Ed Fennelly

Ed Fennelly in the second year of his two-year Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and is training to be an integrative counsellor. He is also a student member of the BACP and is committed to upholding their ethical standards, especially those of autonomy, fidelity and non-maleficence. Ed works at the Low Cost Counselling Service in Tooting as well as having experience working for an online platform that counsels adults across the country.

Ed is currently in his first year of his counselling diploma using an integrative approach, synthesising a person-centred style with the psychodynamic. This means that he believes that ultimately people are the experts about their own lives and what is best for them, but sometimes need a fresh approach to help them to connect the dots and work out how to move forward. However sometimes in order to go forward, one must revisit the journey that led them to the present and learn how their past affects them now. A mixture of person centred with psychodynamic theory can help a person understand how previous their life events affect their present; and how to overcome current obstacles. Ed integrates these two modalities of therapy with an overarching framework of Petruska Clarkson’s five relational model, which means that the relationship between therapist and client is the main factor of change. Ed was drawn to the integrative approach because it can be tailored to suit the individual needs of the client and accommodate their uniqueness.

Ed specialises in issues of self-esteem and believes unconditional support and willingness to understand the client’s perspective go a long way in improving confidence and self-acceptance. He understands how alienating the modern world can be, and so has a keen interest in working with isolation and loneliness, as well as depression, guilt, and shame.