What is Counselling?
Counselling is a professional and confidential relationship and is an interactive process requiring commitment and engagement from both counsellor and client. Counselling provides the space to explore life’s issues and events whilst developing personal awareness, working with feelings, thoughts, perceptions, behaviour and beliefs. Counselling does not provide advice or answers but facilitates greater awareness and understanding of yourself and your issues with the aim of experiencing life in a more satisfying way
Humanistic therapy uses a holistic, non-directive and non-judgemental approach. There is an emphasis on: meaning, choice, responsibility, self-development, self-awareness and empowering you to reach your full potential.
I incorporate theories and techniques as appropriate from the following theories:
Person centred therapy
Person centred therapy is based on beliefs we have the ability to reach our full potential and through an understanding, unconditional and non- judgemental relationship we can find solutions to issues developing trust and confidence in ourselves rather than being affected by the views of others. Person centred therapy helps me understand you unique experience of life and therefore your unique solutions.
Gestalt therapy
Techniques from Gestalt therapy can be used to increase self-awareness, explore previously unresolved issues from the past and unsatisfactory patterns of behaviour enabling us to live in a more fulfilling way in the present rather than being influenced by previous experiences. Gestalt therapy helps me understand how the different parts of your life interact together.
Existential philosophy
Existential philosophy explores what it means to live. It accepts there are certain facts and limitations about life which we cannot change and that at times we will experience anxiety and despair. Existential philosophy encourages taking greater responsibility for our choices and the consequences enabling more authentic living with greater meaning. Existential therapy helps me understand how the limitations of life affect you.
Transactional Analysis
This theory explores how we communicate in relationships. It can be helpful when there is confusion and conflict. Transactional Analysis helps me understand the dynamics and interactions of the relationships you have.
Solution focused therapy
I use techniques from solution focused therapy to explore solutions to issues. By exploring goals and solutions identifies how these can be broken into smaller achievable steps working towards achieving them. These techniques are especially effective in short term counselling.
Attachment theory
I incorporate attachment theory into my practice to provide knowledgeable and supportive counselling. Relationships formed early in life have a lasting affect and impact on our sense of self and subsequent relationships. Attachment theory can be useful when exploring issues around past and present relationships and can help create awareness of feelings and behaviour in relationships as well as forming and maintaining more effective relationships. Attachment therapy helps me understand the emotional bonds you have in relationships.
Loss and bereavement
Loss can take many forms such as death, divorce or redundancy. Grief is a natural response to loss which we process in our own time and in our own way. Theories around loss can help explore the confusing and painful feelings such as sadness, regret, guilt and anger experienced before or following loss. Loss and bereavement theory helps me understand how you grieve loss.
Working creatively
Sometimes it can be difficult to access thoughts and feelings. By working creatively using different media such as shells, music, dreams, art or cards to create a visual representation of issues allows alternative perspectives to emerge.