Therapies

Counselling 

Psychotherapeutic counselling offers you an opportunity to explore the issues that are making your life a struggle. This exploration will progress at a pace that you are comfortable with. It may involve developing coping strategies, discussing negative thought processes, or practising relaxation techniques. It may also involve the exploration of your past and how this impacts your current difficulties, though this is not an essential part of counselling.

Psychotherapy 

Psychotherapy, however, is different to counselling and does usually involve exploring, in some depth, the ways in which your family history has influenced your current life and struggles. Please do remember that this will happen at your own pace and I will help to keep you grounded during the duration of the therapy.

My core training is in Transactional Analysis, and I use an integrative relational humanistic approach to therapy. This means that my therapy is guided by your needs. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches including gestalt therapy, existential therapy, guided imagery, metaphor, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and sand tray therapy. On occasion, I may also use other, more creative, methods to explore feelings that are more difficult to describe.

Taking the first step towards therapy can be daunting, and it’s quite normal not to be sure what you want, or hope to gain from the experience. That is ok. Together, we can explore what therapy approach is best for you and how you can open yourself up to the possibility of overcoming the difficulties you are experiencing. At times, it may be overwhelming, and that’s ok. If you believe you can survive, you will survive.  

As was said on Kushanwisdom

“When you focus on problems you will have more problems, when you focus on possibilities you will have more opportunities”. 

Different formats of therapy

• Face-to-face – This is when you make an appointment to see me in in person, at my practice or via video conferencing. Face-to-face sessions are one of the more popular therapy formats because they provide an opportunity for you to react to any emotions that arise there and then. 
• Individual or group – You may choose to see me by yourself, or if you prefer you could join a counselling group with people experiencing similar issues. Going to a group counselling session can be helpful if you want to discuss your issues with people who are going through similar problems and you may even gain yourself a support network. Alternatively, you may wish to see me alone to preserve your privacy and concentrate on your own feelings.  
• Telephone counselling – For some, telephone counselling offers a helpful alternative to face-to-face counselling. This involves talking over the phone instead of in person. This form of counselling can be particularly useful for those too busy to attend face-to-face sessions and can be carried out in the comfort of your own home. This format also tends to be more flexible and can potentially reduce waiting list times.