What is Counselling?

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin

Counselling offers you a regular weekly space and time to talk or think about your worries or difficulties. It can help you explore your feelings and to look at ways in which you can make changes in your life. This might include talking about your significant life events (past and present), feelings, emotions, relationships, ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour.

How can you benefit from counselling?

You may be considering counselling because you are distressed and needing help with a specific problem, but you do not have to be in crisis to embark on counselling sessions.  You may want to help to look at yourself and your issues in an open and honest way in order to gain a greater understanding of yourself, greater confidence and empowerment to move forward with your life more effectively.

As your therapist…

The building of a relationship based on trust is one of the most important factors in the effectiveness of your counselling sessions.  As a qualified counsellor, I am trained to listen openly and empathically to you as you share experiences or concerns.  My role is not to advise you or push you into a particular course of action, or to judge you in any way. Instead, I will support you with the problems you are facing, help you identify the right course of action for you, help you develop a better understanding of yourself and others and a better ability to manage stress and anxiety.

What can you expect from a counselling session?

At your first session you will be given information about confidentiality and cancellation policy.  You will also be given information about what I can offer you as your therapist and be asked about what you would like to get from therapy, your hopes, your goals and perhaps your fears.  During sessions you will be encouraged to explore the problems you are struggling with, and express your associated thoughts and feelings.  Your counselling process and your experience of counselling will be unique to you, and will be dependent on your own aims for the session and the commitment you make to this sometimes painful, but extremely rewarding process.