About Counselling & Psychotherapy

It is completely normal for each of us to have times in our lives where we are uncertain and don’t know how to move forward, where we are struggling and feel overwhelmed. We may feel anxious, burdened or confused. We may feel our thinking is ‘too busy’ and we can’t think straight. We may be struggling with uncomfortable feelings, feel flooded or our life can feel uncertain and all over the place. This can come from things that hit us ‘out of the blue’ or be part of our on going struggles. This is part of being human. What do we do next? It can often seem harder to get help when we feel vulnerable. Sometimes it is hard to share with family and friends or we need more help than they can give us. The best thing we can do at those times is not to wait but to get experienced, non judgemental support with another, who can walk alongside us and is experienced in this ‘terrain’. Sadly most of us have been taught to ‘be independent’ or just ‘man up’ and just get on with it or have learned to try to ignore difficulties and hope ‘it’ goes away.

Usually that means that what originally needed gets pushed down somewhere. Often the hardest thing is to allow ourselves to get the support we need. Just as when we have a physical problem we can get expert advice, it is just as important and helpful to get proper professional support when we are struggling emotionally or mentally. It is normal to feel a bit nervous if you haven’t had help in this way before.

In my experience once people do come and talk things through they often begin to feel a sense of relief by taking some time for themselves to talk things through. When they are listened to in a calm, safe, nonjudgmental way it can be surprising when they feel something has been lifted and they feel lighter. Clients often report that with this support, they have gained deeper insight, clarity and understanding of themselves which helps them feel more in control and connected. I come from the understanding that we are not here to be happy but are here to develop and grow. Sometimes life demands that of us. We can ‘swallow things’ or suppress ‘things’ or learn the deeper happiness of getting to know who we are and how we would like to express ourselves so we can become more of who are. This gives us more choice and new skills to respond to the many somethings difficult things life may bring. Science shows we have a relational brain. We need another brain to grow, to develop, to understand ourselves and to become more of who we want to be and truly are.

What I offer is a collaborative environment for you to have some time to pause, take a breath, to begin the journey of expressing yourself in a safe environment. This process enables you to have greater freedom to make the choices you want in your life. I will listen in a non-judgemental and unbiased way and will provide a safe, calm and confidential space for you to explore where you are right now and help to make sense of what you are experiencing.

By gently exploring our present experience we can gain a greater awareness of who we are and what we need. I can help you make new connections that can lead to a greater understanding of your past and present situation which allows the possibility to move forward into a healthier, happier future. Through this supportive relationship, habitual ways we may experience ourselves can be gradually explored. This process leads to a greater freedom and range of possibilities in our life and in our relationship to ourselves and others.

Confidentiality and My Code of Ethics

Everything a client shares with me directly or by inference is treated by me as strictly confidential. The only exception to this would be if I have grounds to believe a client or someone else is in danger of harm which would always be discussed first. Your personal information such as telephone number and email are also complexly confidential.