Counselling Services

Counselling:

Counselling can benefit individuals, couples (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual), families/step families (or any preferred combination of family members), youth and children.

Working with Individuals:

  • Engaging in a course of counselling for yourself can be one of the most rewarding investments you can make. You do have control over yourself, so, with minimal effort you can bring about some significant changes in your life. What you want to change in your life is up to you!
  • I can assist you in determining what you want to change if it's not obvious, but at the end of the day counselling is your process, and you must determine whether the process is beneficial for you. These are all issues we talk about during the first session so you feel comfortable with the process and also so you can let me know if you're not comfortable with the process.
  • During the first session I will undertake an Outcome Rating Scale, ORS, to determine how you are feeling about your life on entry into the process. I will repeat the ORS at point of exit from the process, as well, to determine what progress you have made through your investment in the counselling process. This information is for your benefit only, so you can see the progress you have made. No one else will see these results.
  • Research carried out on the effectiveness of the talking therapies has shown that most people will benefit from 3-4 sessions of counselling, but occasionally people only require 1 session to feel significantly better and some people require many sessions to gain benefit. The length of the counselling process is determined by you, and you will never be pressured to come to a session.

Working with Couples:

  • Couples counselling has the potential to restore an unhealthy relationship to its former glory. If both parties are committed and willing to 'emotionally' listen to each other and do the work necessary to bring about some changes, then you can expect a more fulfilling and happier relationship.
  • It is the position of a skilled relationship counsellor/therapist to facilitate the necessary conversations to alleviate the constraints or barriers to your relationship becoming a fulfilling one.
  • I will not take sides when working with your relationship, but I will take a stand on any forms of abuse that may be operating within the room. It is not a counsellors' role to reinforce acts of disrespect or abuse.

Working with Children and Young People:

  • When working with children and young people under 14 years I will always meet with a parent/caregiver first to better understand what is going on for a child or young person. Where appropriate I will encourage a parent or caregiver (or both) to actively participate in the counselling process with their child.
  • When working with a young person between 14 and 16 years I will encourage them to gain parental/caregiver permission to engage in counselling, except where I believe this to be detrimental to the well-being of the young person. The young person can choose whether they want to bring their parent or caregiver into a session.
  • Young people over the age of 16 do not require parental consent to engage in counselling, but if they would like a family member to participate in the process with them this is fine.
  • Where I believe that improved parenting skills may benefit a child's problem, I will discuss this in private with the parent/caregiver and give them the opportunity to have some sessions to learn some beneficial parenting practices.
  • When working with children and young people I may use a variety of therapeutic resources such as strength cards, games, drawing, playdough, figurines, therapeutic letters, certificates and play. Many children express themselves more easily using therapeutic resources and many respond well externalising practices.
  • I will engage with your child's problem/issue using a playful stance, so as to disempower your child's problem and empower your child to take control and action against the problem/issue.