I am an integrative counsellor, which means that I have been trained to draw upon differing schools of therapy. Much as each of us deals with life experiences in different ways, I am informed by different theories and modalities, so in our work together I aim to suit each client’s individual needs.
I offer you a safe and confidential place where we can explore whatever you bring to our sessions. Counselling is not about giving advice, providing solutions or ‘fixing’ behaviours but more about exploring, clarifying and accepting aspects of our lives and behaviour. From this new perspective, effective changes are made possible.
Our work together is usually informed by exploring your past and identifying patterns of behaviour that influence your everyday life and relationships. Equally important is our exploration of the here and now, focusing on any pressing concerns and working on them together.
For all of the different therapeutic approaches, research nowadays indicates that the most probable factors determining a successful outcome to therapy are the personal qualities of therapist and client and the relationship between them. It’s important that you are aware of your own reactions and feelings in our sessions, and are able to reflect on these with me. We will both learn from these insights and they will help us build a good working relationship.
How my approach helps with…
Addictions
If you’re struggling with addictions or addictive behaviour, counselling encourages you to talk about your life; the way you feel and what motivates your behaviour. This exploration can enable you to recognise what might have led to addictive behaviours and help you to change harmful aspects of your lifestyle.
On a more practical level, an aim is for you to recognise warning signs or triggers for a potential relapse and devise a way of coping with them. With greater self-awareness and acceptance that cravings and other uncomfortable feelings occur, you can prepare for and manage them.
Anxiety
Understanding your anxiety is an essential step to relieving its symptoms. In the present, being aware of when and how your symptoms are triggered enables you to put coping strategies into place for when they occur.
Reflecting on and exploring the causes of your symptoms is an integral part of the counselling process that we work on together.
Depression
A better understanding of the factors that cause your depression can be the starting point for finding ways to work through it. This understanding can be reached in the counselling process by exploring the way that you think about things, how you relate to other people, your feelings and behaviour.
From this point we can work forward using techniques to help you assess situations and your feelings more realistically, to challenge your negative thinking and to focus on what you can do to actively manage and alleviate your depression.
Low self-esteem
The way that we view and feel about ourselves has a profound effect on how we live our lives. Counselling can aid you if your self-esteem is affecting your life negatively by helping you gain a stronger sense of self.
This will require honesty, acceptance and self-awareness on your part, as supported by me, we explore who you truly are and identify any areas you feel you’d like to change.