Why Counselling?

People come to counselling for many different reasons, ranging from life difficulties such as bereavement, trauma or job stress, to more long-term problems such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues and low self-esteem. People use counselling in many different ways, depending on their needs, including self-development and mental well-being.

I work in as both a general and psychotherapeutic counsellor and therapist and have experience in the fields of mental health, education, personal development, trauma and disability.

For many people counselling offers space and time to 'tell their story' and explore their concerns. Quite often people simply don't have the opportunity to speak about themselves in this way elsewhere. The time that we spend in counselling is focused on you, your life, your concerns and your needs. My main role is to support this process – offering acknowledgement, feedback and sometimes challenge. In general, counsellors and psychotherapists don't provide solutions or answers, but can help you explore and clarify important issues and move towards a resolution that feels right for you.

Some people find themselves wanting to think through particular situations in their lives, consider options and even to design and explore specific strategies. Counselling can offer an important space for this type of reflection and work. For others the goals are far less specific and might be connected with a general lack of satisfaction in their lives or some pattern that is recurring in a distressing way for them. This is likely to call for a deeper level of exploration and, perhaps, a less straightforwardly practical approach.

What you want from sessions and how they might be helpful to you is something we can discuss in a free initial telephone or online meeting, or at an initial online counselling or psychotherapy session..