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Laura Soper
Counselling
About Laura
Hi I'm Laura, a qualified counsellor working in the Warwickshire area. I have my own private practice offering a therapeutic service to adults, adolescents and children. I have experience in working with client's of a variety of ages, backgrounds and ethnicities, as well as a broad range of difficulties including:
Anxiety, depression, stress, self harm, suicidal thoughts, personal development, work related difficulties, bereavement, substance misuse, developmental trauma, attachment difficulties, family breakdowns, adoption and special guardianship, parenting, domestic abuse, peer pressure and identity and self esteem.
My passionate is working with trauma and addiction, regardless of age or gender. Trauma can come in all shapes and sizes, and I believe it is not 'what is wrong with you' but more 'what has happened to you' .
I enjoy working with younger people who may be finding the transition from child to adult difficult, finding yourself again and gaining understanding of who you are now, where you want to go and the person you would like to be. Along with supporting younger children understanding their emotions and hormone changes.
Are you feeling anxious? Do you feel you are loosing control? Would you like someone to help you work things out? You may be feeling like you have lost your way and finding day to day life a struggle, therapy can help unravel those struggles and strains to enable you to find yourself again.
Working with Adults
My therapeutic core is Person Centred which enables me to offer a non-judgmental, understanding environment where myself and my client are able to work on any issues they may be facing. My adult work is done on a 1-2-1 basis, located at Lifeways in Stratford upon Avon and The Cloisters in Leamington Spa.
I offer over five years experience of working with adults across a variety of settings including childrens centers, wellbeing centres, and private clinics, and have successfully secured contracts with charities such as Womens Aid.
Working with Children and Adolescents.
I am a specialised child and adolescent therapist. I hold a strong belief that if children and adolescents can access support at an earlier age then any experiences or traumatic situations are less likely to go through to adulthood. My work is done at Lifeways and The Cloisters. I have various materials and methods to help the young person explore what is happening for them. I use a gentle, non invasive way of working with young people, allowing a trusting relationship between myself and the child to develop. It is important to me to work with each client individually, tailoring the sessions to suit their needs. All of my sessions are child-led.
I offer over five years experience of working with children and adolescents aged from 4 to 18 years old, across a variety of settings including Pre Schools and Schools across Warwickshire, Warwickshire County Council, the Parenting Project, as well as in private clinics through my private practice.
Qualifications
- Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Certificate in Counselling Studies
- Certificate in Counselling Skills
I am a member of the BACP and adhere to their ethical framework. I maintain full insurance and regularly attend continued professional development courses to keep up to date with any ethical changes and guidelines.
What happens next?
Choosing the right counsellor can sometimes feel overwhelming but if you feel I could help you please feel free to contact myself either via telephone or email. We could arrange an initial session which would be up to 45 minutes, this is to collect general information and find out what your expectations of counselling are. If you then wanted to start therapy we would meet weekly, engaging in 50 minute sessions and begin your counselling journey.
What is Humanistic Therapy?
Humanistic therapy is an approach used in counselling which predominately focuses on the individual’s self-acceptance and self-worth. Providing the individual with a non-judgemental space where they can be valued as the person they are, the individual can begin to accept themselves and their core beliefs and begin their journey on reconnecting with themselves.
Humanistic counsellors provide a level of empathy, understanding and acceptance in sessions, ensuring all conditions are met correctly clients can start to feel safe enough to explore any issues and emotions they are experiencing.
Initial Session
Our first point of contact will be either a phone call or an email, I will ask for basic details and we would arrange an initial session. The initial session will be to complete an assessment and gather information, I will also ask what expectations you have of counselling and what you would like from our sessions. Not all clients feel comfortable disclosing personal information at this point and that is ok. I encourage all my clients to disclose details only when they feel safe enough to do so. If you feel you would like to start your counselling journey with myself we would then arrange your first session.
First Counselling Session
Your first session would be held in one of our counselling rooms at Lifeways, I ask all clients to sign and date a client/counsellor agreement in the first session, this is to ensure all professional boundaries have been acknowledged and we have a mutual understanding of how the counselling process will work.
I strive to provide my clients with the best possible experience of counselling that I can offer. For this to happen I ask my clients to stay as committed to the process as possible, which I understand can be difficult at times when juggling day to day life too, but I do believe for the process to work both client and counsellor need to be consistently present.
Counselling Reviews
I will complete a review with the client every 6 weeks, this is to reflect on the therapeutic work that has taken place so far and to see the client's progression. Regular reviews also allows the client to regain a purpose for therapy, to see what the presenting issues may now be and what to focus on from here.
I offer unlimited counselling sessions, I feel it is important for my clients to choose their ending and be in control of their journey.
The sessions will last for 50 minutes.
Costing
Session fee (up to 50 minutes) - £65
Couples Counselling (up to 50 minutes) - £80
Reduced rates could be applied for students studying counselling.
Fee will still apply if you do not attend your session and no contact is made.
Payments made via BACS or cash.
Contact
Email: info@laurasoper.co.uk
Phone: 07720 821178
Address
Lifeways
30 Albany Road
Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 6PG
The Cloisters
Lower Leam St
Leamington Spa
CV31 1DJ