Surrey Counselling and Psychotherapy Directory is a confidential and free site designed for the public to find a Counsellor in Surrey.

The site holds information, experience and expertise on professional counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists whom are all registered with an appropriate body and qualified to a high degree.

SCPD is also the first site to combine a service directory with an online community for practitioners to network, liaise and discuss professional issues. This is located in a Members Only section (see below for membership details).

The aim of SCPD is to simplify the process of finding local help. It gives access to qualified professionals who hold a range of expertise.

It is a service, which allows the public to gather information about mental well being and a unique opportunity for practitioners to be involved in one of the first online therapeutic communities.

Psychotherapy can help in a number of ways. As human beings we all experience difficulty in our lives at some point, this is natural and instinctual, for if we didn't experience the downs, how would we recognise the ups?

Some people however, feel they are have more down days than up days, therefore talking to a professional about your current state of well being is paramount in discovering what has caused you to feel this way, work towards solutions and learn to recoginse triggers, so you can once again experience more of life's ups.

Psychotherapy can greatly assist in the treatment of:

This is a wholly subjective subject, as each person experiences therapy differently; therefore outcomes are going to be equally immeasurable. However, most people find that after talking with qualified professional they can look at a life situation differently, can see alternatives and discover that they are in control. It is safe to say that the more you are willing to change, the more change you will see.

It is now recognised in the NHS that Psychotherapy and Counselling is vital in both staff and patient wellbeing. Research undertaken by the Department of Health has proven that individuals who have been experiencing difficulties within their lives do and feel better after a period of Counselling or Psychotherapy. To view one of these research articles go to:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4076354

Psychotherapy and Counselling services are becoming widespread and localised. More and more psychological services are available in our society, work place and within government initiatives. With an ever increasing uptake, it shows more and more people are benefiting from the 'Talking Cure'.

Here is a very general overview of the differences between Psychologists, Counsellors and Psychotherapists:

· All 3 work with people who have emotional or mental difficulties.
· All 3 work both in the private sector and in the NHS.
· All 3 have had extensive training, and should be members of the relevant professional body.

UKCP Psychotherapist
UKCP describes a psychotherapist as a practitioner who has had at least a four-year, post-graduate, in-depth and experiential training in how to work with a variety of people with a wide range of emotional and mental difficulties. Psychotherapists are trained in one or more of the different modalities.

A Psychotherapist works with people who have emotional, behavioural, psychological or mental difficulties. The actual work is mainly to encourage the client to talk and explore their feelings, beliefs and thoughts, and, sometimes, relevant aspects of and events in their childhood and personal history. Some psychotherapists work to help the patient/client understand more about their problems and then make appropriate changes in their thinking and behaviour. As a result, the work can last over quite a long term. Brief psychotherapy is also possible, especially to help someone resolve a more immediate crisis. There are a number of different psychotherapeutic approaches: Cognitive Behavioural, Psychodynamic, Psychoanalytic, Systemic (Family & Relationship), Humanistic, Integrative, Transpersonal, Experiential, Hypno-Psychotherapy. For further information go to UKCP website at www.psychotherapy.org.

Psychologist
Is a general term for someone who has studied psychology, usually to degree level or beyond. Psychologists have observed and measured human behaviour scientifically and have produced models and therapies based on this knowledge. There are a number of different branches of psychology including Occupational Psychology, Forensic (Criminal) Psychology, and Educational Psychology, amongst others. A Clinical Psychologist or a Counselling Psychologist will have done further training (often to a doctorate level) to be able to administer psychological tests (personality tests, intelligence tests, etc.) and to be able to treat people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. For further information go to, the British Psychological Society web site at www.bps.org.uk.

Counsellor
There can be little difference in the actual 'doing' of the therapy, albeit varied approaches, the aim of most practitioners is psychological well being.

BACP requires a minimum post-graduate training of 2 years.

BACP describes counselling is a way of enabling choice or change or of reducing confusion.  It does not involve giving advice or directing a client to take a particular course of action. Counsellors do not judge or exploit their clients in any way.

In the counselling sessions the client can explore various aspects of their life and feelings, talking about them freely and openly in a way that is rarely possible with friends or family. Bottled up feelings such as anger, anxiety, grief and embarrassment can become very intense and counselling offers an opportunity to explore them, with the possibility of making them easier to understand. The counsellor will encourage the expression of feelings and as a result of their training will be able to accept and reflect the client's problems without becoming burdened by them.

Acceptance and respect for the client are essentials for a counsellor and, as the relationship develops, so too does trust between the counsellor and client, enabling the client to look at many aspects of their life, their relationships and themselves which they may not have considered or been able to face before. The counsellor may help the client to examine in detail the behaviour or situations which are proving troublesome and to find an area where it would be possible to initiate some change as a start. The counsellor may help the client to look at the options open to them and help them to decide the best for them. For further information go to, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy web site at www.bacp.co.uk.

At time of membership, all practitioners that are advertised on SCPD hold an academic qualification, are fully insured and are a registered and qualified member of one of the following professional bodies, which you can verify by logging onto:

BABCP - British Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies

BACP - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

BPS - British Psychological Society

UKAHPP - UK Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners

UKCP - United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy

UKRC - United Kingdom Register of Counsellors

Despite our through verification process, you should always make full enquiries into the expertise of the counsellor before attending the first counselling session.

Ask for proof of qualifications and insurance details, or ask to see registration details with their recognised body. Memberships are annual so it's best to check the counsellor is still a member, as we do not monitor this. All registered therapists within a recognised body agreed to abide and work by a code of ethics. In addition, are subject to various continual professional development schemes to maintain their registration.

SCPD certify as much as possible that practitioners are qualified and/or registered with a recognised body, however we strongly recommend that you do take the necessary steps to verify this as we will not be held responsible for any false information. Please read the terms and conditions located at the bottom of the site for detailed information covering the use of SCPD.

Each therapist will advertise their charges.

Bear in mind that many offer lower rates for subsidised incomes or students.

All complaints are taken seriously and dealt with within three days of receipt.

For all complaints please put them in writing to:

SCPD Complaints
15 Horsley Court
Ockham Rd South
East Horsley, Surrey
KT24 6QS

Although rare, if you have a complaint against a therapist advertised on SCPD it is advised that you contact their registering body for advise. Please see our Terms and Conditions for further details.