COUNSELLING

Because I have a fundamental belief that everyone has the potential for growth, this means that I will never push anyone into doing, thinking or believing anything that comes from my agenda. It is my unwavering faith in the capacity of the human spirit to find its own way, given the right conditions, that helps me to enable change and long-lasting transformation for my clients.

In my mid-20’s I co-ran a small Community Video venture through which I had the great fortune to learn that the best way for people to learn was experientially, i.e., through experience. In the case of our project, the clients would be invited to hold the equipment with only verbal instruction and for those who were visually impaired, we would gently help them to locate the various parts of the equipment needed. This ideology has stood me in good stead ever since – what a gift!

As in this example, I trust my client’s process; my task is to work collaboratively with the client, placing my faith in their ability to work through their anxiety, trauma, bereavement, and so on, with my support and many years of experience. Together, we create a supportive working relationship in which I place your interests at the heart of the work and where you get to experience yourself, moving at your pace, into difficult and sometimes dark parts of yourself. I believe that it is the client who ultimately knows best and in receiving my empathy and unconditional positive regard, will eventually be able to offer this to themselves.

‘It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.’

Carl Rogers

I also bring my authenticity to the relationship; I don’t ‘do’ counselling – I am ME in the room with the client, working with healthy boundaries and a commitment to working ethically. So I will gently challenge you as well as holding you in high esteem; I will allow myself to be moved by your story – because that’s about being real and offering you a space in which you can experience a healthy relationship. I will let you know what’s going on for me in relation to what I hear; I will hear you at depth without any agenda or expectations.

I will help you to shine a light into the dark corners of your mind and will keep you safe in the process. I won’t rush you but I will be an honest and compassionate companion for you – one who holds your interests at heart and who understands what it is to go to the edges of one’s sanity.

So…you may be battling with:

• Childhood trauma
• Sexual abuse
• Anxiety
• Bereavement
• Feeling not good enough
• Not able to be assertive
• Putting yourself last and others first
• Not feeling like you can move on
• Repeating negative relationship patterns

This list isn’t exhaustive but gives you an idea of the sorts of challenges people come to counselling with. If you feel like you’re not living in alignment with what feels right for you, and you know that these issues are holding  you back, then let’s see if we can work together.

I am insured and a Registered member of the BACP’s whose ethical framework I work to. I am trauma-trained.