Counselling is one of the ‘talking therapies’. The purpose is to provide a safe, confidential environment whereby a person can discuss their problems and difficult feelings. The word counselling is often used as a general term to refer to other psychological therapies such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, counselling is also a therapy in its own right.
The process of counselling involves a series of formal sessions where we talk together about your problems and feelings. Counselling offers you an objective perspective on your situation that you may otherwise not obtain from friends and family members. This will enable you to gain insights and strategies to manage and deal with your problems.
Relationship between counsellor and client
This is the key to successful counselling. A good rapport develops a sense of trust and safety allowing honesty and openness in discussing difficult feelings. For any type of counselling to be effective it is important for us to build a relationship together whereby you feel safe and trusting. During our sessions together, I will focus on you and listen without judging or criticising you.
As a qualified counsellor I am trained to listen with empathy (by putting myself in your shoes) but will also challenge to help you to see your issues more clearly or in a different way. Be assured that any negative thoughts and feelings you might have, I can help you deal with them in a positive way.
I am not there to offer advice or tell you what to do.
Instead I will encourage you to talk about what’s bothering you and help you uncover any root causes. Together we will identify your specific ways of thinking and explore. I will then look to create a plan of action to either help you reconcile your issues or help you to find ways of coping.
