General Information
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I am an integrative counsellor, which means I take ideas from the various schools of thought about psychotherapy and bring them together to form a therapy for the client sitting in front of me.

There are around 400 different types of psychotherapy, but I tend to draw on CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), which helps clients to learn to challenge their reactions, thoughts and emotions; psychodynamic psychotherapy, which is a study of the client's past and the varying dynamics in their life, such as the internal dialogues and the external relationships with family and friends; transactional analysis, which describes the relationships in one's life, the games that people play, the "transactions" between two or more people; mindfulness, which is the art of being in the moment.

I also use the teachings of people such as Irvin Yalom, Carl Rogers, Alan Watts, Frank Ostaseski, Stephen Covey (and many more) to inform my work with clients. I love history and the stories people tell.

Counselling allows people time and space to tell their story, in a non-judgemental and private setting. I listen, observe, reflect and suggest. I hold the emotion, contain it within the room. Often clients will have never spoken about the problems they face, the difficulties from the past that continue to haunt them.

Counselling can be difficult, hard. Clients tell their story to me, a stranger, trusting me to not judge them, not to tell them off, not to dismiss them as nothing. Everyone's story is valid, their story important. It is not to be compared with anyone else, for no-one is better or worse.

Through being able to talk, to express feelings safely, exploring thoughts and fantasies, clients gain a greater sense of self and of worth.

Ultimately the goal is for the client to leave counselling, feeling better about themselves, having reached the goals set out at the start, and on to whatever life they chose.

Of course, every client brings new things, new dynamics, new problems, so sitting down and understanding where they are is the first thing to do. From there, we follow a unique path until the client decides to go their own way.

And for those who wonder or worry about the counsellor, I have regular supervision which helps me to understand and let go of the client's "stuff" (never see a therapist who doesn't have proper supervision). I look after myself between sessions, at the end of the day, and at the weekends. I enjoy being a counsellor and making sure I am OK to be with clients is part of that.

I hope this gives an idea of what counselling with me is about. If you have any questions or would like to arrange an appointment, please contact me on 07972057309 (call, text or WhatsApp).