What is counselling and is it for me?

A talking therapy that can go a long way in helping people come to terms with problems they are facing. The sessions give you time to talk about anything that is going on for you in a safe and confidential way.

This might be because you want to change things, there might be something you are struggling to come to terms with - whatever the reason counselling could well be the answer for you.

By talking about the things that are going on for you, you will be able to get a better understanding of your thoughts and feelings, while at the same time I will help empower you to identify new solutions, allowing you to facilitate change and have the life you would like/deserve.

How many sessions?

This will very much depend on your individual circumstances. However, I can say I will be open and honest with you throughout and we can look at this together.

Rewind Therapy

Non intrusive, highly effective and safe psychological method for processing traumatic memories. It has also been shown to be effective against phobias. It is carried out once you are in a state of deep relaxation, with guided imagery all without having to talk about the details of the traumatic incident in question. It can help improve or in some cases remove - flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and physical sensations.

Anxiety

A little bit of anxiety in our lives can be beneficial but when it starts to have impact our life in a way that doesn’t feel comfortable it might be time to reach out and get some support. It can leave us struggling to go out, not wanting to meet/see people even friends and family, having to be off work and generally not being able to live our lives how we would like to.

Although medication can be beneficial it doesn’t get to the root cause. Counselling can provide a way of finding out what is behind the anxiety as well as providing tools that can be used on a daily basis to make us feel more comfortable and more able to cope.

Depression

Depression is a serious mood disorder. We all have times in our lives when we feel a bit low but depression can impact how you think, feel, interact with people and cope with daily life. It can leave you with feelings of sadness with little interest or pleasure in things you once enjoyed. Depression can affect anyone at any age.

The good news is depression is highly treatable. Finding the right counsellor and working through underlying causes while at the same time developing/learning coping strategies to deal with the symptoms you have is a great place to start with cases that are mild to moderate. Alongside this medication in the form of Antidepressants maybe used and the two together have been shown to be more effective than tablets alone.

Trauma

Trauma can impact us emotionally, physically and psychologically and often symptoms are wide ranging from irritable bowel to anxiety. It can result from a single event such as an accident or can be the result of extended exposure from things like abuse (emotional, physical and sexual). This can sometimes lead to PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) where we may experience flashbacks and be on high alert. Self medicating isn’t uncommon with alcohol, drugs or food.

Counselling gives you a safe space to explore your feelings and talk through your experiences whilst at the same time providing grounding techniques enabling you to feel more in control. Please also see survivor to thriver a counselling programme developed for survivors of abuse in all its forms.