What to expect from counselling and what can be treated
The first thing to decide is whether you want to work on one particular subject which might be creating a problem currently, such as work stress perhaps. In that instance short term counselling might be appropriate, usually 6-12 sessions.
However if you find yourself in a position where a problem keeps arising and doesn’t seem to go away, perhaps you find yourself feeling anxious and unable to cope, then it would be helpful to invest more time in therapy and then look at coming once a week for a longer period.
Sometimes in therapy you might find yourself needing more time to work through a problem and look at the roots of the distress, particularly if you are feeling more anxious, in which case coming twice a week might be beneficial.
What can you bring for counselling?
I treat a number of issues, ranging from:
- Anxiety
- Bereavement
- Illness
- Caring for someone affected with dementia
- Childhood abuse
- Work place stress
- Bullying
- Trauma
- Cultural differences
- Depression
- Anger
- Addiction
- Social anxiety
- Relationship difficulties
Finding resilience
Counselling isn’t about giving advice but more about sharing and exploring your issues with someone trained to understand and interpret what you are feeling. During counselling people are able to build up their resources and review their current coping mechanisms and if they are unhelpful — to gradually update them. The emotional resilience gained in counselling helps us deal with the ups and downs of life differently and to respond with increasing confidence to life’s changes and opportunities.
I am also able to offer telephone counselling or counselling via Skype should you prefer.
