Creative Counselling services
Helping you when you most need help.
Are you going round in circles?
Counselling can be about letting another person come into the circle with you and helping you to find ‘your’ way out.
- Some people have had very difficult experiences in their lives and have decided that they need time to consider the past, present and future responses to these.
- Some people feel like they have no sense of self, who they really are as a person or have lost that sense somewhere along the way.
- Some people have experienced or are currently experiencing feelings of depression, anxiety, or different types of mental health problems and need to find understanding of, and learn to manage these and work towards self-healing.
- Sometimes any of the above can lead to a reliance on substances including alcohol.
The core model that I work from is Person Centred. This means that I believe that we all have the potential to find our own way through our difficulties. When we can tap into that potential it is like a refreshing and nurturing Wellspring of life to draw from. Sometimes we need someone else to help us to connect with this, and begin to recognise this part of ourselves and listen to it.
We all have many layers of experiencing in our lives no matter what our age is and this can effect how we respond to our current life situations. Counselling is about working within these layers to bring freedom to be the person that you want to be in the now and in the future.
Change is possible if we can listen and empathise with ourselves and connect with our wellspring potential.
In addition to Person Centred I can work with tools integrated from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Brief Solution Focussed Therapy therefore working in an integrative, humanistic approach. Though offering choice in ways of working is always priority in the counselling relationship. An empathic non-judgemental environment is nurtured throughout Creating a safe way to begin to work through any of the above.
I offer very reasonable rates for counselling and concessions for student counsellors and therapists.
The first session will be free to give us a chance to meet and for you to find out any further information that you need before committing to further sessions. It will be at this point that we can discuss any concessions. I will hold a limited number of spaces for this.
Below are potted meanings which may be helpful in understanding the counselling models.
Person Centered Approach
Creating a safe environment and offering Core Conditions that promote growth. Three of these are unconditional regard (a non-judgemental without conditions approach), empathy (listening and understanding from your perspective as the client) and congruence (a genuine response from the counsellor and client and developing a genuine relationship).
In their speaking of the core conditions working together with the client David Mearns and Brian Thorne say;
‘It is in their dance, their intricate weaving, that the core conditions reveal their vitality and their potency as a healing force.’
(Person-Centred Therapy Today ©Sage Publications Ltd 2000).
The assumption is that you know yourself best and it is the counsellor’s job to understand and learn about you and your perspectives whilst being in this genuine relationship. With the core conditions effectively communicated it is expected that this is a safe place to reflect, grow and change areas of your life which you want to change.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Looking at thoughts, feelings, and behaviour around particular problems and how they link together. Working toward understanding these and where appropriate changing behaviours that are problematic to you as a client.
Brief Solution Focussed Therapy
Focussing more on finding solutions to problems which you present to the counselling relationship. Finding goals that you want to work towards and strategies towards meeting those goals.
Make the first step to a more balanced life.