The AOC provide high quality counselling and therapy for children aged from 5 years upwards, young people aged up to 18 years and for all adults with no upper age limit.

2015-12-19 13.45.25We offer personal therapy, individual counselling, couple counselling, groups and family therapy for all members of an entire family unit to participate in our modern and lovely group rooms situated on the border of Sandwell and Dudley and we also offer daytime, evening and weekend counselling/therapy sessions.
The AOC specialise in Dramatherapy, Family Therapy, Integrative Counselling, Mindfulness, Relaxation and Anger Management. However we also offer other forms of counselling and therapy. Always courteous, understanding, warm and supportive. With over twenty three years experience.

We work with clients who are either employed or unemployed as well as with community groups and we also offer therapy to staff teams in the form of supervision including students where we offer personal and group sessions.

All our therapists and counsellors are full members of either the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) or The British Association of Dramatherapists  (BADth) depending on their therapeutic background and fully trained and registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which regulates by law health and care professionals in the UK. They also can take action against professionals who fall below national standards and professional ethics and can also prosecute those who pretend to be registered.

We currently provide counselling or therapy for the following issues or problems:

  • Trauma
  • Phobias
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
  • Male or Female Bulimia
  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Agoraphobia
  • Relationship issues
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Sexual dysfunctions
  • Bullying
  • Self-harming behaviour
  • Loss & Bereavement
  • Addictions
  • Panic Attacks
  • Low Self-Confidence
  • Identity problems
  • Gender identity problems
  • Family breakdowns
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Anger
  • Physical Abuse
  • Domestic Violence
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Attachment issues
  • Resilience difficulties
  • Insomnia

You can either self refer by emailing us, where we can send you our referral form to complete and return back to us either by email or by post, or you can get referred by any health professional, social worker, teacher or relative by asking them to complete our referral form on your behalf.

For general queries or to book an initial assessment please call:

01384 211 168 or alternatively email us:

Email: support@theaoc.org.uk

Our office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm but we do provide therapy and counselling sessions for our clients during daytime, evenings and some weekends.

What is Dramatherapy?

The-Arts-of-Change.-Dramatherapy-15Dramatherapy is a form of psychological therapy/psychotherapy in which all of the performance arts are utilised within the therapeutic relationship.

Dramatherapists are both artists and clinicians and draw on their trainings in theatre, drama and therapy to create methods to engage clients in effecting psychological, emotional and social changes.

The therapy gives equal validity to body and mind within the dramatic context; stories, myths, play-texts, puppetry, masks and improvisation are examples of the range of artistic interventions a Dramatherapist may employ.  These will enable the client to explore difficult and painful life experiences through a creative-expressive approach.

Clients who are referred to a Dramatherapist do not need to have any previous experience or skilling acting, theatre or drama.  Dramatherapists are trained to enable clients to find the most suitable medium  for them to engage in group or individual therapy to address and resolve, or make troubling issues more bearable.

Dramatherapists are trained in both psychological and arts-specific assessment and evaluation techniques. They are committed to generating practice-based evidence and deliver sound evidence-based practice.

British Association of Dramatherapists.

What is Integrative Counselling?

Integrative therapy, or integrative counselling is a combined approach to psychotherapy that brings together different elements of specific therapies. Integrative therapists take the view that there is no single approach that can treat each client in all situations. Each person needs to be considered as a whole and counselling techniques must be tailored to their individual needs and personal circumstances. brings together different elements of specific therapies. Integrative therapists take the view that there is no single approach that can treat each client in all situations. Each person needs to be considered as a whole and counselling techniques must be tailored to their individual needs and personal circumstances.

Integrative counselling maintains the idea that there are many ways in which human psychology can be explored and understood – no one theory holds the answer. All theories are considered to have value, even if their foundational principles contradict each other – hence the need to integrate them.

The integrative approach also refers to the infusion of a person’s personality and needs – integrating the affective, behavioural, cognitive, and physiological systems within one person, as well as addressing social and spiritual aspects. Essentially, integrative counsellors are not only concerned with what works, but why it works – tailoring therapy to their clients and not the client to the therapy.

Integrative counselling aims to promote healing and facilitate wholeness – ensuring that all levels of a person’s being and functioning (mental, physical and emotional health) are maximised to their full potential. Clients must be committed to self-exploration and open to identifying what factors in their life are perpetuating problems, and/or are causing current concerns.

In particular, the integrative approach helps clients face each moment openly and authentically without having formed an opinion, expectation or attitude beforehand. This enables them to better focus on the fears and hurts that limit their psychological freedom, and recognise specific triggers that may be causing disruptive patterns of behaviour.

Through this awareness, integrative therapy helps to create a healthy alliance between mind and body – empowering clients to start setting goals and practising new behaviours that will enable them to move beyond their limitations and discover greater life satisfaction. This will be worked towards alongside other goals that are drawn into therapy through the integration of other approaches. These will all be tailored to the client’s personal limits and external constraints.

The Counselling Directory.

What is Play Therapy?

Play is the language of all ages: children, young people and adults alike. Play therapy is a creative way of helping people, explore and express their feelings.

Through observation, directive and non-directive approaches to engaging, a play therapist can identify themes and areas in which the client is experiencing difficulty. Play therapy uses methods which are more physical and sensorial than talk-based therapies, and it is a great way for clients of any age to process issues such as anger, anxiety, trauma, grief, problems with behaviour and more.

Helping clients develop resilience and self-awareness can be a transformative experience they can benefit from for life.

What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication. Within this context, art is not used as diagnostic tool but as a medium to address emotional issues which may be confusing and distressing.

Art therapists work with children, young people, adults and the elderly. Clients may have a wide range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These include emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities, life-limiting conditions, neurological conditions and physical illnesses.

Art therapy is provided in groups or individually, depending on clients’ needs. It is not a recreational activity or an art lesson, although the sessions can be enjoyable. Clients do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art.

The British Association of Art Therapists.

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.

You’re shown how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel.

Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past.

It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

The National Health Service