How I Work
I work with individual adults one to one, providing both short term (6 - 12 sessions) and open ended counselling. I have experience of working with:
Stress and anxiety
Depression
Loss
Addiction
Loneliness
Low self-esteem
Relationship issues (self and others).
In the first session we will talk about the circumstances which have brought you to counselling. I will work with you to create a supportive environment in which to explore whatever challenges you are facing with compassion and honesty.
We will work together to create a space in which you can talk openly and without fear of judgement, to get a sense of your experience. I believe that when we understand ourselves and our motivations, and are able to bring them into our awareness, we can make choices about what we do rather than being driven by old patterns of behaviour, which may have served us once but are perhaps no longer beneficial.
I work relationally, which means that I take notice of what is happening between us. This is because I believe that how we relate to each other may reveal something of your relationships with other people.
I enjoy working creatively and holistically and understand that sometimes people are better able to connect to their experiences non-verbally. I may therefore work with you using imagery and drawing where this feels like it might be helpful and with your agreement.
Deciding to come to counselling takes courage and I appreciate that the thought of talking to somebody you don’t know well about difficult feelings might provoke some anxiety. It is important that we are able to create an environment of trust where you feel able to express whatever feelings come up, safe in the knowledge that I will support you. If at any time you feel you are not able to do this I would encourage you to talk to me about it so we can resolve any issues together.
