Find a counsellor : Counsellor Details
First name:
Craig
Surname:
Smith
Photograph:
Gender:
male
Address 1:
3A Overton Road
Address 2:
St. Andrews
Town:
Bristol
County/state:
Somerset
Postal code:
BS6 5AG
Country:
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone:
07786743858
Session charge rate:
£25-£40
Accreditations:
MBACP
About me:
I offer evening and flexible sessions at negotiable rates. I am intereseted in working with young adultsa and couples. I work creatively, using art and music, and energetically, always tailored to the client's personality and aims. I am interested in making sense of feelings, events and situations through looking at meaning, philosophy and spiritual aspects.
Qualifications:
Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (2004)
Level 5 Certificate in Counselling Supervision
Over 6 years experience of counselling and supervisory practice in the NHS privately.6 years experience of working 1:1 and running Groups.
Level 5 Certificate in Counselling Supervision
Over 6 years experience of counselling and supervisory practice in the NHS privately.6 years experience of working 1:1 and running Groups.
Code of ethics:
BACP
Theoretical approaches:
GestaltA German word meaning 'form' or 'pattern': we look for and create meaning (and patterns and structures) in our lives.
In contrast to psychoanalysis and 'talk' therapies, Gestalt emphasises 'awareness of the here and now', of the body, movement, gesture, feelings and insights.
Gestalt therapists generally encourage clients to focus on present experience - thoughts, feeling, sensations, intuitions - rather than 'going off' into thinking about their past or the supposed origins of a particular issue. Person-CentredThis approach says we're born with the ability to reach our full potential, but our early experiences may alienate us from our true self.
The therapist seeks to be open and willing to express their own identity without hiding behind expertise or degrees. They also provide other conditions needed for the client's growth:
1) Unconditional positive regard (acceptance and appreciation of the client).
2) Empathic understanding (seeing things through the client's eyes). HumanisticIn this approach the counsellor is regarded not so much as an 'expert' who knows more than the client, but instead as someone who is skilled in facilitating a process of self-discovery in another. The central belief is in the possibility for change and growth towards fulfilment of potential, in which the individual is self-aware and responsible for her/his own choices.
ExistentialThe exploration of meaning and value and learning to live authentically (i.e in accordance with your own ideals, priorities and values).
Authentic living means being true to yourself and honest about your own possibilities and limitations, continually creating your own identity even in the face of uncertainty about everything in the future except the eventual arrival of death. It means living deliberately, rather than by default.
The existential therapist facilitates the client's own encounter with themselves and works with them in the job of exploring and understanding better the client's values, assumptions and ideals. The therapist avoids imposing their own judgement, but instead engages seriously with what matters most to the client, helping them to elucidate and elaborate on their own perspective - so that ultimately they're able to live life well and in their own way.
LogotherapyLogotherapy is a type of existentialist analysis that focuses on a “will to meaning” - as opposed to Adler's doctrine of “will to power” or Freud's “will to pleasure”. Rather than power or pleasure, logotherapy is founded on the belief that striving to find a meaning in one's life is the primary, most powerful motivating and driving human force.
“Logotherapy” stems from the Greek word “logos” (or “meaning”). Its basic principles are:
• Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
• Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
• We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stand we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.
The human spirit is referred to in several of the assumptions of logotherapy, but the use of the term spirit is not “spiritual” or “religious”. In logotherapy, the spirit is the will of the human being.
Areas of expertise:
Abuse, Anxiety, Asperger Syndrome, Bereavement, Child related issues, Cultural issues, Disability, Eating disorders, General counselling, Health related issues, Identity problems, Loss, Personal Development, Relationships, Self Esteem, Self Harm, Sex related issues, Sexual identity, Sexuality, Spirituality, Stress, Work related issues
Types of client seen:
Young People, Children, Couples, Groups, Adults
This is how I work:
Long term face-to-face, Short term face-to-face, Single Session, On-line counselling, Telephone counselling
Languages spoken fluently:
English
Counsellor supervisor:
Yes
Contact this counsellor:
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