Rochelle Batten - Online Therapy

I trained as an integrative therapist at the University of Greenwich, where I completed the MSc in Therapeutic Counselling (Distinction).  I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (http://www.bacp.co.uk/), the largest regulating body within the sector.  You can find out more about what registration means here http://www.bacpregister.org.uk/ .  I continue to learn from my work with clients, my own life experience and ongoing professional development.

You may have found yourself struggling, lost, stuck or in pain and want to find ways to manage or change this. You may be trying to understand a situation or the shape and reasoning of the past. You may want to change or understand relationships or patterns of behaviour. During more peaceful times you may use therapy to support personal development. I value the importance of a safe relationship between client and therapist as integral to change. I use elements of humanistic, psychodynamic and CBT approaches in my work, encouraging clients to work creatively to find means of expression.

The decision to start therapy can provoke anxiety and fear for some. We all feel more or less comfortable with our vulnerability at different times. The sessions recognise this. Creating an environment which helps to ensure you feel safe and able to manage any difficult feelings is an important part of our work together. There is never any expectation for you to explore anything unless you feel ready.

People seek therapy for many reasons.  We all experience times of change, uncertainty, loss and the uncomfortable and often painful feelings these can bring.  During these times, therapy can provide you with time and space to be in a particular kind of relationship with a trained professional who can work with you to explore your experiences, acceptance and the possibility of change. You may find that this simply provides you with a place to openly be, without judgement or expectation.

There are many different therapeutic approaches and models.  Integrative therapy enables me, as a practitioner, to tailor the work we do together through drawing on different elements of some of these approaches and models.  Predominantly I use a humanistic, person-centred approach which is rooted in psychodynamic practice.  I have been trained to work with Petruska Clarkson’s Five Therapeutic Relationships model, which suggests there are five types of relationship which may be present between client and therapist at different times. I hold the importance of the relationship between the client and therapist at the core of my practice. 

In addition I have a particular personal and research interest in ways of expressing individual experiences of loneliness and aloneness, states of being we can all grapple with.

My practice is guided by The Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions, produced by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  This outlines the values and principles which I work towards and embrace in my practice.  In particular I am mindful of ensuring client autonomy, the just treatment of clients which acknowledges difference and promoting the overall well-being of clients using a tailored approach.

I encourage clients to explore different methods of expression within sessions and remain open to any creative ideas clients may bring.  This may include the use of art, poetry, music and photographs.

I am registered with the Information Commissioners’s Office,  and as a UK based data controller, I manage data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).