attachment Theory, and Dr Alan Schore's Modern Attachment Theory.
As the creative director of an international advertising agency, I counselled many new writers and art directors. As a film director and cinematographer in New York City I counselled actors, crews and 'wannabe', directors, launching many to great heights. As the skipper of a small boat I counselled many crews crossing oceans for the first time in their lives. When I took early retirement many friends suggested I teach or counsel people. I listened. Studying to be a professional counseller has been a positive, life-changing experience. My objective was to qualify as a clinical psychotherapist. I'm that now.
The Therapeutic Relationship
My first experience of the therapeutic relationship was in dementia care. Before studying counselling, I studied dementia care at Brock (Tom Kitwood). I also worked freelance, with care homes. The use of unconditional positive regard and my listening skills enabled me to establish good relationships with clients, some of whom were living with dementia, and some of whom were non-verbal.
I was able to be Client-centred in my approach and I experienced advanced empathy and in several instances, communication at relational depth.
When I started placement I was familiar with making psychological contact with clients and my clients benefitted from my experience working with those in the care environment.
I believe there is room for the concept of complementarity to exist between the Client-centred approach and the medical model.
CERTIFICATIONS
Registered Member BACP
HE Diploma in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy
AIM Level 3 Certificate in Counselling
AIM Level 2 Award in Counselling:
• Skills Acquisition and Practice
• Working with Children and Young People
• Working with Grief and Loss
NCFE Level 2, Principles of Dementia Care
Preparing to work in Adult Social Care