First Steps Forward.
Counselling, Coaching, Mentoring, Advisory Teacher, and Autism Training Provider. Clinical Supervisor.
First Steps Forward.
Counselling, Coaching, Mentoring, Advisory Teacher, and Autism Training Provider. Clinical Supervisor.
Who is First Steps Forward?
The Practice
Ethos
Dave is a person-centred integrative counsellor, meaning that he is guided by the client as where they wish the session to go. That also means that he is not there to give answers, but to facilitate the client to achieve that themselves, empowering them to be able to transfer these skills to other challenging occasions in their lives. It is about forming positive therapeutic relationships, as a critical friend, challenging where appropriate but always supportive.
Dave is a coach, counsellor, therapist, teacher, and a clinical supervisor. He is accredited to deliver coaching and counselling to adults, and also to young people from the ages of 11-18. There are many concerns and issues that he is able to support clients with; the list ranges from abuse, addictions to sexual assaults and trauma. While also including Autism Spectrum Condition, ADHD, and neurodiversity generally. Utilising both coaching and counselling enables a richer and more diverse way to explore and develop ways to support clients. Dave has specialised in Special Educational Needs, Learning Disabilities, Autism, ADHD, and delivers training to professionals, including parents, in this area. Dave has experience in supporting adults and young people including through advising Schools and Colleges. While supporting equality and diversity in both recognising the uniqueness of women, as well as those who identify as Trans.
Counselling and Neurodiversity
Dave puts the clients in the centre of the process and will go the extra mile to ensure that they feel empowered and in charge of the process. A lot of clients; adults, young people, and families, come to this practice directly through private enquiries and from other counsellors, CAMHS and the National Autistic Society, to name but a few and seeking support, advice and understanding about Autism Spectrum Conditions, ADHD and Neurodivergence. Many of whom have felt let down by the system as well as not supported. Many state that other therapists or professionals profess an understanding of this area, but few have as extensively as this therapist. This is an area of particular interest and part of the expertise that Dave brings to this area comes from personal lived experiences, teaching, parenting, and foster parenting, working for the National Autistic Society, as well as an array of qualifications including a Master’s degree in Education (Autism). As well as Post Graduate qualifications in Special Educational Needs and Psychological and Learning Disabilities.
The Setting
Dave is based in Surrey he delivers both face to face and online sessions. The face-to-face and online sessions are delivered in the office shed, in the garden at the rear of the house. It is a warm, confidential, and a safe space to let it all go surrounded by trees and wildlife such as deer, foxes, and a variety of bird life.
Online sessions means that Dave is able to deliver counselling to any one in the UK. Dave takes private clients directly through recommendations from previous clients, through various platforms such as Counselling Directory, National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society Directory, the NAS directory, as well as through West Sussex and Surrey Council local offers, though he also has clients from all of the UK. He worked through a local charity supporting people bereaved through the suicide of family or friends, as well as counselling directly both adults and young people who feel suicidal.
Dave also takes work from a national company who triage and match clients with specialist counsellors to meet their needs, this means a diverse and eclectic mix of needs are often being presented, and managed, in the counselling sessions. Dave's integrative coaching and counselling style and approach will be uniquely tailored to your needs and will be central to the support offered.
What First Steps Forward Delivers
Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring
There are times when we all need a facilitator to support and encourage us to overcome day to day life experiences that have become too much to deal with alone. Dave will put you at the centre of the process enabling you to feel valued and supported while also being responsive to your needs. It is about guiding you to find your own path, yet with the knowledge that there is someone beside you on the journey while you need them. This is done through being non-judgemental, open and honest, being a critical friend, guiding you to self-healing.
Dave can alternate between counselling and coaching in the sessions where appropriate. Both have their merits in understanding the needs of the client. While one may concentrate on the experiences that have bought a client to where they are, the other may look at the present and look at how the future may be achieved. Personal goal setting, outcomes as well as self-driven motivation are fantastic ways to see tangible steps towards a better life. Mentoring is a supportive way of enabling the client, especially those who may have an additional need to use the session as a way to focus ideas, look for alternatives, and rehearse ways to move forward.
Costs for Counselling, Counsellor Supervision, personal mentoring and coaching.
At the initial meeting counselling, mentoring and coaching costs will be agreed and a counselling contract signed.
All private client sessions are 50 minutes and cost £60 per session. There are concessions available for certain benefits as well as for blue light services, public services, armed forces, veterans, and NHS at the discretion of the counsellor on an individual basis, please do not be offended if proof is requested. If you are not sure feel free to ask rather than go without if you need support.
Trainee counsellor and counsellor supervision £75 per 90 minutes.
List of barriers and concerns
Abuse
Addictions
ADHD
Affairs and betrayal
Anger
Anxiety-Social anxiety
Autistic Spectrum Condition/Asperger’s
Infant and baby loss
Bullying
Carer support
Depression
Domestic Abuse
Emotional abuse
Family issues
Learning difficulties/ SEND
Low self-confidence/low self esteem
Neurodiversity
Passive aggressive behaviour
Physical Abuse
PTSD symptoms
Healthy relationships
Self-harm
Sexuality
Stress
Suicidal thoughts
Rainbow babies
Trauma
Transitioning
and many more
Related Services
Domestic and sexual violence and abuse-partner and familiar
Autism- Corporate Training, Educational and Social Care in-service training
Domestic and sexual violence and abuse-partner and familiar
Domestic violence and abuse
Dave has worked alongside other partner agencies to work with both perpetrators and with people who have been victimised through violence in the home. Whether this is partner violence, regardless of gender, or child/adolescent violence towards parents or carers. He has delivered training to police officers on in
Domestic violence and abuse
Dave has worked alongside other partner agencies to work with both perpetrators and with people who have been victimised through violence in the home. Whether this is partner violence, regardless of gender, or child/adolescent violence towards parents or carers. He has delivered training to police officers on investigating violence both as a lecturer and through a charity. Also, he has worked in social care where the children are often the unseen victims of parental discord, working on building better relationships between partners, supporting children and adults where violence at home impact on them as individuals and as a family.
As a counsellor Dave has an extra insight having not only the practical working with families and
adults but also a master’s degree in Understanding DV and sexual assault. In addition, the often complicating factor of one or more of the people involved being neurodiverse means Dave can combine these specialist skills to support more effectively.
Supervision of trainee and established counsellors
Autism- Corporate Training, Educational and Social Care in-service training
Domestic and sexual violence and abuse-partner and familiar
Counselling supervision
As counsellors we all are required to attend meaningful supervision with another experienced counsellor. This is an opportunity to share, confidentially, how we are currently working with our clients and to discuss if there are better ways to give a better experience to them. It is also about accountability, safegu
Counselling supervision
As counsellors we all are required to attend meaningful supervision with another experienced counsellor. This is an opportunity to share, confidentially, how we are currently working with our clients and to discuss if there are better ways to give a better experience to them. It is also about accountability, safeguarding, learning and professional development. Dave is a qualified Clinical Supervisor. Dave feels that this is an opportunity to grow and learn himself through working with others, while at the same time, facilitating, empowering, and supporting peers to also develop and grow. Supervision is different from counselling, though many of the same skills are used, and requires a different more stood back way of looking at counselling. Statistically many counsellors have had poor experiences of clinical supervision so Dave aims that he will offer the best he can, be ethical, honest and transparent to supervisees.
Autism- Corporate Training, Educational and Social Care in-service training
Autism- Corporate Training, Educational and Social Care in-service training
Autism- Corporate Training, Educational and Social Care in-service training
Education
Dave is uniquely placed having worked in Education-as a lecturer and teacher, social care, public services. Also running a county wide and pan London team of family support and well being coordinators in a national charity that supports adults and children on the Autistic Spectrum. Including crisis intervention and workshops for
Education
Dave is uniquely placed having worked in Education-as a lecturer and teacher, social care, public services. Also running a county wide and pan London team of family support and well being coordinators in a national charity that supports adults and children on the Autistic Spectrum. Including crisis intervention and workshops for parents to support upskilling. Dave has experience of supporting people with S.E.N and neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD etc) and learning disabilities. This enables him to understand how best to select from the raft of strategies which may work to support individuals and families. He is able to offer training that encompasses general or specific neurodiversity, and other bespoke training with real life experiences and examples, teaching strategies as well as support and mentoring.
Neurodiversity corporate training and workplace reasonable adjustments. This is a dual role where we are able to look at informing, training and facilitating in a workplace environment to empower neurotypicals (non-neurodivergent) to a better understanding of the staff that are neurodivergent. While we are also able to work with the neurodiverse workers to enable them to have a better experience in their workplace, making where needed reasonable adjustments to support the Equality Act and a more productive, less anxiety and stressful work place.
Qualifications and Costs
Qualifications and Memberships
BSc (Hons), BA (Hons) in Counselling
Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PCET) QTLS
Post Graduate Diploma in Education (SEN)
Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology and Learning Disabilities
Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision
Masters in Education (Autism)
Masters degree in Understanding Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Member of the National Counselling Society (MNCS)
Costs for Training, Mentoring, Funded sessions
Corporate Training and presentations- £400 per 2 hours, £150 per subsequent hours. Travel costs to be included depending on location.
Education and Inset training- £400 per 2 hours. Half or full days negotiable. Travel costs to be included depending on location.
Coaching Funded sessions with children/adults, e.g. via schools, colleges, social services £80 per 50 minutes (Hourly rates available). Travel time and mileage to be included.