Why counselling?
Often, the first thought people have when considering counselling is a simple one...I just want to feel better. I don’t want to feel like this anymore. But I don’t know how to make the changes I want.
Try asking yourself these questions…..
• How much time have you spent focused on you and your needs lately?
• Do you need a space to breathe, think, and feel away from it all and see what floats to the surface?
• Is there one main issue or does it feel like everything is getting on top of you?
• Is there an underlying value or self-belief that you keep coming up against?
• What do you want to be different as a result of having counselling?
• How will you know when things are going better?
Counselling gives you a space to reflect and make sense of how you’re feeling and to tackle changes that you want to make.
We will work at a pace and depth set by you, with me working alongside you to move things forward to a point which feels meaningful and enough for you. That point will be different for everyone. As we come to the end we will reflect how things are feeling now and what feels new and different.
How can counselling help?
From my personal experience from both sides of the fence - as a counsellor and as a client, the fundamental aspect of this work, regardless of approach, is the creation and development of a safe relationship between client and counsellor. It may be the first time you’ve shared your inner world with anyone else, or perhaps you’ve never given yourself this much time and focused space to really take stock of how you are in the world.
Sometimes people assume that if they have a strong family and friend network that they already have plenty of people to talk to. Counselling is often very different to talking to someone close to you. You may feel you don’t want to burden others, or don’t think they’ll understand. Or maybe you feel embarrassed, ashamed or worry people may judge you. The counselling space is a safety zone, away from your everyday life, a place where you can unpack things without fear of hurting others or being judged by them.
Even better, the benefits extend wider than this sense of being free and safe. Counselling increases your self-awareness, which in turn helps you to cope better with the challenges life throws at you. It helps you to feel more at ease with difficulties and who you are which helps empower you to make different and better choices for yourself.
My role as a trained and skilled practitioner is to really listen to all you communicate – through your words, body and actions. Often we can become hung up on negatives, giving our inner critical self too much power and air time. I’ll encourage you to spot and challenge the parts of you that are blocking and hampering you. Whilst also always looking out for your inner resources that may be going unnoticed or unrecognized.
Ultimately, the counselling relationship is a collaborative one that we build together - with the goal of you taking what you learn and experience in the sessions, and put it to good use in your relationships and everyday life.
Once you start to make changes in one area of your life, other changes often follow….
