Counselling and Psychotherapy

Hello and welcome to my website

Taking the first step in seeking support for an issue that we are struggling with can be difficult. Finding someone you can trust to share what may be troubling you is not always easy. A family member or friend can sometimes provide a listening ear but this may not always be an option.   The fact that you are looking at this website is perhaps a sign that you are considering such a step. This may be your first time in Counselling or you may have been to counselling before but need a new approach. Either way I offer a supportive, safe and confidential space where you can begin to share  whatever it is you need to share.  

My approach

My approach to Counselling is to meet you where you are in your life without preconditions, irrespective of how this is. To feel fully met and listened to, is perhaps the most therapeutic thing that we may encounter. To share and to really feel that our sharing is heard is I believe the single most important way that a Counsellor can help. It is also true that in the early stages of Counselling the very act of unburdening ourselves in confidence can be cathartic and healing in itself. I believe that real growth comes about when we come home to ourselves and can integrate the split off parts of ourselves which may have been shamed or otherwise shut out at an earlier stage of our lives. If we can trust another person enough to show some of our vulnerability, and not be judged or critiscised, then we can begin to accept these aspects of ourselves and move on the journey towards greater self-acceptance. Since each person is unique, each person’s journey through Counselling will be different. Carl Rogers, the founder of person-centered counselling believed that we all have the capacity and even the need to self actualise or become our best selves if given the right environment and support. Counselling can offer us the chance to be real and authentic with another human being, to show our real selves. Something we may rarely, if ever get the opportunity to do in our everyday lives . Many mental health issues still carry a social stigma and we are discouraged from showing our true selves in the work place or in public. So that aside from support groups, counselling offers one of the best opportunities to explore our real needs in a secure and confidential Place.

 

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