Allan Frater BEng (Hons) PGDip Counselling MBACP (Accred)

Abuse, Addictions, Anger, Anxiety, Assertiveness, Bereavement, Bulimia Nervosa, Career Issues, Childhood Issues, Codependence, Confidence Issues, Couple Relationships, Creativity, Cultural Issues, Debt, Depression, Dissociation, Divorce, Eating Disorders, Faith Issues, Fear, Grief, History of Mental Illness, Inhibitions, Lack of Meaning in Life, Loneliness, Loss, Marriage (Marital relations), Midlife Crisis, Obsessions, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Attacks, Personal Relationships, Personality Difficulties, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychosomatic Symptoms, Rape, Same Sex Relationships, Self Development, Self Esteem, Self Harm, Sexual Abuse, Sexuality, Sleeping Problems, Spirituality, Stress, Trauma, Work Issues and Relationships

Existential Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Person Centred Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Transpersonal Therapy

Male

I have over three years experience as a Psychosynthesis counsellor, both in private practice in North and East London, and within the charity sector, working with the range of emotional and psychological issues already mentioned above.

The first session is an opportunity for us to meet and get to know each other. It will be a space for you to ask any questions you may have about me or the counselling process and to talk about what brings you to counselling. At the end of this session we should have a good idea as to whether we want to work together and continue with further sessions, although you may want to think it over for a few days.

Once the decision is made to continue we will establish a ‘contract’ that we both feel comfortable with. This will make clear the confidential nature of the sessions, the cancellation policy and establish our commitment to working together in regular weekly sessions. For example we may initially contract to meet for 8 weeks, to see how that works out. This may be a sufficient number of sessions or you may then decide to continue open-endedly.

While my Psychosynthesis training was integrative (drawing from all schools of psychology), my approach is particularly influenced by the reflective viewpoint of archetypal psychology and the healing attention of contemplative psychotherapy.

My approach is rooted in the original meaning of psychotherapy as the ‘care’ or ‘charge’ of the psyche. It is a caring for the troubled psyche, creating a safe space inside the consulting room, which helps us come through our difficulties.

Such care and support creates the imaginative space that allows our perception of what we find distressing to change, enriching and strengthening our relationship to life. In this way my approach is a holistic one that helps with life’s difficulties but not to the neglect of our larger potential in the world.

I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis Counselling (PG Dip). This involved a three year training at the Psychosynthesis & Education Trust, and is validated by the University of East London and accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred), the UK professional and regulatory body for counsellors. As as an Accredited Member I adhere to the Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy as set out by the BACP.

I grew up in a village outside Edinburgh. Having obtained an engineering degree & a teacher training qualification, I eventually moved to London to work in the charity sector. I was a co-director of the Karuna Trust for several years & now work part time with charities as a consultant fundraising trainer.

I started meditating in 1993. This led to my ordination as a committed Buddhist in 1999 when I was given the name Manjuka, which some people call me by & means ‘sweet and gentle voiced'.