Angie Denman

Personal Profile

My Work:
My counselling training was integrative but focused on the person-centred approach which I chose because of my own experience and now deeply held acceptance that every individual is a unique being who is evolving during their life to become all that they can and want to be. I know that change is always possible and that with support every individual is capable of solving their problems and resolving their issues in order to live what they perceive and choose to be a better quality of life.
 

My therapeutic approach then is humanistic and Person-centred. Experience with clients shows that empathy, genuineness, unconditional respect/caring always enables change. Clients can discuss concerns in confidence and be sure of being heard. This helps them connect with feelings and thoughts (possibly unknown or unexpressed) enabling understanding and empowerment for change in their situation, when they feel ready.
I also work as a supervisor and with students. I am a BACP member following their code of ethical working practice and have enhanced CRB status.

Counselling Experience:
Advanced CPCAB Diploma in Integrative Counselling, BSC Hons. Psychology, Avencis Accredited Supervision Training. Private Practice 2+ years, Cruse Bereavement 6 years, Mosaic Disability Services 3 years, De Montfort University Student Counselling.
 

My Background:
I began the path that has led to where I am now by undertaking a degree in Psychology because from being a teenager I wanted to understand people and why they do/feel what they do. After university I spent some time doing voluntary work for MIND and Age Concern whilst considering my next choice.
In 1985 I began a graduate orientated Registered General Nurse training where along with learning new skills I began to use and value my knowledge about people which up to this point was mostly theoretical apart from my own personal life. On qualifying I worked in Health Care of the Elderly and then in a research post. I felt very positive about what I was doing but knew I didn't want to stay there so I decided to specialize and choosing Midwifery,
 

In my years as a midwife I experienced many professional opportunities as part of my role including parentcraft teaching, antenatal work, breast feeding promotion and teaching, research, all aspects of clinical work working alongside a multidisciplinary team within the hospital and the community. I practised my clinical skills whilst learning to form open and intimate relationships with women and their families during this unique time in their lives. Most of the experiences were happy outcomes but some of the paths to this were difficult medically and psychologically and I worked with parents experiencing loss at every stage of the process. I also worked with parents with other mental and physical health problems. Part of my role was also teaching student midwives, nurses and doctors.
 

I have transferred many skills and experiences from midwifery to my counselling work. Also as a midwife bound to the ethics and rules of my profession I have always worked as an advocate for my client. For a midwife, the client is the focus of care and always comes first even if this means challenging other professionals. This is of course the person-centred counselling approach so I have been working in this way for many years.
 

Thirteen years ago my life changed when I experienced a significant event in my own health. I had to give up midwifery and  make difficult decisions about what to do. As a consequence I had experienced a number of years in personal counselling and knowing it had changed my life I felt it was something that I could do. So I returned to my inner personal drive to understand people and  trained as a counsellor.
 

Work Approach

My therapeutic approach is humanistic and essentially Person-centred (although I have an interest in the Existential and Gestalt approaches also and will follow this up as my counselling career develops further). My work so far has confirmed my ideals that when counselling someone it is necessary to work with the whole person always, whatever the reason that they have initially sought help, because everything about someone contributes to who they are.
The counselling that I practice then gives my clients the opportunity to talk in confidence to someone about their concerns and to be sure of being heard. Hopefully, in being able to share thoughts and feelings, working through them will bring a level of new understanding. I feel strongly that counselling is not about being told what to do or given advice but about finding ways to make changes and move forward in life when the client feels ready to do so having explored any choices made in a safe environment.

Such counselling then helps the individual to get in touch with feelings (possibly previously unknown or unexpressed) and enables him/her to come to terms with them. It aims to enable him/her to feel more empowered within whatever situation they find themselves. For example, after a bereavement or any other life event, some of these feelings may be very strong or feel overwhelming at times. In my role as a counsellor I will support them enabling them to cope.

As a member of the BACP and with my experience within the NHS I have always worked with a code of ethics and practice that safeguards both myself and my clients. I feel strongly that as therapeutic workers within/supporting an overall health care system counsellors should have a system of evaluating their work in place when working with clients and continue to update/enhance their skills as professionals. So I undertake regular professional supervision.
 

I also work as a counselling supervisor with an open, integrative model of supervision within the BACP guidelines. I see supervision as an explorative or collaborative review, with two people who are professional peers working openly together to explore, understand and appreciate the nature of the counselling relationship. They exploring the experiences, feelings and thoughts that arise within the supervisee in relationship with their client, with a particular emphasis on the relational process
Supervision is needed to primarily to protect the counselling client, and also the counsellor as a professional working to provide safety and value to their client.

My personal experience of supervision so far in my career has been the enhancement of my skills whilst always giving me support and confidence within my work with counselling clients so I work within the BACP guidelines to provide this for my supervisees.