Richard Farr
Member Status: Senior Accredited
Member No: NCS20-01163
Location: Ramsgate
Like many Counselling Professionals my journey into the Profession began later in life - at age 40, the point at which, it used to be said, 'life begins'. Having decided to bring my near two decade Civil Service Career with the Crown Prosecution Service to a close I began my counselling journey with not one but two Level 2 Counselling courses of study [the latter specialising in working with children], finishing with a firm desire to progress to Professional status which I achieved following completion of the Level 3 and then the 2 year Level 4 Diploma. Since qualification in 2014 I have achieved over 6500 hours of client practice, split evenly between adults and children/young people aged 11-17. Areas of Practice have included the [NHS] IAPT Scheme within both Agency and GP Surgery Settings, Low-cost Community based Counselling, Employee Assist, Secondary School Counselling and Private Practice. In 2021 I completed a Level 6 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision and now maintain a Supervision Practice consisting of both Counselling [Qualified and Student] and other 'Helping Professional' Supervisees via Agencies and Privately.
Background and personal circumstances have influenced some of my specialisations ;
- As the parent of a 'cradle to grave' severe learning disabled child [now aged 28] I specialise in Special Needs/Disability both for clients with those needs and those associated with such needs [Parents of disabled children, Staff in Special Schools or Residential settings]
- As a long standing Civil Servant, Workplace Representative [Personal Casework] and School Governor [32 years concurrent experience] I offer an empathic environment to clients and Supervisees with workplace issues
- As an on-going Associate Member [non-practising] of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives [since 2009] I offer a knowledgeable Counselling service to clients and Supervisees with legal/ethical issues, which often extends and overlaps with Disability Law/process as indicated in the specialisation above
- As a Trained Community and Workplace Mediator I also offer that understanding to clients with Community based issues as well as those whose difficulties lie within their work environment
I welcome client and Supervisee referrals from all ages [11 and upwards for clients], all gender and sexuality identities, racial, socio-economic or [perceived] class backgrounds.