Fiona McAlister

I have taken that learning into my relationships, into my career in social care where I’ve worked for many years with vulnerable young people and adults, and now into my counselling work where I walk alongside my clients whilst they work through their pain, loss, grief and trauma.

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Therapy with Fiona

During my psychotherapy training, I developed an interest in how trauma impacts people on multiple levels – emotionally, physically, thinking patterns and self-beliefs, spiritually. This became my specialism, and now my trauma-informed approach aims to create a safe space for each client. I will take time to develop a trusting relationship with you so that you feel able to dig deep – to share your vulnerabilities with me, to tell me your story, to explore your grief and loss, perhaps sit quietly in your pain or express your anger; and in doing so, reveal your truths to yourself as you gain insight into the sources of your anxieties and trauma.

As much of our life experience leaves traces of trauma in each of us, I work holistically to help you discover and process those traces, using a variety of methods and approaches. Together we might:

• Talk about your past in a journey towards understanding who you are now in your present;
• Bring your awareness to the trauma held in your body through mindfulness, somatic work, breath work, movement;
• Give respect and compassion to your inner voices to learn what your multiple parts wish to tell you;
• Look at issues in your present and what your thoughts, feelings and behaviours can teach about your beliefs of yourself and the world;
• Explore your personal philosophies in a search for life’s meaning;
• Work creatively with drawing, cards or objects to help you express unarticulated emotions.

Additionally, I might suggest other resources you can explore outside of our sessions to enhance your developing skills, such as books, articles, videos, podcasts, or exercises to practice between sessions.

By combining some or all of these techniques, I will be led by you as we create your therapy together to enable you to challenge unhelpful self-beliefs, tune into the wisdom of your body, integrate the impact of trauma, develop ways to more skilfully manage relationships, attune with your purpose in the world.

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A Little More About Me

Before training to be a psychotherapist, I worked for many years in the social care and voluntary sector, both as a paid professional and a volunteer, as frontline and in senior management. The people I’ve supported have been many and varied; young people from trauma-filled backgrounds, people with disabilities, older people nearing the end of life, adults with mental health issues, people living with HIV and AIDS. I bring all that I have been honoured to learn from those people into my therapy room, always aiming to use my insights for the benefit of the client.

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Areas I work with:

I work with young people and adults across a range of areas. My specialisms are working in-depth with survivors of child sexual abuse, adults coping with the impact of parental neglect and dysfunctional families, and people struggling to understand the impact of their trauma on the dynamics of their relationships. I support people preparing for and integrating the impact and insights gained from plant medicine (also called entheogens) experiences. I am also interested in exploring the feminine and masculine; how women and men connect to and express their identities through the different stages of their lives.

I also work with the following issues:

• Anxiety and fears
• Bereavement, Loss and Grief
• Emotional abuse
• Family dynamics
• Preparation for and integration of plant medicine experiences
• Low self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
• Parenting issues
• Relationship dynamics, breakdown and divorce
• Search for life’s purpose / meaning
• Self-harm
• Shame
• Stress
• Suicidal ideation
• Trauma (episodic and developmental)
• Work related issues (including coaching)

Supervision

I believe that supervision offers practitioners a space to pause and slow down; to be given a safe place to reflect with depth on our relationships with clients and their impact on us (such as countertransference); to review our skills and areas for development; enhance our confidence in our practice; consider our own self-care needs – all in the service of the people we are supporting.

I combine CSTD’s seven eyed model, with my own integrative therapeutic approach. I offer constructive feedback, helpful challenges and questions to support practitioners to reframe situations where they feel stuck, co-creating a learning environment. I am open to working with supervisees from diverse backgrounds, working in a variety of settings and with different modalities.

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Psychotherapy Qualifications and Experience:

I started my psychotherapy training by gaining a Foundation Certificate Course in Counselling and Psychotherapy with Naos in 2016, then an Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Counselling at CPPD Counselling School two years later. I went on to complete a Diploma in Trauma Therapy in 2021, and continue to broaden and deepen my learning throughout the year by engaging in continual professional development. Additionally, I am currently undertaking a Certificate in Supervision at the Centre for Supervision and Training Development (CSTD).

Starting my therapy practice as a student, I have worked for a variety of organisations including as a volunteer counsellor for ELMS, a mental health charity offering short term therapy; a psychotherapist for the Koan Practice; and a volunteer therapist, consultant, group facilitator and supervisor at One in Four, a specialist charity providing services to survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence and trauma.

I hold a clear, enhanced DBS.

Professional Body

I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Additionally, my work is supervised by a qualified supervisor and Accredited member of BACP.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/

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Contact:

Please call or email me for an initial chat; I offer a free 20-minute consultation for you to explore what you are seeking from working with me, what I can offer you and whether we’re a good match.

07795 299 719
therapywithfiona@proton.me

Rates and Practical Information:

I work with young people and adult individuals; my rate is £75 for 50-minutes session or £80 for 60 minutes (depending on availability).

My rate for supervision is currently £40 for 60 minutes (on-line). I will review this once I have completed my training and give supervisees due notice of any increase.

Please note that, as the use of plant medicines is currently illegal in the UK, I cannot provide access to the medicines or carry out illegal medicine-assisted work. My practice does not support or encourage the use of illicit substances in unregulated and illegal frameworks.

Sessions

If you decide to work with me, we would usually meet weekly, in person or on-line. I am available at the BTRs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. In our first sessions, we will agree a contract through which I guarantee your confidentiality, identify the areas you wish to work on, and discuss together the length of therapy that might suit you (I work open-ended), though we will continue to review this in partnership throughout our time together.

For supervision, I work on-line and am happy to meet at the frequency that suits your needs (weekly, fortnightly or monthly).

Directions to Barnsbury Therapy Space