Counsellors
All of our counsellors are professionally qualified or in training and abide by the BACP code of ethics. All counsellors maintain professional indemnity insurance cover and have been DBS/CRB checked.
Alix Otten
Alix trained as a teacher of learning-disabled people and has worked in schools, college, day-care, employment support and adult placement. Her counselling experience includes college, Well-Woman clinics, young people’s sexual health service, a specialist learning disability counselling service, employee assistance, and freelance work. Alix's approach is Person-Centred. Alix counsels adults and young people. She specially welcomes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender clients and people who are not sure about their sexuality or gender.
Amanda Shackleton
Amanda has worked as a clinical psychologist with people with learning disabilities for many years. She is also trained as a Disability Psychotherapist. Amanda has now left the NHS to focus on providing 1:1 therapy for people with learning disabilities and their carers. She currently works with a charity that supports people who have been in secure settings.
Amanda is skilled at working with people who have been through trauma, loss and other distressing experiences. Her approach helps people to ‘process’ and understand the things that have happened to them. When a person can understand why they feel as they do, this can be a great relief. The person can then find other ways of doing things to make their lives better.
Daniel Weaver
Daniel brings many valuable experiences to his role as counsellor. He has worked in the arts and creative education for three decades, helping adults with learning disabilities and young people to express themselves and to take control of their choices. Daniel's approach uses careful listening, empathy, creativity and non-verbal communication to "tune in" to clients. His aim is to help a client to clarify questions or needs, to look for their own solutions, to find ways to express themselves and find their voice. Having trained in integrative psychotherapy, Daniel also has a certificate in psychodrama and many hours' training in related communication studies.
Dave Gibbons
Dave is a counselling psychologist and a clinical supervisor. He works with children, young people, adults, relationships, families, groups and play therapy. Dave is a certified clinical trauma specialist (CCTS-I), and a Mindfulness practitioner Master. Dave has been a community development officer for adults with a LD (learning disability) and AS (autistic spectrum). He is STORM (Skills-based Training On Risk Management) and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trained). His counselling experience includes schools, colleges, universities, mental health organisations, suicidal & self-harming clients, abuse, HIV/AIDS, eating disorders, substance misuse, bereavement & loss, anxiety, phobias, anger & passivity, depression, panic attacks, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).
Eileen Steed
Eileen has a background of supporting children with learning difficulties as well as emotional and behavioural difficulties within education. She also has counselling experience within her own private practice and within voluntary organisations. Eileen has experience of working with adults and children supporting a wide range of issues. She has counselling qualifications including a diploma in person centred therapy and a diploma in cognitive behaviour therapy. She is a registered member of the BACP. Eileen has personal experience with autism having family members on the autistic spectrum.
Gill Linden
Gill has a background of working in a special needs school for 15 years.
Her counselling experience includes a Well Woman Centre, work with victims of crime and ten years in a drugs/alcohol treatment centre. Alongside this she has been with Respect for All since its beginnings in 2002. She is a qualified Person-Centred counsellor and group facilitator.
Gill has a lot of experience of working with people affected by childhood issues, people with addiction problems, and has a good understanding of Asperger’s.
Huma Lacey
Huma is a person centred counsellor. She has also worked as an assistant psychologist for 15 years with a learning disability team. Huma works in English and Urdu. Her counselling experience is with a mainstream agency and Respect for All. (Huma is having a break from counselling.)
Liam McDonagh
Liam works in social care with children and adults who have learning disabilities. He's a qualified hypnotherapist and is currently studying for an MA in Integrative Counselling at Manchester University. Liam is open to working with people in whatever way they feel helpful and sees counselling as a liberating process.
Michelle Keifer
Qualified as an integrative counsellor 4 years ago and is currently finishing her postgraduate work. She has worked with Beacon Counselling at Disability Stockport for 3 years. Michelle is experienced in working creatively within therapy. e.g. using art materials and stones. Michelle is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Michelle has direct experience of autism within the family. Michelle was employed for 6 years working with the Disability Design Reference Group as both a group member and group facilitator for Transport for Greater Manchester providing disability equality and access for disabled people.
Rachel Nelmes
Rachel is a qualified integrated counsellor currently finishing a BA hons degree in counselling. She is an individual member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and has worked in the voluntary counselling sector, with different organisations for a number of years. She has experience with clients of specific disabilities and has direct experience of caring for an individual with autism within her own family. Being an integrated counsellor, Rachel is able to work with a variety of clients using a combination of different counselling skills best suited to individual clients.
Rosey Bennett
I am a semi-retired person centred counsellor, having previously worked for 20 years in the NHS; where I developed a counselling service for people who had some learning needs and those on the autistic spectrum, including people with Asperger’s. This vulnerable group experienced frequent and regular bouts of anxiety and depression and were often victims of bullying and harassment.
I have experience of working with women who were victims of abuse and have also worked in a college where I provided counselling sessions for young people struggling to deal with anorexia and body dysmorphia disorder. I have more recently supported clients aged 60 years and older in confronting a range of issues faced by people in their later years.
I have completed a course in Mindfulness and practice regularly and can run groups for Mindfulness skills, bereavement, and assertiveness.
I am an accredited registered member of the BACP.
Steph Lee
Steph has been with Respect for All for seven years. She holds a Post Grad. Diploma in counselling, a second diploma in couple counselling and has cognitive behaviour therapy training.
She plays a major part in facilitating our support groups for people with Aspergers and also provides training to other professionals about this condition.
Steph has a partner with Aspergers and a son with learning difficulties and autism.
Victor Greenfield
Victor works in social care, supporting vulnerable adults with a wide range of complex needs and learning difficulties, in their own homes. After recently completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Salford University, where he specialised in the Person Centred Approach, Victor now also works as a counsellor and psychotherapist.
Wayne McConnell
Wayne has worked within Children’s Charities and Social Care, and also as a Communication Support Worker for deaf learners. He also used to support adults with mild learning difficulties getting back into education.
Wayne qualified as a counsellor in 2002 and as a Supervisor in 2005. He also qualified as a teacher in 2005 and taught the Introduction to Counselling course.
Wayne now teaches British Sign Language and is very interested in opening doors for deaf people to access counselling.
His counselling experience includes colleges, post adoption support, homeless centres, prisons and voluntary generic counselling services.
