Are you considering Individual Counselling?
If so please contact me and we can arrange a free 20-minute informal chat. You can tell me a little about what you are looking for and ask any questions you may have. This time allows us to see how we get along.
Counselling for Children and Teenagers
I have a wealth of experience in working with children and young people, gained within a range of settings. My experience includes working with children and young people living in residential therapeutic settings and foster families. I also provide counselling within an educational setting, where I work with children through to older students.
I understand that children and young people require a safe and confidential space, to express their worries, or thoughts without fear of judgement. Whilst providing a calm space to talk, some young people struggle to find the words to express their emotions. In these instances, working creatively can help the expression of feelings, and naturally, ease stress levels often associated with anxiety.
I work towards building a trusting relationship. This way of working helps to develop self-worth and promote growth in their self-esteem. This containing environment helps the young person to begin to share what is troubling them. Their feelings must be validated, understood and seen as important. We can look to finding ways to empower the child or young person to feel more confident to make healthy decisions in life.
I have found anxiety a common theme within my work with symptoms far-reaching and impacting unhelpfully on many aspects of daily life. My approach is based upon psychoeducation, identifying core beliefs and challenging these automatic negative thoughts. I also bring in some grounding techniques, which we learn and practise to empower and build confidence.
Furthermore, I have a wealth of experience in working with young people who have been statemented with Autism. Having supporting them through a range of difficulties they may have faced, including; anxiety, anger, bullying, self-harm, low self-esteem, relationship issues, and friendship problems.
Couples Counselling
My focus is to work with the ‘relationship’, rather than individuals. My aim is to provide you and your partner with a safe, confidential and empathic service. I intend to help both of you to explore and progress your relationship; regardless of age, race, religious beliefs, gender identity, or sexual orientation. I will also help you to recognise how the conflict in the relationship can be an indicator of potential personal growth.
I can help you in a range of ways enabling you to:
• Learn communication skills with your partner effectively to create curiosity and support rather than experiencing conflict
• Understand how to work towards solving conflict and valuing difference
• Recognise the strengths in your relationship
• Improve your relationship through gaining insight and awareness into your particular difficulties
• To see the problems within your relationship as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding
• To understand how can you and your partner express your individuality while simultaneously supporting your relationship. This is the art of differentiation. Once you’ve passed through the “we” of the romantic stage, successful differentiation is the key to an authentic and fulfilling longer-term relationship
Common relationship issues I work with include:
• Misunderstandings and tensions resulting from differences in viewpoints
• Experiencing a range of feelings including; resentment, anger, and anxiety
• A lack of trust or loss of connection
• Lack of intimacy and sexual discontent
• Infidelity
• Difficulties arising with other family members
Can Couples Counselling be helpful to you?
This confidential and understanding service provides you and your partner with a safe space to explore the difficult issues within your relationship.
For couples in a committed relationship, couple counselling can help to keep you on track and deepen your understanding of each other and lead to a more contented lifestyle.
Discernment Counselling
I can help individuals and couples decide whether to try to work on their marriage, to separate or decide later. The sessions are divided between spending time with each couple together and individual conversations with each spouse. Please be assured, I will respect the reasons for considering separation while trying to open up the possibility of working on the marriage. In addition to emphasising the importance of each seeing his or her contributions to the problems and the possible solutions.
The goal of Discernment Counselling is not to solve problems – but to see if they can potentially be solved. Some couples may decide to commit to Couple therapy. This provides an opportunity to gain clarity and confidence about which direction to take that is based on a deeper understanding of the relationship and its problems. This form of counselling is considered successful when people have clarity and confidence in their decision. Traditional marriage counselling assumes that both people are willing to work on the marriage, Discernment Counselling assumes that frequently one partner is “leaning out” of the marriage and the other partner is “leaning in.” Each perspective is honoured.
There are three possible paths to follow and outcomes from Discernment Counselling:
• Continue as the relationship stands;
• Move towards temporary or permanent separation
• To commit to working on the relationship for 3 to 6 months in couples counselling, following which a decision can be made to continue or separate.
For couples interested in my confidential services…
Please contact me so that I can email you both a copy of my Terms and Conditions and Questionnaire. Once you and your partner have completed and returned these to me these will help me to understand a little more about your situation. I will then contact you to arrange an appointment to meet with you.