Rachel Allen

I offer counselling for adults, for as long or short a time as you need, adapting how I work to each person, but always seeking to offer a spacious listening to encourage recovery and growth. 

Sometimes life events can leave us feeling lost and out of touch with ourselves, not sure of our footing any longer. I chose to train in humanistic integrative counselling, which means I having a trust in people's capacity to know themselves, their vulnerability and strengths, and to recover and grow even from traumatic events. Having trained to advanced diploma level, I can use a variety of ways of working to support this. 

My approach has been described as warm, safe and empowering helping people to reconnect with themselves and their lifestory differently. 

I also have a post graduate diploma in systemic family therapy, which has given me a sense of the importance of family stories and roles, and how these can impact, both helpfully and less so, on a person's sense of themselves. Relationships can be a key factor in shaping us and my aim is to build a relationship that supports recovery and growth through compassionate self-understanding.

I have experience of working long term, short term and in a time limited way, and review with you periodically to ensure you're getting what you need from therapy. 

I chose the name Rallentando for my practice partly because it means slowing down in music. Taking time to slow down and focus without judgement on the deeper picture of your life, the undertones, the things that are hard to give words to, can help you to become all that you can be. Letting the tough stuff become part of your growth and taking a gentle pace can allow the unique rythm of your life to really come through and you can breathe again. 

I offer sessions Monday - Friday, face to face, or online UK-wide and occasionally worldwide. I enjoy working cross-culturally.

My approach draws on a variety of strands - exploring the roots of what troubles you and its impact on your current thinking and feeling, alongside looking at how you would like life to be, mobilising your instinct for life and joy. I make use (depending on your interest and what's bringing you for therapy) of mindfulness, creativity, the outdoors, the latest neuroscience, and your felt, embodied sense of what's happening for you. 

My therapy room is located in Dumfries, Scotland, and is fully accessible. 

Additionally I teach with an end of life doula organisation. 

My website includes pictures of my therapy room, and additional information about areas I work with. 

I offer a free no obligation conversation for you to ask any questions you have about therapy and get a feel for whether my approach is a good fit for you. I invite you to talk a little about what's led you to seek therapy. I will work with anyone unless a person's difficulties would need additional specialist training, in which case I have good contacts locally to refer on. 

If we decide to work together on what's troubling you, there is a little paperwork to be done and then typically we would go into a first session, charged at the usual rate. In this, I would build a picture of who and what are important to you, your strengths, interests and important relationships, and we would begin to build a history of the problem you're bringing. You have plenty of opportunity to talk and I ask you to consider what your aims are from therapy, if this feels an appropriate question to you at the start. We explore ways of working together that may support your uniqueness and meet what you're looking for. 

I have over 30 years experience of offering teaching, training and group facilitation, either using my own material or that provided by organisations I teach for. I cater for a variety of teaching and learning styles, using powerpoint, small group work, practical exercises and group discussion.

My training style is engaged, relational and collaborative. 

I also have experience of essay and assignment marking. 

I teach online and face to face.

I have prior experience of breaking difficult news, facilitating debriefs and staff reflective practice  sessions within the NHS, in mental health, acute general and palliative care settings, and have designed and delivered Trust-Wide Equality, Diversity and Inclusion mandatory training for staff.

I have successfully completed the necessary training to deliver groupwork and training in Scotland. 

I am currently a trainer with an end of life doula training organisation, training a day a week alongside private practice.

I have recently facilitated a team development day on coping well with change for a local housing provider as part of their staff wellbeing service, through which I offer counselling for employees. 

I have until recently taught COSCA Counselling Skills with a Scottish Counselling Training provider.

I am happy to consider any invitations to train, teach or facilitate groups.