Abi Spence 

Integrative Psychotherapy

About Therapy

There are many reasons why you might decide to begin therapy; anxiety, burnout, depression, adverse childhood experiences, relationship difficulties, minority stress...anything which might be precluding you from feeling joy, meaning and purpose.

We are living in a era of great uncertainty and change, with more access to information and temptation to rely on technology than ever. This can feel overwhelming, and lonely.



About Me

I work with adults (21+) on a one-to-one basis to assist you, human to human, to process, respond to or engage with whatever might be preventing you from living your life to its fullest and happiest.

My way of working is based on an integrative training, which means I call on various modalities,  person-centred (you are the expert on your experience), relational (what’s happening between us here and now) and psychodynamic theory (early relating and unconscious processes informing current feelings and behaviours).

Nevertheless, I am led by you; your lived experience of the world and your sense of place within it. For 50 minutes, one day a week, you can be present and alive to your thoughts, feelings, memories and sensations in a way that life may prevent you from being. 
As  well as anxiety, depression, stress and relationship issues I also work with:
  • Sibling and family issues 
  • Childhood trauma (including neglect, sexual and physical abuse) 
  • Boarding school childhoods. Find out more in this short introduction:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG3rY9TohTk 
  • Fertility issues, from undergoing IVF and miscarriage to involuntary childlessness. 
  • Fourth trimester, PPD and matrescence.
  • GSRD (Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity) and 2SLGBTQI+ issues. 
  • You can also find me 
  • https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/384177/abi-spence/
  • https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/abi-spence
  • https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/therapist/Abi-Spence-MhI3UIAV
Training and qualifications
  • I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)  and adhere to their ethical principles and Code of Professional Conduct. 
  • I am an accredited clinical psychotherapist member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and subscribe to its code of ethics.
  • I trained at the Minster Centre, one of Europe's leading integrative psychotherapy training institutions.
  • MA, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy from The Minster Centre and Middlesex University.
  • Member of BICA, (the British Infertility Counselling Association) The Relational School and The Minster Centre.
  • Media volunteer for Fertility Network UK. 
  • I hold DBS clearance to work with adults.
  • I am in clinical supervision and undertake regular CPD (Continual Professional Development). Recently this has included BICA Advanced Training to work with individuals undergoing fertility treatment, working with AI and sibling relationships.
  • Since 2018 I have worked in private practice in London. I now work online and in person at Miller's Yard in York and offer outdoor therapy in several locations.
  • I am registered with AXA Health, Vitality and Aviva.
Outdoor Therapy 

Research consistently shows that engaging with the natural world supports good mental health. In our screen-dependent, information heavy, 24-hour lives, emotional and digital burnout are increasingly common. 

For some individuals, conventional therapy can seem daunting, awkward, or too confrontational. Holding the session outside means that physical movement, feeling sun, rain, breeze, listening to birds, and wind in the trees all perform as "co-therapists", clearing the mind so difficult topics can be discussed. 

Safety and your individual needs are the priority. Before the session, we negotiate where we meet, assess any risk, how we will manage confidentiality and privacy during the session, and what 50 minutes of might look might look like for you (I can tailor distance, route, terrain etc to your individual needs).

Contact me for my current availability.

Practicalities


I work Monday - Thursday. Contact me for my current availability.

First, We have a 25 minute meeting, which can be online, in person or on the phone.  I answer any questions you may have, and explain the practicalities of how we work together. 

There is no obligation to make any commitment beyond this session. If you would like to continue, we will pick a day and time to begin our meetings. Once we have agreed a start date, I will send you some information, and a client/therapist agreement form for you to read through and sign. Our first session will involve me asking more questions about your history, up to how you arrived at this point. 

Sessions 

I work in central York and North Yorkshire. In York, my consultation room is in Miller's Yard, Gillygate. Union Terrace, Monk Bar and Bootham Row car parks are nearby, and further parking is available in nearby streets. It is a 10 minute walk from York station. 

I also work online. Currently I work with individuals all over the UK. For some individuals, the convenience of online work suits them. For others, it is because they would like to work with issues in which I specialise. 

 I offer outdoor therapy. This is in parkland, city greenspace or trail environments. If this is something you are interested in, get in touch and we can discuss how it works.

Fee Structure

 Online, in-person and outdoor sessions are £70.00. 

I work short term (6-12 sessions), long term, one-off sessions, and hybrid online and in-person. 

**Important Note** I will endeavour ro respond to your email within 24 hours, excluding weekends.

 If you are in distress, please call 111 NHS Mental Health Crisis Support.

Contact

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