Why start counselling or psychotherapy?
People seek counselling or psychotherapy for many reasons. They may be experiencing difficult times in their lives, when they feel anxious, depressed, locked into situations that feel beyond their control, unable to cope with events that have happened in the past, or with things that are going to happen in the future. On the other hand, some people enter counselling or psychotherapy because they simply feel unhappy in themselves or puzzled by life.
How can counselling and psychotherapy help?
Counselling and psychotherapy offer us an opportunity to explore our experiences and to make some sense of them, to open up our potential for the future. Counselling and psychotherapy can help with:
- Feelings of anxiety, depression or anger
- Problems with relationships
- Issues related to sexual identity
- Low confidence or self-esteem
- Loneliness, isolation and feelings of not belonging
- Difficulties in coping with life events, such as job changes, house moves, the break up of relationships or bereavement
- Feelings of dissatisfaction or of dis-ease in life
- Thoughts that life isn’t going anywhere
By working with a therapist, people can explore their feelings and thoughts. They can then develop options for changing their ways of relating to others, of seeing themselves, and of presenting themselves in the world.
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My approach
I aim to provide a safe, non-judgemental, empathic and confidential environment, in which people can talk about whatever they want, explore their experiences, discuss their problems and difficulties, decide what they want to change, and consider how to cope with what they can’t change.
My approach is based on Transactional Analysis (TA). I am a qualified TA psychotherapist (Certified Transactional Analyst with a psychotherapy speciality). I am also a qualified TA trainer and supervisor (Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst with a psychotherapy speciality). TA provides ways of looking at people’s history and psychological make-up, and the way they relate to others. It is suited both to short-term goal-focussed counselling, and longer-term more exploratory psychotherapy. The goal of both of these is not only understanding but also change.
If you would like to know more about TA, there are articles on this site about why I think TA is a brilliant theoretical approach, and on Relational TA
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What can you do now?
If this appeals to you, the first step is to arrange an initial session. This gives you a chance to talk about what brings you to seek counselling or psychotherapy at this time, and to ask me any questions you have. If we both feel happy to continue working together after that initial session, we will arrange further regular sessions, at a time that is convenient to both of us. I usually see people once a week, for a 50-minute session.
To book an initial session, or make an enquiry, please phone me on:
0787 976 9168
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