Borderline Personality (BPD) Counselling in Frome

I can work with you around family issues, teen problems, child behaviour, ASC issues, illness and disability. I will support, collaborate and try to make sense of what is going on. All things eventually pass - I will offer to weather the storm with you. I won’t be judging you or not taking you seriously. We will work together - and it will be work - but we will also aim to have fun and be creative in our work.

I have a particular interest in trauma and how it impacts our nervous system: PTSD and C-PTSD, dissociation, hearing voices, addictive behaviours and coping mechanisms and their link to childhood trauma; 'ACE's' (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and how these affect us as adults. Trauma comes in many forms; obvious, overt ones such as physical or sexual abuse, car accidents, war, disasters etc, and also less obvious or covert forms like emotional abuse or neglect, bullying, or just 'not getting what we need' on an emotional level. I'm a member of ISST-D, a trainee member of UKCP and BCPC, and have specialist trauma training.

Dr Kelly Southgate (DCLinPsy, MSc, BSc) is a senior clinical psychologist, offering evidence-based psychological therapy for adults and young people for a variety of difficulties including; anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, bereavement, anger management, low self-esteem, stress, and trauma. Dr. Southgate offers a friendly and down-to-earth approach to therapy, providing a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space to talk. Treatment is tailored towards individual needs and circumstances, with the emphasis on working towards achieving goals in a way that suits the individual.

I am a qualified counsellor and teacher, I have studied Counselling and Substance Misuse at FdSc level and have a Diploma in Social Work, as well as having a wide range of work and life experience. My down to earth nature empowers me to be accessible, approachable and non-judgmental which is an essential part of a successful working therapeutic relationship. Aiding people to work through their own life challenges is my absolute passion and driving force behind Brighter Pathways Counselling.

The approach I first trained in and like to use the most is an integrative model called the Relational approach. This approach incorporates both humanistic and psychodynamic elememts which means it retains the warmth of the humanistic models which focus on empathy and building trust, and the Freudian concepts of the unconcious mind and transference. I work best with clients who are willing to explore how they relate to people, by examining what is going on in our relationship during therapy. I really enjoy working with clients who have issues around relationships and attachment, and find this work both interesting and rewarding.

Do you feel like it is difficult to reach your partner emotionally, are you being stone walled, afraid of conflict or are you people pleasing for a quiet life? Do you have a pattern of being submissive, passive aggressive or unable to effectively communicate your wants and needs? Do you feel like you and your partner don’t understand each other or feel as if you have married your mother or father? Couples therapy aims to uncover reactionary aspects of yourself that lead to discontent and a loss of connection and intimacy in your relationship. We will examine unhelpful dynamics and behavioural patterns and explore where you are stuck

I am a counsellor offering talking therapy to adults and teenagers in the Bath area. My approach is completely non-judgemental and I use the therapeutic model or combination of models that best suits the individual and the problems that he or she is facing. Amongst the models I use are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (including specialist forms such as Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, CBT-E for Eating disorders, and Third Wave CBT such as ACT), as well as IPSRT for depression, and Person Centred counselling for those who do not feel comfortable with a more structured approach.

If you are feeling low, anxious, confused or stuck, or simply want to understand yourself better, please get in touch. I have some new daytime availability in my practice, alongside my work in a specialist trauma service.

I’m an experienced and fully-qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist, working with individuals aged 18 years and over offering a safe and supportive place in which to talk about your difficulties and concerns. We can begin to explore what might be troubling you, or causing you distress and suffering, or preventing you from experiencing life to the full. Together we can take time to focus on what’s important for you, to try and make sense and understand what may be happening to you and think about changes you want to make. I offer open-ended therapy with sessions once a week beginning with with an initial session or sometimes two.

You may feel your problems are too small or insignificant and may find it hard to understand why things seem so difficult but I am particularly equipped to work with those who really want to understand what might be underlying their current feelings of depression or anxiety.