Who Will Benefit from Personal Consultancy ?

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Fees ( £GB; per series of 4 weekly, sessions)     

Appointment Series: for Adults, Couples, Families or Parenting Consultation: -

A series of four (4) appointments is necessary for progress to be made and reviewed.  

A booking for four (4) weekly appointments  will be accepted when paid.   

Payment online will be received: 50% minimum at booking, balance 48 hours prior to first session.  

Sessions will, as far as possible be offered weekly, by video or phone call.

 i)   Adults  £397

ii)  Couples,  Families or Parent(s) £497

iii)   Legal guardian(s), or kinship placement       

Interviews x2 (Young Person)  £597

Interviews x2 (Carer /Guardian)  £597   Report  £597 

Fees ( £GB; per series of Interviews, Reports, or Therapeutic Sessions, as arranged)   

Consultation to Staff of  Organizations  for Young People's Care: -

iv)    Consultation on Emotional & Psychological Wellbeing  to Organizations  for Young People's Care  

Interviews x2 ( Young Person) £597  Interviews x2 (Carer /Guardian) £597     Report  £597.

NB: Therapeutic work in adoption is regulated: contact must be made with Local Authority.

Qualifications:  

Diploma Coaching (IPHM  2022) 

M. A. Psychoanalytic Observational Studies (Tavistock Centre, / Univ. E. London), (2005) 

Diploma Counselling (1995)  

Certificate in Counselling Theory & Practice (1994) 

Diploma Management Studies (1993)  

Diploma Social Work/CQSW (1987)  

BSc. Psychology (1979)

Registrations: 

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, Member (MBACP)   

Social Work England ( SWE )    

Affiliations: British Association of Social Workers (BASW) 

Association for Family Therapy & Systemic Practice (AFT)      

Association of Integrative Coach-Therapist Professionals (AICTP)  

Compliance: In my work I comply with the Code of Ethical Practice of BACP (contained in: Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions).   

I hold Professional Liability Insurance ( through Towergate).

I have an arrangement for Professional Consultation. 

I maintain my awareness of professional issues and developments and am committed to undertaking Continuing Professional Development. 

General Data Procession Regulations (GDPR) : Record keeping and data processing procedures are compliant with GDPR) (2018). 

Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Certificate: to May, yearly (renews annually) 

Alan has an integrative approach to assessment, formulation and to choosing an appropriate therapeutic intervention, tailored to client needs facilitating their voice and choice. This is drawn from a range of clinical and theoretical trainings and practice experiences. These include the following distinctive modes of thinking and practice :   

• systemic family therapeutic framework, helps understand context, influences, communicating,  power differences and patterns in relationships and ways of relating ; 
• psychodynamic therapy framework,  helps understand development in relating to self and others, our 'hidden' aspects, conscious use of understanding the emotional feelings in our encounters ; mentalization, helps our awareness of our inner self, of others, and how we express our 'self;' attachment & developmental theories, show a balance of resilience grown in early life challenges and difficulties 
• brief modes of therapy (solution-focused, psychodynamic), relationship-based, helps focus language & task awareness, discerning unconscious anxiety sources, recognizing the sensitive balance to be sought in noticing conscious and unconscious communications and their value and careful use ; and 
• awareness of trauma and psychosomatic links as sources of stress patterns or unrecognized habits ; 
• emotional literacy & safe emotional expression as foundations for emotional wellbeing ; 
• therapeutic community practices, emphasizing our (sometimes unconsciously) expressing different aspects of our 'self' to and with other people, supportive ways of relating enhancing our growth and development, through a 'self-in-relationship' way of discovering ourselves; 
• group analytic perspective which supports the increased awareness of the functioning of each individual as a group-member with a group identity of which we may not be fully consciously aware;   
• creative visualization & subconscious communications  internally & externally for access to inner resources and re-framing perspectives, boosting our intentions;
•  transformational hypnosis, engaging your pre-conscious in supporting your willpower;    
• observational, self-reflexive and reflective thinking modes of therapeutic  practitioner conduct.  

 Supervision of Professional Practice received from experienced practitioners from a range of Psychotherapeutic Disciplines: 

Psychoanalytic Couple Psychotherapist ( 1 year ; during doctoral studies)

Consultant Psychotherapist in Psychiatry (2 years)

Psychoanalytic Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist (1 year)

Counsellor-Consultant  Inner Child Work, (3 years)   

Systemic Family Therapist ( 2 years)

Gestalt Group Therapist & Therapeutic Community Leader ( 2 years).

Research / Dissertation: M.A.Dissertation “Brief psycho-dynamically informed counselling in families: some thoughts on communication in work with anxious boys by a male counsellor” lodged in Tavistock Centre Library 

 Alan qualified as a social worker in 1987, and as a counsellor in 1995. He has specialised in work with children, young people, parents / carers and families. He has over 25 years experience of working in multi-disciplinary practitioner teams in The NHS, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). After twenty years in a local service he gained further experience in locum posts in five other NHS Trusts, specialising in assessment, therapeutic intervention and consultations, for referred clients of 5 to 19 years. 

In previous roles Alan gained experience in a range of local authority services for children, young people and families including: child and family support, safeguarding, youth justice, and involved with fostering, kinship, special guardianship and adoption, open residential care of children, and co-lead the therapeutic groupwork program in a therapeutic community secure unit for adolescents. As an Approved Social Worker (Mental Health Act 1983) he conducted mental health assessments of adults, liaised with professionals and arranged MH unit admissions. 

Alan has worked in CAMHS supporting parents, carers or guardians and young people with a wide range of conditions, presentations or disorders, including : - 

• behavioural (including oppositional, conduct, defiance),   
• emotional (including anxiety, panic, trauma, loss or bereavement, low or variable mood),   
• neuro-diverse or attentional difficulties,   
• deliberate self-harming,   
• appetite / eating difficulties,    
• complex psycho-social presentations and multiple diagnoses, with   
• backgrounds of abuse, neglect,   
• developmental or relational trauma or discrete trauma events,    
• presentations secondary to health conditions or  
• bodily symptoms arising from stress, 
• medically unexplained conditions or Non-Epileptic (Psychogenic) Seizures. 

 As Principal Social Worker, Alan initiated and led for over twelve years, a new development of direct work in a CAMH Service in the: 

• Brief Psychodynamically-informed Therapeutic Family Counselling Service, based in systemic and psycho-dynamic models, providing a family and young client-centred clinical service, successfully effecting positive changes in up to six sessions. 

 Alan has provided: assessment and therapeutic interventions for children, young people & families; consultation to colleagues of other disciplines including professional support to-

• clinic-based group-work programs supporting young people in tackling their deliberate self-harm,   
• a support group for parents of children with Tourette's Syndrome, 
• practitioners in social care, mental health or counselling on safeguarding,
• therapeutic understanding for goal directed, client-centred work, 
• therapeutic communication with children, young people, parents, families and couples. 

 Practice Base – Values Alan brings a compassionate and non-judgmental approach to understanding his clients' and family's experiences from a developmental perspective, both of their difficulties and life challenges, and to his commitment supporting efforts to achieve their chosen goals for improvement. Similarly, in supportive consultative conversations with carers, be they extended family in kinship care or guardians holding Special Guardianship Orders, or professionals in fostering or residential care, Alan holds an empathic, open-minded attitude combined with a belief that in general each one of us is doing the best we can. 

1) MENTAL HEALTH  

If you are urgently needing help for your mental health please follow the guidance below.   

If you are in a Mental Health Emergency in which your health or life are in danger go to the Accident & Emergency Department at your local hospital.  

 If you are in a Mental Health Crisis contact Samaritans on: 116 123   OR   

Contact SAMARITANS  

via their website at :   https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/   

If you have other mental health needs - You will need to contact your General Practitioner (Family Doctor) in surgery hours, or an Out-Of-Hours GP Service locally.       

 2) PERSONAL CONSULTANCY 

If you are Considering PERSONAL CONSULTANCY and have a Pre-existing Mental Health Condition  OR 

If you (or the Young Person you are referring), are being seen by a professional(s) in mental health, your GP or other health or care provider, then it would be best to seek their advice & guidance before starting a series of Personal Consultancy sessions.   

You are welcome to share my website address with your mental health care professional. 

They can contact me via the messaging link (speech bubble icon). 

Further Information

FIND ME ON - 

Counselling Directory

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/alan-gibbs

BACP  - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, 

 of which I am a registered member (MBACP), at 

  https://www.bacp.co.uk/   Registered Member MBACP: # 98556  - 

On  my Linkedin profile -   www.linkedin.com/in/alanrgibbs-argcoachcounsellor-com

You can find further details on:   

- The integrative practice of coaching and therapeutic counselling as the basis of Personal Consultancy on the website of : 

The Association of Integrative Coach-Therapist Professionals (AICTP) an organisation, to which I am affiliated, at   https://www.aictp.org.uk/  

FOR FURTHER SUPPORT CALL

CHILDLINE: 0800 1111   

https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline/  

SAMARITANS

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ 

Mental Health Resources for Young People & Parents

YOUNG MINDS

https://youngminds.org.uk/ 

ANNA FREUD CENTRE

 On My Mind: Free mental health resources (annafreud.org) 

Support for CARE  LEAVERS : - 

 The Care Leavers Association 

 1) What is Personal Consultancy ?   Personal Consultancy is a relationship-based, one-to-one practice offered by professionals who integrate therapeutic helping with coaching. In this way every client has the benefit of attention given with sensitivity and care to their needs for emotional and psychological help along with a focus and support for their aims and goals and the skills they may need to develop & practice to achieve these. 

 2) What can Personal Consultancy do for me? Depending upon what issue(s) you want to address, and what arises / happens as we talk together, and if you can make a commitment to facing-up to difficulties and working at these, you will make progress with support. You will have the support of a non-judgmental, dedicated professional practitioner who will make a commitment to your progress toward healing and achievement.

 3) Can Personal Consultancy help with serious, severe, long-term, complex or intense problems ?
 Personal Consultancy can help with a wide range of problems. Personal Consultancy is for you if you recognise yourself in the descriptions below.   In telling a friend or relative about your difficulties, you might be saying: 'It's complicated!'   You may have had experiences affecting you recently, in the past year or over the longer-term. These difficulties may show up in your:

•  mood, emotional feelings, 
• concentration, ideas, 
• memory, motivation,
•  energy level, sleep, dreams, 
• appetite / eating, health, 
• habits, relationships, 
• work, studies, leisure or 
• behavioural choices.   

You may have defined problems for which you have a name, but they are not recognised or understood  in any other form of helping you have approached.   

You may have a general sense of dismay, hopelessness or frustration with how your life is going.   

You may have a pattern of disappointment and recognition that you are caught up in the same cycle, without a clear plan or action available or a view of your future.  

 You may feel a lack of motivation or a sense that your efforts are often of little use leaving you feeling stuck.

 4) How long does it take ? When can I expect to have made progress so I can stop having sessions?
 Personal Consultancy is offered in a short series of sets of four sessions. 

In the initial set of four sessions we will have the opportunity to explore your issues, circumstances, your reasons and purposes for choosing Personal Consultancy. You may have had a more in-depth conversation than ever before and have some improved awareness of some of these issues. 

We can expect to have a plan for what is needed next for you. In the following sets of four sessions we will work on your Personal Consultancy Plan. 

We will review together progress with your plan, toward the end of each set of four subsequent sessions.   It will be your choice as to whether you will want to work with me in a series of four further sessions. 

It is helpful for us both to know at the start of a set of four sessions, if you have chosen to make it your final set. 

 5) Why can't I buy just one session at a time ? Why must I buy a package of sessions ?
 You may be thinking that 'after all, I may not like this, 'or 'be able to understand or get along with the practitioner,' or the practitioner may not quite get 'who I am' or 'how I'm feeling or thinking.'
 Personal Consultancy is designed to be a short-to-medium term way of helping. Just as in any relationship based upon talking together, it takes a while to get to know each other. We have the benefit of the free Discovery Session, initially. Only after this initial phase can we begin to shape our plan for work together and to begin with the tasks this raises. 

Progress is highlighted as we review this together after we have begun to tackle these tasks. We review this progress through talking together about your feelings and thoughts and what has been noticed by you. You may have had conversations with close and trusted others, in which they have shared with you what they have noticed. 

We will not be able to be assured that this process of ongoing support is happening for you unless there is a commitment from both of us to each set of four appointments. In each of the first four sessions we will review together whether the session is useful for you and if you have made any gains in ideas or skills or tasks. 

Homework tasks are important to support the process of learning, developing and understanding and to make approaches toward the aims or goals in your plan. 

I will welcome your feedback on my practice.

 6) Why don't you just offer counselling or coaching at a lower fee rate?
 I have found in my professional practice over the past two decades, since the millenium, that real and lasting progress is made by clients when they have had the benefit of using the practitioner's skills of therapeutic communication and in-depth understanding to promote self-acceptance and inner healing along with self-chosen tasks for the client to practice and develop skills and applying these in their approach to their aims and goals in the wider world.