Acorn Counselling Therapy Growing stronger each day
About Acorn Counselling Therapy
Who we are & what we know
Acorn Counselling Therapy is Peter Golder and Giancarlo Squillaci. The founder & counsellor is Peter Golder as pictured and the Business Manager is Giancarlo Squillaci.
Finding the right counsellor to work with is key, as it will affect how you think and feel in the counselling sessions. We specialise in counselling for the LGBTQ community you can discover more here about our LGBTQ experience and credentials. So it is important to introduce and tell you about Peter.
The type of counselling he uses involves Transactional Analysis (TA), if you want to find out about TA go to our Approach page. For more about Peter read on here.
The focus in my counselling work, is on who my clients are as individuals, what they need, who they want to be and working with them in exploring or clarifying specific situations. I say specific, because we are all different and our individual differences must be appreciated. What each person brings to counselling will be unique to them, so I take time to carefully listen to what they have to say. I work with each client to understand their situation, giving them the opportunity to find some space or light, in what can sometimes be, a life that feels very dark, with little room to move.
Like many people, my life has brought me into contact with many difficult experiences that can be hard to manage. These include relationships, bereavement, physical health, mental health and the fear that life won’t be the same as you had hoped it would be. My situation is not the same as anyone else's, but it’s important to share that I have an understanding and empathy for what people talk to me about, because I have experienced something similar. This can be important for building a connection between myself and my clients.
Introducing Peter Golder
Experience, training and areas of specialism
I have worked with people who have been affected by many different types of issues especially within the LGBTQ+ community. My top specialisms are;
Anxiety
Gender identity
Gender dysphoria
Sexuality
I worked for the Brighton and Hove branch of Samaritans as a listening volunteer supporting people who were suicidal or in emotional distress on the phone, by email and by text.
I volunteered as a counsellor with Mindout, a charity in Brighton, resulting in me working with many clients from the LGBTQ+ community. This, coupled with my own LGBTQ identity, gives me a passion and understanding for Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity (GSRD).
I assist with the running of a counselling service supporting the mental health needs of the LGBTQ community in Brighton and Hove.
Qualifications
General Certificate in Online Counselling
Diploma in Counselling - The Link Centre
Advanced Counselling Skills - The Link Centre
BSc (Hons) Psychology - The Open University
BA (Hons) Music - University of Leeds
Professional development training
Introduction to counselling with couples
Certificate in Working with Couples
Level 3 Safeguarding Adults
Trauma, the Brain and Recovery
Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)
Suicide intervention
Working therapeutically with sandtrays
Working with problem gamblers
Working with Difference and Diversity
Gender Identity and Transgender awareness
Code of ethics follwed
Areas of counselling covered
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Anxiety
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Affairs and betrayals
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Anger management
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Bereavement
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Bullying
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Childhood bullying
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Depression
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Discrimination
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Family Issues
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Feeling sad
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Gambling
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Generalised anxiety disorder
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Gender
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Gender Dysphoria
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Health anxiety
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Health and illness
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HIV/AIDS
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Identity issues
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Internet usage
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LGBTQ issues
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Low self-esteem
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Low self-confidence
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Loneliness
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Non-binary
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Passive aggression
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Redundancy
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Relationship problems
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Self-harm
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Sexuality
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Smoking
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Stress
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Suicidal thoughts
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Transgender issues
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Trauma
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Queer