Felicity Woolsey, MBACP, Couns DipL4
As the eldest of three children, I grew up helping my Mum look after my siblings and I believe that's where I started to enjoy helping people...
I've worked in the social care settings looking after adults, adolescents and children, each having different issues and problems. The roles had a broad spectrum of responsibilities, from helping with daily tasks to providing emotional support, so the Clients could achieve their goals and in turn, generally improve their quality of life.
I have also gained experience with Clients with autism who had difficulties with social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviours. Although each Client had different symptoms, they all required help and support to feel confident about the choices they made.
My experience with Clients who had suffered severe brain injuries was always on a one-to-one basis as these Clients had very complex needs. I was responsible for structuring their day, planning suitable activities, whilst at the same time giving them choices and recognising when things got too much.
I recently had the opportunity to provide a counselling service at a local GP Surgery. I found the work to be very varied and interesting, including helping Clients with severe anxiety, depression, addictions, eating disorders, etc. It was during this time that the Coronavirus pandemic broke and I quickly adapted my face to face counselling service to one provided over the telephone. This requires sharp listening skills in terms of what the Client says, changes in voice tone and volume etc. When virus restrictions are in place, I always give my Clients the choice of telephone or video appointments.
I thoroughly enjoy working at a residential rehabilitation house, helping Clients overcome substance misuse issues, so they are able to rebuild their lives and get back into employment and integrate into the community. I have had the opportunity to provide both one to one and group therapy, which can be very useful when interpersonal relationships are a key area of treatment.
All the experience I have gained so far enables me to provide guidance and support for many difficult and distressing problems.
Of course I am a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which means I am committed to working in accordance with a professional ethical framework and that I maintain my training to a high standard, ensuring I have the right skills and knowledge. This means my clients are able to trust me with their wellbeing and sensitive personal information.
