About David

I have work premises in Sherwood Rise, Nottingham and at Spring Road, Lichfield

I work as a therapist in private practice, with both adults and young adults.

I have experience in working in a GP practice with adults; in addition I have worked in both secondary and primary schools as a student counsellor.

I am a visiting lecturer and have worked on the CPD and Mental Health programmes at UCE, Birmingham (now City of Birmingham University); specialist teaching in Gestalt practice and communication, working with adolescents, and Brief and Focal practice; and the delivery of Introduction to Counselling Skills, for Health Care professionals.

I hold an MA in Gestalt Psychotherapy from Birmingham University having trained with with the Sherwood Training Institute in Nottingham.

I am a registered Gestalt Psychotherapist with the UKCP

David Forrest, telephone: 0115 9858661 and 01543 253960

e-mail davidforrest@gestaltuk.com

I have experience of working with a wide range of personal issues, brought to therapy by a cross section of individuals, from all walks of life; My desire is to support you in facing, dealing and managing the troubles, worries, decisions and fears that are now affecting you.

My work with adults has covered a wide range of issues that have centred around relationship difficulties; life options in terms of choices and meanings; problems and choices arising from work, including dealing with job insecurity, re-assignment, redundancy, retirement; also in examining personal styles of living and behaviour that include alcohol and drug abuse.

Levels of anxiety across the spectrum are individual and not comparable. Each of us face the problems and dilemmas that confront us as best we can. This includes seeking support, and it is in this context that I offer a safe, confidential and supportive place in which therapy may aid you in your personal growth and life coping skills

Working with young people has always been a prominent factor for me, and not always an easy one. I have always believed that the journey through adolescence is an important and crucial one; and one in which often the journey gets missed, whilst the destination is focussed on. This informed my teaching for 10 years whilst working within the 11-16 inner city education system, in which I developed the use of individualised learning schemes and taught from a position of respect and acceptance for all my students. In training as a therapist I was aware of my desire to return to working with young people and have worked part time in a secondary school in Nottingham over the last year and a half, completing 175 hours of contact time. The therapeutic task has required working not simply with the student, but also with their teachers, other members of staff, parents and other agencies.

Summary:

I work to value the individual; to recognise and respect where the person is in his or her own place and work from this point.
This encompasses listening, respect, patience, reflection, and empathy.
I am able to work as part of a team including peer support and, in the commercial environment, managing and liaising with organisations, teams and individuals.
Able to work on my own and within a framework, responding and encompassing change.
Able to respond to the immediacy of the work; as an advocate in supporting client needs, and responsive to changing project needs.
I recognise my own support needs and integration with team needs.
Ethically I work to the code of ethics of the Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute, aligned with the UK Council for Psychotherapy.
Recognise the importance of guidelines and procedures that impact my work.
Able to monitor, record, and reflect on the therapeutic process.
To work creatively with imagination, story telling and poetry; the use of material, such as sand tray, toys, painting and modelling.

Experience

During 2002/03, working one day a week in a doctor's surgery.
I worked in a brief and focal environment.
I work in private practice with adults and adolescents
Working within Secondary Education as a therapist with students 11 -16
I have gained valuable experience in dealing with a wide range of difficulties faced by a cross section of the community. This has included students, young and old adults.
I work as a Safe Speak (Derby Relate) counsellor with adolescents
Visiting lecturer with Birmingham City University (formerly University of Central England), facilitating Counselling Skills and Consolidation courses.
15 years business experience in IT and management level
Previously worked, as a Mathematics teacher, in Secondary Education for 10 years

Conference and Workshops
Attendee	Nov 2001	What ‘works’ for Children and Young People	Organised by SPTI, Ken Evans and Maggie Senior
Attendee	May 2002	What is Research,1^st Research Conference	Organised by UKCP and University of Surrey, Chair, Del Loewenthal
Attendee	July 2003	Mental Health Workshop	Organised by SPTI, Peter Orlando-Fantini
Attendee	May 2004	Working with the Relationship - A Gestalt Perspective	Organised by SPTI, led by Gary Yontef
Attendee	Sept 2004	Tradition and Renewal	EAGT. 8th Gestalt European Conference. Prague, Czech Republic.
Attendee	Sept 2004	Working with the Relationship - An Integrative Perspective	Led by Richard Erskine, organised by The Sherwood Institute
Attendee	Sept 2005	The Psychotherapy of Obsession and Habitual Worrying	Facilitated by Richard Erskine, organised by The Sherwood Institute
Facilitator	Mar 2006	Creative writing in therapy	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Apr 2006	Creative practices in therapy	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Attendee	May 2006	Adolescents and the Risk of Harm.	Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
Attendee	May 2006	Meeting the challenge.	Nottingham Child and Adolescent Health Mental Health Services
Facilitator	May 2006	Therapeutic Endings	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Jun 2006	Working with Shame	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Nov 2006	Counselling Skills	3 days, organised by University of Central England CPD Dept, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Nov 2006	Therapeutic Skills: Projection	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Nov 2006	Creative practices in therapy	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Jan 2007	Brief Gestalt Therapy	1/2 day, organised by University of Central England, BSC Hons, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	Jan 2007	Counselling Skills	3 days, organised by University of Central England CPD Dept, facilitated by David Forrest
Attendee	May 2007	Poetry as a Therapeutic Force	Facilitated by Diana Hedges, organised by Ann-Marie Loakes
Facilitator	May 2007	Counselling Skills	3 days, organised by University of Central England CPD Dept, facilitated by David Forrest
Facilitator	June 2007	The Gestalt Self	Facilitated and Organised by David Forrest for The Gestalt Training Group
Attendee	Sept 2007	Exploring Human Conflict	EAGT, 9th Gestalt European Conference. Athens, Greece.
Facilitator	Mar 2008	Counselling Skills Consolidation	2 days, organised by Birmingham City University CPD Dept, facilitated by David Forrest