Why counselling?
There are times in life when talking with someone in complete confidence as openly and honestly as we can, is an important first step in getting the help we need.
A qualified therapist is trained to listen and sensitively explore personal difficulties, especially when the underlying cause may be emotional.
Therapy provides a safe and secure space for this. It is increasingly used in the work place and recognized by the medical profession as appropriate and effective in times of personal & emotional difficulty.
Seeking therapy is a brave step, especially if you have no previous experience of it. But it can be a huge relief to be with a professional person in a confidential space where only you matter.
Emotional difficulties can have a very depleting affect on everyday life. They may be experienced mentally, physically or on a feeling level.
The more obvious signs are: anxiety, depression, problems in relationships, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, or other physical symptoms. Significant life events such as bereavement, separation, moving house, menopause and retirement can also provoke difficulties.
Therapy helps when you feel stuck or if you want to make changes to feel better. It is a journey requiring courage and commitment to help bring about change, healing and a deeper understanding of oneself. Therapy can provide you with more energy for dealing with every day life.
How I work
I will always offer a new client an initial meeting to explore what he or she is looking for and why they have come. This is a structured session and can be seen as an assessment.
If the client wishes to work with me, we agree a contract, which can be reviewed on a regular basis. I can offer an open-ended contract.
However my specialism is in brief dynamic therapy.
Brief dynamic Therapy
This is a time-limited contract, where the numbers of sessions are agreed and the ending date is set at the beginning of the work. A theme or focus will be chosen by the client and the work has a more active & dynamic quality to it.
Much attention is given to the interaction between client & counsellor in the room.
Supervision
I am a qualified supervisor and have been offering counselling supervision for a number of years. I bring a significant amount of clinical experience in brief and long-term counselling to my supervision practice. My background in mental health and my long term experience in assessing clients prior to entering a counselling contract are of great benefit when working as a supervisor.
As a supervisor I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice (2018).