Executive Committee

Angela Pericleous-Smith

BICA Chair and Deputy Chair of Accreditation Board

Angela is Chair of the British Infertility Counselling Association working as a counsellor with over 20 years experience and specialising in fertility counselling since 2004 when she joined Leeds Fertility alongside her Private counselling and supervision practise in York. Previously, working with one-parent families, survivors of rape and abuse and as a Children's counsellor for the NSPCC. alongside her private counselling and supervision practise in York

 
Angela is a member of British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and an Accredited member of BICA.  Currently she is a Trainer with the BICA Training Group providing training to other fertility counsellors to promote high standards of fertility counselling and is Deputy Chair of the BICA Accreditation Board.Angela has co-authored BICA Guidelines for Good Practice in Fertility Counselling 4th Ed. 2019

Angela’s interests include all aspects of assisted conception, donation treatment, surrogacy and gender dysphoria and supporting patients before, during and after their treatment.

Angela has a BSc in Therapeutic Counselling (Leeds Met), MA in Psychoanalytical Studies (Leeds Met) and PG Certificate in Supervision (St. Johns, York). 

Vicky Parkin

Honorary Secretary

Vicky has been working as a counsellor since 2005, she specialises in infertility and now exclusively work in this area.  She holds a BA in Early Years. Vicky sees clients for support and implications counselling, she also works with surrogates and commissioning couples.  She is a member of BACP and an Accredited Member BICA.

Vicky has a Diploma in Counselling and currently works for several private & NHS clinics in London and the Southeast.  She sees clients on a face to face basis, via Skype and telephone. Recently Vicky undertook additional training to support her working with clients remotely.

Vicky is the South East area representative and as this area is logistically widely spread out they meet bi monthly via Skype.  In fact the popularity of CPD via Skype has meant meetings now involve counsellors from all over the UK and indeed several different countries!

Vicky welcomes requests from the press and is passionate about ensuring good support is available to all people affected by infertility issues.

Helen Rowland

Information Officer

Helen is a fertility counsellor at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. She is an accredited member of both BICA and BACP, and has been a BICA member since 2018.

She works with single women, heterosexual and same-sex couples before, during and after treatment, offering therapeutic and implications counselling, face to face, via video call and telephone.

Jamie Forster

Membership Secretary and Press Officer

Jamie is a family therapist that holds a BSc (hons) in Psychology, and PGDip in Counselling Psychology from Keele University and is a member of the BPS, BACP and BICA.

Jamie is self-employed and runs a thriving private practice in the heart of Cheshire specialising in family therapy and fertility counselling and works as a fertility counsellor in a private clinic in the northwest.  She has worked in a variety of settings since qualifying, which included bereavement and end of life support to hospice patients and their families and a GP surgery.

Jamie passionately advocates for the fair treatment of counsellors within the industry and is looking forward to raising awareness about the need for appropriate emotional support for patients during fertility treatment.

Deborah Howe

Information Officer

Debbie is the Patient Support Manager and Fertility Counsellor at CRGH in London.  Debbie has been a BICA member since 2016 and shortly after joined the BICA Executive Committee as the Information Officer.  Debbie has been a fertility counsellor since 2015.  Debbie is an accredited member of BICA and BACP. 

Debbie offers support and implications counselling for individuals and couples and believes that good psychological and emotional care is important as people prepare for and go through their own unique fertility journey.  

Caroline Spencer

Executive Committee Member

Caroline Spencer, is a fertility counsellor and cognitive behavioural psychotherapist working at the Lister Hospital in London as well as in private practice and more generally within the NHS.  Caroline is also a clinical supervisor.   

She has worked extensively with single women, heterosexual and same-sex couples before, during and after treatment.  She works with those undergoing general IVF and other fertility treatments and has a particular interest in working with those who are thinking about creating families through donation.  Caroline recognises the unique circumstances and complex emotions involved in creating and raising a family this way, first speaking out about this over nine years ago.    She is a former trustee of the Donor Conception Network and is currently a facilitator for their workshop programme.   

Caroline has spoken nationally and internationally on infertility and donor conception and has conducted and presented her own research on the thoughts and feelings that accompany childlessness and donor conception presenting at events such as the Fertility Show, Fertility Fest, PET and ESHRE.

Caroline has an MSc in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy having studied the two major CBT approaches (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Therapy CT), to Masters level.

Caroline’s background includes over 15 years working in global healthcare and pharmaceutical communication having originally started her career as a nurse. Caroline is an accredited member of BABCP and AREBT.

Kate Brian

Journal Editor

Kate Brian is a former television journalist who began her career at the BBC as a news trainee and went on to work on Panorama before leaving for ITN where she spent ten years, working mainly as Home Affairs Producer for Channel Four News.

Kate is the author of ‘The Complete Guide to IVF’, ‘The Complete Guide to Female Fertility’, and ‘Precious Babies’, a new book aimed at those who are pregnant or have children after infertility. Kate is a former trustee of Infertility Network UK, and worked for the charity as a regional organiser for two years. She now works freelance as a writer, journalist and editor. Kate has two children who were both IVF babies.

Jim Monach

Accreditation Board Chair

Jim Monach is now a consultant in mental health based in Sheffield, after a University career in social work, mental health teaching and research. He wrote his PhD on the ‘psychosocial impact of childlessness’ published as ‘Childless No Choice’ and has published widely on both infertility issues and mental health. Jim is a past Chair of BICA and current Chair of the National Accreditation Board.

Jim was asked to lead the development of the Infertility Counselling Award and the accreditation scheme for BICA some years ago and is pleased that it has now become a reality for the whole profession. He has wide interests in voluntary and community organisations as well as membership of Mental Health Tribunal and local health service governing bodies

Beverley Loftus

Publications Officer

Beverley has been a fertility Counsellor at St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester in the Department of Reproductive Medicine since 2008 and has also worked in bereavement, mental health and emergency gynaecology support.  This role also involves facilitating patient support groups and being a member of the ethics committee.

 

Beverley attended The University of Salford and qualified as a Counsellor in 2007. She is a Member of the British Association for Counselling (MBACP), an Accredited Member of the British Infertility Counselling Association (AMBICA) and abides by their code of ethics. She is dedicated to continuing her professional development by attending training courses, reading current literature and has regular supervision. 

 

Beverley delivers annual training about Breaking Bad News and The Counsellors Role to the STP Reproductive Science Students at Manchester Metropolitan University.

 

She has recently started to work at Create in Manchester offering counselling to fertility patients in the clinic and by skype or in North Manchester private therapy room with private clients.

 

Beverley remains passionate about her role of supporting patients in reproductive medicine and has personal experience of fertility investigations, diagnosis, miscarriage and does appreciate how difficult this time can be and how valuable specialist therapeutic intervention can be.