About counselling
“You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
CS Lewis
As an integrative therapist I work in a sensitive and supportive way, drawing on a range of counselling theories & interventions, as well as from the field of neuroscience. Working in this way enables me to respond to your individual needs and preferences. My ultimate aim is to offer you a safe space to explore the challenges you are facing in order to help you gain a fresh perspective, equip you to make the changes you want in your life, find a greater sense of peace, and build resilience as you move forward into your future. I will…
How I can help
Offer you a safe relationship and space in which to be you:
That one hour a week for you to be real and open about the issues you are facing without fear of judgment. I believe the therapeutic relationship is the most important aspect of the work that we will do together. Accepting you as you are, I will listen to you with compassion and empathy so that you can understand what you are feeling and what is important to you.
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Offer you a safe place to explore:
I will gently ask questions, encouraging you to explore your story and the situations you find yourself in at a pace that feels comfortable to you. Together we will work to understand how past experiences and relationships have shaped you and impact on your life in the ‘here and now’. Gaining awareness and insight can provide a fresh perspective and help you to identify your options as you seek to move forward.
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Offer you creative ways of working:
I love working creatively and have trained extensively in this area. This often includes working with pictures and artwork, guided imagery and journaling, symbols, figures, nesting dolls as well as engaging your body to help tell your story when words are not enough or fail us. Working creatively is often a doorway into meeting our ‘inner child’ – the part(s) of our personality that holds our early life experiences, our feelings, our deeply held beliefs, our natural talents and creativity. Connecting with our inner child can help us understand more fully why we think, feel, and behave the way that we do in certain situations. This understanding provides opportunity for growth and change.
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Offer you tools for change:
This may include helping you set healthy boundaries with others, find new ways of managing conflict or learning to find your assertive voice. It may involve teaching you how to manage stress reactions, panic attacks and other somatic (body symptoms), by understanding how our brain and body are linked as well as how to practice self-care and self-compassion.
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It is deeply important to me that you feel safe in the work that we do and it is always your choice how you use your sessions. Whilst I may suggest ways of working that I think will help you, you always have the opportunity to choose and lead at all times. Counselling is not something that is ‘done to you’, rather a collaborative experience of exploring together and when working well it has the potential to be a helpful and life-transforming experience. It can be a challenging process at times, bringing up difficult feelings. This is normal, but by working with me, it is not something you have to face alone. I count it a huge privilege to be a part of this process and do not take the responsibility lightly.
