Our first meeting will be a safe, comfortable space to share your concerns and you can talk about what is troubling you without fear of judgement. You will be able to consider how that session feels to you and if you feel you would like to work with me. We will discuss in what way I can best help or support you. We can agree on how many sessions and how often they will be. We also agree a time to review the sessions, look at how they are going and if you would like to make any changes to the way we work in sessions.

Talking Therapy

Talking therapy is my offering a person~centred approach in our relationship, this enables you to speak about what troubles you and develop insight into your difficulties. However, it also focusses on your strengths and possible solutions; this allows you to work out your own pathway to restoring yourself back to emotional and psychological health. Counselling is usually fairly short term, anywhere from two to twenty sessions. We would agree the number of sessions in our first meeting.

CBT

CBT, Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy is a very practical way of helping you to challenge the way you think, and change your behaviour. It is actually much more than that, we may work on memories that have impacted on you, images you have, and unhelpful ways of thinking. We also focus on how this alters the emotions you feel. I am a very practical person and I like to keep things as simple as possible so you will find that I aim to reduce the technical psychobabble and use simple terms.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy tends to be longer term work, it may focus on more complicated issues or problems that have gone on for some time. Sometimes this may include exploring events and relationships that shaped you in the past including your childhood.

Confidentiality

As a professional I must work within the ethical guidelines of BACP. There are rare circumstances when I may need to breach confidentiality. This is usually when someone's safety may be compromised in some way. However I have never yet had to do this without my client being fully involved in the decision.

The Therapeutic Relationship

I aim to offer you my undivided attention in each fifty minute session. The relationship is based on my valuing your perspectives and learning how to understand your world. I aim to accept you as fully as I possibly can and to do this without you feeling judged or criticised. I also aim to be honest, sensitive and to ensure confidentiality.

Integrative Therapy

Integrative Therapy allows me to be flexible and adjust to your needs. Integrative therapists train in more than one theory of how to help people with various problems. They learn about the underpinning philosophies from which the theory evolved, they are trained to integrate theories and integrate practical interventions that are proven to be effective. I trained in Person-Centred, Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy and Attachment Theory (why and how people relate to others and the patterns of their relationships). I later trained in EMDR.

Couples and Relationships Therapy

Whether you are a couple who are having problems or you struggle with your relationship with a child or adult family member, friend or colleague, relationship therapy can be helpful. I help you look at the strengths and weaknesses of the relationship, why it is struggling to cope with the pressures it has on it now, I give you the skills to open up communication and work together to find resolutions to communication and relationship issues.