Lesley Strabel
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist in Rhoose

Are you struggling with a recent or past life event? Do you feel this is affecting aspects of your personal, work, or social life? Are you looking to explore your personal ambitions, goal setting, and achievements? Would you benefit from examining your personal development, commitment, or relationship patterns?

Counselling can help you to take a step back and look at the direction your life is going; any changes you may want to make; how you can implement those changes and how you can achieve your aspirations.

About Me

My name is Lesley Strabel, and I am the founder of Aspirations Counselling Service. I am a compassionate, empathic counsellor who strives to understand the experiences and events that form 'your world'. I can help you explore your past and current difficulties. Then support you in the acquisition of new perspectives, and the development of the skills you need to overcome them and achieve your aspirations.

Background & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Qualifications

Education

My counselling training is of the highest standard, and my qualifications are accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk) and the British Psychological Society (www.BPS.org.uk).

2000-2001: Certificate in Social Science

2000-2006: BSc (Hons) Psychology

2006-2007: The Advanced Diploma in Child Development

2010-2011: Certificate in Counselling Skills

2011-2013: Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

2013-2014: Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling

2013-2014: Foundation Degree in Counselling

2015-2016: Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Training

I attend regular continual professional development training courses to keep my knowledge and skills up to date. I also keep abreast of the latest research in counselling and psychotherapy. These two things combined inform my practice to ensure that you receive the best service I can provide.

Certificate in First Aid (St John Ambulance in Wales)

Certificate in Mental Health First Aid (Cardiff Mind)

ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (Living Works)

Brief Encounters, Working in Time Conscious Ways (CCSW)

Assessment, CORE and Time Limited Contracts (CCSW)

Working with the Effects of Trauma (CCSW)

Working with Gender identity (CCSW)

Working with Phobias and OCD (Carmarthenshire Counselling Service)

Mindfulness Workshop (Samye Foundation Wales)

Safeguarding Children (Vale of Glamorgan County Council)

NLP Coaching for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (NLP Vision)

Birth Trauma Recovery

My Specialisms

I have a specific interest in birth related mental health. I work with perinatal depression. I counsel both mothers and fathers suffering with postnatal depression. I am trained to provide birth trauma recovery for mothers, and also treat birth partners and health workers who are struggling with bystander trauma following traumatic birth exposure.

Approach to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy & How I Work

I offer face to face counselling sessions, in comfortable rooms in Cardiff. I also offer sessions remotely via zoom on request.

I work from a humanistic/existential approach with CBt integrated where appropriate. The aim of which is to support and enable you to find the strength to overcome any difficulties you may face in your own unique way, after all, you are the expert on you. I see the therapeutic relationship as the foundation of our work together, providing a solid, secure base, from which to explore your difficulties. Existential counselling allows you to focus upon the here and now, and live your life in the present. I strongly believe in the need for, and provision of, a safe and confidential space to allow you to be who you truly are. Our therapeutic relationship will allow you the opportunity to talk openly about your issues without judgement or prejudice, to feel understood, and be supported throughout.

Working together as equals, the therapeutic relationship that we would create together can provide you with an opportunity to gain a new perspective, establish your own personal goals, and over time find your own solutions and develop new ways of coping that are functional and sustainable.

It also allows you the space and time to develop a deeper level of self-awareness. This can enable you to gain insight and understanding of who you are, how you relate to the world, and how this can influence the way you function in life. The humanistic approach to counselling is client led, this gives you control of your sessional content, goal setting, and developmental journey, this process enables you to regain control of your life outside of the counselling room.

Contact me to book an initial session, at which we will explore your reasons for seeking counselling, discuss how we will work together and explore any questions you may have. Then, if you are comfortable working with me, and feel I am the right counsellor for you, we can establish a working contract and arrange further sessions.

I offer both short term solution and goal focussed therapy as well as long term open ended counselling. The appropriateness of each for your situation can form part of the discussion at our initial session, any decision you make can be reviewed regularly throughout our work together.

I strive to answer emails within 12 hours, if you haven't received a response within this time please can you check your ‘Junk Mail'. To ensure my emails are not classified as spam please add enquiries@aspirationscounselling.co.uk to your address book to guarantee you receive a response. If you haven't had a response within 24 hours I may not have received your enquiry, please feel free to email me at enquiries@aspirationscounselling.co.uk or text your email address to me on 07749 469 894.

Therapies & Rates

Please note the rates detailed below are there to give you an idea of the therapists standard rates, we strongly advise you contact the therapist for more detailed rates and any offers they may have.

Therapy	Appointment Type	Rate
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy	In Person	£60 per 50 minutes
Psychotherapy	In Person	£60 per 50 minutes
Psychotherapy	Online/Telephone	£60 per 50 minutes

Additional Rate Information

Concessions are offered to counsellors in training who are fulfilling personal therapy commitments. Terms: You will need to request the student discount when booking your appointment and provide evidence of your student status at your initial session.