Counselling

I offer a safe, warm and confidential space for you to talk openly and freely about any issues which may be causing you distress or concern. There are times in our lives where we may feel we need support to cope with problems, life challenges or decisions and choices. Sometimes this can be related to a particular life event and other times difficult feelings can seem to come from nowhere. Some clients have a clear understanding of what’s wrong, whilst others just have a sense that something doesn’t feel right.  Some clients present with long standing problems and others come with more resent issues. These periods can feel never ending and intense and can often result in feeling helpless and alone.  Often we bottle up and suppress feelings or adopt unhealthy coping strategies to manage difficult emotions including indulging in risky behaviours and self sabotaging. Traumatic issues from your past could be affecting your happiness. If we don’t take notice of our emotions we can start to see our physical, as well as our mental health being affected. Our health can suffer because our mind, emotions and bodies are closely interlinked.

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We all have problems at times in our lives and when we suppress those issues they sit in our hearts and heads niggling away like a poison.  People will often attempt to bracket them off by keeping busy or denying that there is an issue, but sooner or later the poison will rise and seep out, often in anger, confusion, anxiety or depression.  We may then adopt unhealthy coping strategies such as over or under eating, drinking too much, taking drugs, being obsessive over activities and rituals or self harming through cutting or other ways.

 

You may be looking to explore whether counselling or coaching is right for you, your relationship as a couple or your child. Talking with a counsellor/coach you feel comfortable with can enable you to find new ways of being and coping by exploring what has yet to be understood, what patterns do you repeat? How do you communicate? What triggers you etc.? There are always reasons why we think and behave as we do. Finding that out can feel empowering. When you find the root cause you can start to make healthy choices and changes. We can’t always change things that happen but we can change our reactions and responses to them.

 

In the safety of the therapeutic space, life’s challenges, issues and confusions can be faced and explored, more effective coping strategies can be discovered to regain some peace and balance in your life. Counselling can increase awareness of self, others and the world and give a better understanding of our thoughts, feelings and behaviours hopefully ultimately leading to a more satisfying and happier life.

 

My areas of expertise include: loss and bereavement, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, anger, low self esteem and self harm. I also have an interest in neuroscience and psychosomatic illness - how the emotions can affect the body.

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Counselling is:

-  A supportive process which helps you to explore, unravel and make sense of thoughts and feelings about difficult situations or experiences.

- A counsellor will not usually give advice, but will help you understand your situation, thoughts, feelings and behaviours more clearly, encouraging you to find the most appropriate course of action for you.

- A counsellor will offer you the opportunity to talk in a non-judgmental, confidential, safe and supportive environment.

- Counselling can help you understand and cope with issues/concerns past or present and help bring about effective change.

- By talking through troubles in a professional relationship with a warm, empathetic trained therapist we can come to understand ourselves more deeply.

 

I will help you understand and talk about your feelings and thoughts and help you to look at more healthy and positive ways of coping and being, hopefully therefore leading to a happier and healthier future.