Counselling & psychotherapy ("therapy")
Counselling and psychotherapy are talking therapies that can provide emotional and psychological support to someone who is experiencing difficulty. Traditionally, counselling has been understood to be more concerned with present problems and often short-term, whilst psychotherapy tends to suggest a more open-ended and in depth process that could also incorporate the exploration of elements from the past that might be contributing to current circumstances.
Why might someone seek therapy?
The reasons are many and varied, ranging from trying to deal with a particularly challenging or painful current experience, seeking to manage a historical trauma or grappling with an interpersonal or professional crisis. Sometimes, the reasons for the difficulty are clear; sometimes, there is just a pervasive feeling of anxiety, confusion or joylessness that is hard to link to a specific cause.
I work with people who suffer from depression, anxiety, low-self esteem or stress; those who may have just received a diagnosis of a physical illness or are living with a disability; those who are bereaved, facing relationship difficulties or struggling with a professional difficulty; those who are trying to process a traumatic past or who are experiencing a crisis of identity or meaning in their lives.
Therapy provides a safe space in which to think, feel and express yourself, outside of family and friendship circles. This space offers support in times of need, exploration of your dilemmas as well as sensitive challenge to habits of thinking and behaving. I believe that therapy also offers valuable opportunities for personal growth and empowerment through enhanced self-awareness and greater freedom of choice.
What would we be doing in a session?
As an integrative practitioner, I am able to draw on a range of approaches that best suit you. For example, we might be:
- Working towards recognising or changing negative thought patterns
- Exploring the feelings or physical sensations associated with a particular experience
- Discussing hopes and fears for the future
- Finding strategies for managing a practical difficulty, or
- Creatively thinking together about how to unravel a particularly intractable issue
The way in which we work together will vary from client to client, as each unique individual brings their own complexities, vulnerabilities and aspirations.
I am committed to practicing in a sensitive, thoughtful and compassionate way, respectful of the different backgrounds, cultures and identities of my clients.
