Welcome to Tony Burton Counselling
About Me
Hi,- here you are, looking for the right counsellor for you. My name is Tony and a warm welcome. I know, from personal experience, that at times, we can need that extra assistance during challenging and difficult periods of our lives, and it can take courage and strength to reach out and seek it. You may be miserable, struggling and feeling "stuck" at present, with work-related stress & difficulties, relationships with others, depression, anxiety, hurt, anger, guilt, shame, regrets, loss, and trauma; - life's adversities we can all at times experience, and find ourselves. I am no stranger to some of these struggles...
Counselling can offer a way forward where you can find more find greater freedom to move forward, with skills to manage difficult thoughts and feelings or problematic situations effectively.
The core values I work from are to provide a non-judgemental, empathic relationship and to develop a trusting working bond, which is vital to enable you to feel at ease, comfortable and understood.
I hold a Diploma in Psychological Counselling (Roehampton University), BPS-CBT approved training, ACT training with Contextual Consulting, and Psychwire. I have 28 years of experience in the Mental Health field, - working in fields such as deliberate self-harm teams, folks with personality difficulties, trauma, substance misuse, and experiencing a very wide range of mental health, emotional or psychological difficulties.
Counselling
We will work together as a team - you and I, collaboratively, towards a greater understanding of the problematic issues you are experiencing, finding a way forward towards your identified counselling goals. This would be within an agreed working contract. This can be brief, time-limited, or for longer periods of work.
I draw upon evidence-based models - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, & a modern Unified style of Cognitive Behaviour Counselling. A compassion informed working with painful, difficult feelings - alongside possible unhelpful thinking and actions.
Following assessment - and an ongoing understanding of how you are "stuck"- we look at developing an action plan that would meet your individual needs, and agree on together in session. This may also mean using skills or strategies we have agreed to focus upon in your time outside of sessions and to assess your progress. This will help reinforce the work that we have practised to be transferred into your life outside.
Evidence is that doing one’s best to practice or monitor the skills, as best you can, in your life outside of 1-1 sessions leads to better overall improved outcomes. For this, you will, at times, if you agree, be given information, notes and skills exercises. The skills are often competed jointly also with me when in 1-1 – either personally or on Zoom, before using, as best you can, in your day-to-day life. We are equals in our common humanity and struggles.
You may be able to feel less troubled or distressed - to find a more helpful way forward. To know more about what you value and the direction you need to go to find meaning and purpose. To be more skilled in handling painful thoughts and feelings more effectively and less stuck - acknowledging the social settings in which these can sometimes be set.
What issues can counselling help with?
People come to me for help a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Stress
Trauma
Depression
Relationship problems
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger
Anxiety
Problems with addiction
Regrets
Procrastination
Hurt
Perfectionism
Post-traumatic stress
Grief, loss or bereavement
Work or retirement
Abuse
Men's issues
My location
I work 1-1 from a home office setting within a quiet and confidential counselling space in Kent. A 3-minute walk from Chatham railway station - very close to Rochester station. Parking will be available within a CCTV-monitored position for you.
Home visits are also possible, depending on your individual circumstances. Your privacy and safety would be essential, for us both.
Fees & availability
Fees - £40 per 50 minutes. Concessionary rates available.
Our first session will be around 75 minutes, allowing you time for you to assess if you think that we can work together, and also allow to gain an understanding of how you are currently stuck, and what difficulties you are experiencing. We collaborate together to develop an understanding of these, developing initial working plan from there. This can often be an on-going process and change over a longer time, setting reviews for progress.
Note that on occasions, the first session may, by itself, be helpful. This can be followed up by further sessions - on a "one-by-one" basis. Or set over an agreed time frame, setting reviews for progress.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07983145365 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
FAQs
I will be offering online counselling sessions on a one-to-one basis via Zoom soon. 1-1 is more personal, and the working relationship is just as important as any therapy model. I use and am trained in models that are strongly supported by empirical evidence as to their effectiveness.
Free 20-minute consultation to discuss your issues and assess for us both whether to proceed.
This is a unique form of CBT that draws on informal and formal mindfulness, acceptance and behavioural change strategies to foster psychological wellness and flexibility. This is a cutting-edge way of working that recognises that “fighting” against internal experiences, via traditional CBT - with thoughts, feelings, and memories etc, can often be counterproductive and can lead to an increase in psychological suffering. Instead, ACT encourages you to accept these experiences as part of you without judgment, to embrace them and to use them as a stepping stone to personal growth. It is about “getting better at feelings, not so strongly as feeling better”. Although the latter can often be the result. We hurt where we care, and where what we truly value lies hidden often in plain sight.
Traditional CBT “works” with the idea that the way we think will affect the way we feel and behave. Change your thoughts – change your feelings and actions. The Unified model recognises that this is not quite so easy - and works equally with your feelings and emotions and how we respond and find ways to reduce their power to “push us around” in ways that are unhelpful. It combines acceptance, compassion skills, informal and, at times, formal mindfulness, and parts of CBT – to develop emotional awareness and increased thinking flexibility skills.
Yes... sometimes all that is needed is for you to reflect and think through issues that are troubling you, causing you distress, discomfort and unease. Space and time can help you find a way through this.
Your confidentiality is essential. Notes I keep are locked in a safe in my office. You have free access to these; you will have various information sheets to reinforce the skills development we may have discussed, at times as agenda setting outside of sessions, and a copy of our initial and ongoing thinking of your struggles and how and why you may be “stuck”.
Please feel free to communicate with me if you have any more questions.
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