Richard Leah - therapist in quainton-w-of-aylesbury-hp22

Contact information

Contact Richard

Do not fill out this field

I’ve searched for the following criteria:

Please enter any further information regarding your enquiry, (up to 300 characters).

Please ensure you have included at least one reason in the above boxes to enable your message to send

Name ✷

Email ✷

Phone number

By ticking this box, you consent to this information being passed securely to your chosen therapist. For details of how your data will be processed, see Therapist Directory on the BACP privacy notice *

The information outlined in this listing is not to be used for advertising or marketing purposes.

Features

Flexible hours available
Wheelchair accessible office

Availability

As of July 2024 I will be unable to accept any new clients until further notice. This could apply for as little as 3 months so please keep a check on this CV

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been involved in psychotherapy and human growth for forty years -working alongside people in the fields of psychotherapy, mental health, social work, education and the commercial world.

I have seen over 400 clients, providing over 3,500 hours of therapy. I have also trained counsellors.

There is a current idea drifting around that one goes to a therapist to have her or him remove a problem - as one might go to a dentist. That's not how it works; it is often very hard work for the client to make the changes in their life necessary to overcome their difficulty.

QUALIFICATIONS: Diploma in Counselling; Middlesex Uni and Harrow College: 2001 Certificate in Group Facilitation: Norwich. Brian Thorne ; 2003 Certificate in Brief Counselling. Dagmar Edwards 2005. Year 1 institute of Group Analysis: Bedford: 2005(not an approach I warmed too!) AdvancedDiploma Therapeutic Supervision: Warwick Uni : 2007

Accredited (MBACP) with #BACP. UKRC Registered Independent Counsellor. Member World Association of Person Centred and Experiential Psychology. Diploma in Social Work: CCETSW : Oxford Brookes University:1996 BA (Hons) Humanities: 1975

About me and my therapy practice

I work alongside you to help you clarify the problems you are facing and to explore solutions or ways forward. I work to help you feel in control of the journey and as safe as possible.

I don't claim to be able to fix lots of categories of 'problems'. I know what the labels are but I work with you - a unique human being.

I consciously embarked on my own exploration and journey back in my twenties. I set out to explore as much of life as I could -from working on building sites to nursing, from working with the homeless on the streets of London to working as a decorator in Amsterdam. I've been a bus conductor and a manager in a major software company.Like so many human beings I have had times of both great happiness and great sorrow and pain. All this comes together to create the person I am; the person, the therapist you will encounter on meeting me. At the same time I was receiving my own therapy - including 300 hours of one to one and 1000 hours as a participant in group therapy

One never finishes the journey of course; the experiences and learning continue; although much older and wiser I still see myself as a fellow traveler.

Practice description

I have my own private practice.

I don't claim to be able to fix lots of categories of ' problems' - because those are just labels. I know what the labels are but I work with you - a unique human being - not with a label. The label is just what shows on the surface - like a bruise. The label can be a handy shorthand but whatever is behind the label, beneath the bruise, is unique to you; your stress, anxiety, depression, confusion or sense of being off course is unique to you - so there can be no preset formula to ' fix' it. I listen to you to establish how the world looks like to you.

Some people are looking to explore deeper issues - existential issues, personal growth issues and I am very ready to accompany people on these journeys.

I support clients in exploring and identifying their problems - its not always just the things uppermost in one's mind. Out of exploring will come different ways of seeing the issues, a re-connection with your inner strength and different ways of dealing with the issues.

In the past I have worked as a therapist for social services, the NHS, and an FE college. I have run therapeutic groups and anxiety management groups. I am also a trained Iyenga yoga teacher and have considerable experience of Bioenergetic therapy - which contributes to my understanding of the mind - body link.

My first session

I charge £20 for our first session - which I regard as an opportunity for you to decide if you wish to continue working with me.

In that first session I don't pull out a clip board and ask lots of questions; I ask you where you want to start and we go from there.

All sessions are one hour; I don't do that 50 minute thing -and I don't cut you off mid sentence at the end; I'd rather we over-ran in order to finish a thought. And I leave lots of time between clients.

If you feel you would like longer sessions than one hour I am happy to discuss with you.

What I can help with

Abuse, Anxiety, Bereavement, Depression, Identity issues, Loss, Men's issues, Post-traumatic stress, Relationships, Self esteem, Self-harm, Sexuality, Spirituality, Stress, Trauma

Types of therapy

Existential, Humanistic, Person centred

Clients I work with

Adults, Groups, Older adults, Organisations

How I deliver therapy

Long-term face-to-face work, Short-term face-to-face work