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About Me

My name is Deborah Parkins and I am an experienced, qualified and registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist.

My Qualifications

  • Masters Degree in Humanistic Person-Centred Psychotherapy
  • Masters Degree in Special Educational Needs
  • Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree
  • Advanced Certificate Systemic Practice with Families and Couples
  • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level One
  • Attachment Lead in Schools
  • TheraplayŽ Level One


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My Professional Profile

  • I am an Accredited Counsellor / Psychotherapist with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). (www.bacp.co.uk)
  • I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) (www.psychotherapy.org.uk)
  • I am a Registered Child Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) (www.psychotherapy.org)
  • I am a registered Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist with the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) (www.iceeft.com)
As an individual member of BACP (www.bacp.co.uk) I work within its Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework) which helps to ensure that I provide both an ethical and professional service.

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My Training

I trained at the Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute (www.spti.net) as a Humanistic Person-Centred Counsellor / Psychotherapist which means that I am committed to the belief that the relationship between the therapist and client is central to the healing process.

I will offer you my time, attention, respect and the opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of yourself and your difficulties. The experience of a safe, valuing and trusting therapeutic relationship in which you feel free from judgment will hopefully enable you to feel supported enough to explore many different aspects of yourself and your relationships with others. This process of exploration has the potential to offer you a greater degree of clarity about what options are available to you both in terms of your general well-being and your quality of life.

I have completed an Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with Couples. More information on EFT can be found at www.iceeft.com.

I have completed Level One in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) which is an introduction to DDP. DDP was originally developed by Dan Hughes and is a way of working with children who have experienced trauma and loss. DDP is based on principles derived from attachment and trauma theory and research. It is a family centred approach and the child's attachment figures are actively involved. The focus on improving attachment relationships has the potential to help all families whether foster, adoptive or biological. More information on DDP can be found at www.ddpnetwork.org

I have completed training to become an Attachment Lead. The training was developed and delivered by Louise Bomber. Louise has written extensively about the impact on children of significant relational traumas and losses, and how we can best meet the needs of these children by adopting a relational way of working with them in schools.
An Attachment Lead is someone who advocates for vulnerable children who need an attachment aware approach to support them with their learning within the school environment. This approach necessarily complements the training undertaken to become an EFT Couples Therapist, and the DDP Level One training as the focus is on helping both children and adults to experience more secure emotional bonds, which in turn will help them to relate in a better way with themselves and with others. More information on the work of Louise Bomber can be found at www.theyellowkite.co.uk

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My Practice

I work with individual adults and couples within my private
practice, and I also work with young people and their families
within an educational context.

I have experience of working with a wide range of issues which include:

  • Low self-esteem                               
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Employment issues
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Identity Issues
  • Abuse
  • Loss
  • Bereavement
  • Phobias
  • Family concerns
  • Separation / Divorce
If you have any questions then please feel free to contact me. You will not be under any obligation and your enquiry will be responded to quickly and confidentially.

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