Better For Talking
The private practice website of licensed psychotherapist Mark Hawkins
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the Better For Talking website. Thanks for visiting.
Better For Talking is a trading name of private practitioner Mark Hawkins, a registered psychotherapist based in Cardiff, UK, and an accredited member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). Mark also holds full public liability insurance and is DBS-checked.
Mark has a special interest in traumatic experience: what it can give to people, and what it can take away.
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One-to-one online sessions are available at a rate of £50 GBP per session. Concessions are available for students.
Please take a look around the site to find out more.
About Me
Engaging with any therapist is a highly personal decision so it's important that you know something about me.
I have worked with people experiencing a range of conditions including post-traumatic stress, abuse, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, addiction, sex and relationship issues, and bereavement.
Relevant experience and qualifications:
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Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice, Level 5.
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Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Diploma Level 4.
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More than 100 placement hours of therapeutic experience across two agencies, working with adult clients mostly face-to-face, as well as online and on the telephone: two years.
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Samaritans, listener: two years.
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Basic Counselling Skills I and II.
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Talking Therapy Services
I believe in a style of therapy adapted to suit every client individually. My initial therapeutic approach will always be person-centred, focusing on you and your experience of life right now. I'll attempt to understand things as you understand them.
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As our sessions and therapeutic relationship develop, we can discuss other approaches if they seem like they could be useful.
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These might involve tools, resources, or techniques from other therapeutic modalities and theories including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), gestalt, psychodynamic, or any new and emerging ideas.
There are no issues that I won't consider working with, but I have a special interest in trauma, what it can do to people, what it can give them, and what it can remove.
What's on your mind?
Please take some time to consider what you want from therapy. Perhaps you simply want a confidential space to breathe and say things you feel unable to say elsewhere. Maybe you want coping techniques for specific day-to-day issues.
You might want to refocus historic family issues, trauma, or abuse. This can help to gain greater clarity and understanding about yourself. You might want to bring about personal change, but feel confused or stuck.
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Navigating through life's issues can be hard, but reaching out for help is a big first step.
Try talking everything through, out loud, to someone who is actively listening. It can make a big difference.
Better for talking
'Better For Talking' comes from a personal belief that we humans simply feel better for talking. Talking, communication and connection lies at the heart of wellbeing.
Of course it's not always simple or easy. Finding the right words can be difficult, and that's where it can be helpful to speak to someone.
But it is possible to talk openly about challenging or troubling issues: trauma, abuse, bereavement, motivation, discipline, negative thought patterns. These are things that can prevent growth and development if they are ignored or avoided.
Talking therapy offers a space to breathe, and talk freely and confidentially to someone entirely removed from your life.
Ethical practice
As an accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, I abide by a strict ethical code.
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Therapy is most effective in an environment with clear boundaries.
A therapist and client should have no relationship, or third-party connection, with each other outside of their therapeutic relationship. There should be no dual relationships in operation.
