Alison Westmacott Counselling
Offering a safe space for you to talk and meet your needs
Welcome! I am a qualified counsellor offering talking therapy in the Orpington and SE London area. I work with individuals and couples supporting their emotional and relational needs. In person and online sessions available.
Message or call me on 07900 409948 or email alison@alisonwestmacottcounselling.com
How can counselling help?
Counselling helps by giving you a safe, confidential space to share your thoughts and feelings with a trained listener. Talking is an important process that helps us work out what is happening to us and how we are responding to our world. It shines a light on how we see things and explores the meaning we give to events and experiences in our lives. Once this process is underway, it becomes a path to self-awareness and empowerment. A chance to express yourself freely leads to a better understanding of the real you. Counselling can also help us with our thoughts and assist us in developing new coping strategies.
Counselling is all about relationships: the one with your counsellor, family, friends, partners, and most importantly, with yourself. Counselling gives you the space to explore, and this often helps restore energy, understanding and fuels a process of change that can make someone feel better.
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If you feel you are in a difficult emotional space, feeling stuck or overwhelmed, get in contact and let's talk over what you feel you need. I offer a brief 15 minute call, free of charge, to see if we can work out together and way to help you move on in your life.
Carl Jung once said, "Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." Ourselves is where we can find the answers to what we need. It can be a challenging process at times, but one that rewards you with better understanding of yourself.
FAQs
How much does a session cost?
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Individual sessions: £60.00​
Couples sessions: £90.00
Full-time students or counselling students: £50.00
How long is a counselling session?
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1:1 sessions and couples session are 50 minutes. Sessions can be in person, online or on the telephone.
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How often would I have a session?
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It depends what stage of your counselling you are at. Usually sessions are every week. However, I can offer fortnightly sessions and when clients are near the end of their counselling I offer monthly. However, monthly sessions are unusual and a regular time slot cannot be offered in this case.
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What happens if I can't make a session?
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If you cannot make a session or are on holiday, I ask that you give me 24 hours notice of not making a session. I fully undertsand that emergencies do happen, in which case we would discuss this on a specific needs basis. If a session is missed, forgotton or there is no communication from a client, there is a charge.​
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Where will the sessions take place?
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I have a dedicated counselling room with it's own access. My room is located in the Orpington area and is easily accessible by car, train or bus. Parking is free and not restricted. The 61, 353, R3 and R2 stop at the end of the road and Orpington station is just under a mile away.
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​How long will my counselling continue for?
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This is hard to answer before working together. However, we will review your counselling often and discuss how it is going for you. The choice is yours with regard to this, however, the average for many clients is around 15 - 20 sessions, though some need less and many continue beyond this.
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Is it confidential?
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Yes. Sessions are confidential and your personal information is stored in accordance with the law and I am registered with the ICO. I only require minimal information from you and this is used only for the purposes of our work together. I make brief notes of sessions that are anonymised and in which you cannot be identified. There may be occassions where I have to break confidentiality for the safety of yourself or someone else or, in very rare circumstances, for a legal request.
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How will I know it is working or right for me?
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We will review your counselling at regular points and this is a time to discuss how you are experiencing the process and to voice how you feel you are doing. Like all relationships ours will develop over time, so it can take a while to know or see the benefits of counselling, but you will either see changes happening in your life or in the way that you feel or view yourself. These are indicators of the counselling process.
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​Who are the BACP?
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The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Counsellors who are registered with the BACP have met the training standards and requirements of this professional organisation. As a member I follow their Ethical Framework which is desgigned to help me provide a secure base for our work together.
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How do I get in contact?
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Email: alison@alisonwestmacottcounselling.com
Call / text / WhatsApp: 07900 409948
Profiles: BACP https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/385648/alison-westmacott/orpington-br6 or
Counselling Directory https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/alison-westmacott
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"Unless we take that first step into the unknown, we will never know our own potential." Allan Rufus
"When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves."
Victor E. Frankl
Contact Information
Call / message: 07900 409948
Email: alison@alisonwestmacottcounselling.com
Location: Orpington Area
Parking available.
Close to train and bus routes (208, 61, R3, R2, 353).
Stay Connected
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My counselling room is a quiet, designated room with it's
own seperate entrance. Slope access from pavement and modifications can be made for access to the room.
Send a message here:
Your privacy is important and your details will not be shared with a third party. Any personal data you share with me will be kept for the duration of our work and for 12 months after.
