Why choose counselling?

Everyone faces psychological challenges at some point in their life and, often, the biggest hurdle we face is an internal voice that tells us that our problems are nothing special and we should simply get on with life.

Facing the past, healing the present

Facing our most distressing feelings is not easy and we are often tempted to hide behind the defences we have built up to protect ourselves. But the decision to explore counselling is often an indication that our past strategies are no longer working for us and we need to find a different way forward. Counselling gives us an opportunity to express how we feel in a safe environment without fear of being judged and this is often the key to lasting therapeutic change.

As we give voice to our feelings and explore our history we can begin to recognise mental habits or patterns which may be holding us back and learn to let them go. Through this process, we can distinquish what we need to live a wholesome and fulfilling life and let go of expectations and concepts which may have been imposed on us by external forces or individuals.

a path to self-worth

In the consulting room, the client chooses the material they wish to focus on and the therapist provides an empathic space in which the client can feel that they are finally being listened to and this enables them to reflect on their experience. Through this process of dialogue and reflection the client begins to understand and process their experience on a deeper level and so feel more in control of their thoughts and feelings.

Counselling gives us the tools to take ownership of our lives and our decisions and clients often report feeling a greater sense of autonomy and self-acceptance.

What to expect

I recommend an initial consultation where we can meet and you have the chance to discuss what has encouraged you to choose counselling and what your aspirations for the process might be. We will often discuss at our first session how long you might wish to come for counselling and that will depend on the nature of the material you wish to explore.

If you are happy to go ahead, I suggest we meet weekly at an agreed time. At each session, you have the choice about what you wish to discuss and I will encourage you to express how you feel and reflect on what we talk about. It is important to remember that this can be a challenging process and uncomfortable feelings can arise, but learning to express those feelings often diminishes their power over us and clients often report feeling lighter and happier for having done so.