‘Finding foundations’ provides counselling in a private, safe and confidential setting.
SERVICES
Welcome to Finding FoundationsHello my name is Joanne, and I am a ‘Person Centred Integrative Counsellor’ living in the Teesside area.
I am a generic Counsellor as I have a lot of experience in working with people from diverse backgrounds gender and ages . I work ethically to help people face difficulties in their lives such as grief and loss, anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol / addictive behaviour issues, domestic violence, rape sexual abuse, relationship problems, bullying and intimidation difficulties. I have a lot of experience in working with families and children, and am involved with ongoing ' therapeutic support groups'' .
I trained as a Counsellor at Redcar and Cleveland College and the University of Teesside.As part of my training I volunteered at a local hospice as a bereavement Counsellor and a 'drug and alcohol Counsellor at a local service.
‘Finding foundations’ is to offer Counseling in a private, safe and confidential setting. The service offers help with emotional and psychological needs; it is a place to be listened to without being judged or told what to do. The service is not about, quick fixing problems and me being the expert or having all the answers. It is about working with trust and respect in the therapeutic relationship, to enable the individual to explore and make sense of what is going on, in order to heal and build up strength from within themselves.
My theoretical approach is Person Centred; however I do integrate other frameworks such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Transactional Analysis, Solution Focused Approach, Psychodynamic and Play Therapy. I receive continuous training and support and attend monthly Counselling supervision. I am police screened and receive continuous training and support. I and am registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and abide by their code of ethics, values and morals.
If you are interested in receiving Counselling from 'Finding Foundations' feel free to ask me any questions.
Types of distress
Grief and Loss
Experiences of loss and grief can be similar to when a relationship ends. There is a ‘cycle of grief’ where feelings and emotions can fluctuate from denial,shock, depression, fear despair, idealisation searching disbelief and anger. It is usual to have an extended desperate longing for the person to return and face difficulties in accepting the loss and that the person is never coming back. If the relationship was a difficult one there could be conflicting emotions can make the loss more difficult to bear and result in confusion, anger and guilt.
Counselling can help as it is a way to talk things through and work through the difficulties.It is helpful for people who are affected by loss to work with a good listener who is not emotionally involved ,. A person who is non judgemental, trustworthy and works in a sensitive and caring way.
Depression
Depression is a common condition and will affect one in three people at some time in their lives . There are a number of factors as to why and how people develop depression. It could be internal factors such as chemical changes in the body and brain. Often it is external factors such as loss of a loved one, a personal tragedy or a situation, difficult circumstances or problems in life. It also could be a combination of the two. Sometimes depression can come along for no apparent reason. Usually people who suffer from low self esteem can be susceptible to depression.
Some signs of knowing if you are depressed are being negative towards the self, blaming self or others for problems in life. Suicidal thoughts or feelings of harming self or actual doing it. Disturbances or changes in sleep patterns are common also constantly waking up and worrying, lack of sleep or even sleeping too much. A change in eating patterns can also be a sign of depression either eating too much or a loss of appetite. Another sign can be loss of enjoyment of activities once enjoyed and withdrawing from social contact,.Other signs can be loss of concentration , loss of energy and overwhelming feelings of guilt , worthlessness and despair.
Counselling can help depression, it offers someone to talk to and offload to. It can help you understand the causes and triggers of your depression as it is an individual experience to you. Counselling can also help in addressing low self esteem, relationship issues, or persistent negative thinking.
Anxiety/ Depression
Anxiety affects ¼ of the population. It has often been described by sufferers as having a black cloud over them , and dominates their life with worry, fear and sadness. .Anxiety usually has intense mental and physical sensations such as cold sweats, trembling, palpitations, anticipating disasters, thinking negatively about most situations, living in fear. Anxiety thrives on fear and can spiral out of control.
Counselling can help with anxiety and depression as it offers listening and can help sufferers face their fears and build up self esteem. It can enable understanding of what is going on, and gain insight into the triggers and patterns that are reinforcing the anxiety along with changing negative thought patterns.
Addictions
An estimated two million people in the U.K are said to have an addiction of some kind. Addictions are often developed as they can offer people a temporary escape from their problems or reality . Addiction is often a short term coping mechanism usually to mask some underlying issue/problem , or even for a quick high. Addictions can develop from many activities such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, eating, shopping, cleaning and controlling behaviours. Addiction means not being able to stop repetitive behaviours despite their destructive and harmful consequences. Addictions can become a vicious circle and the dependency can spiral out of control and become a destructive cycle.
There are many factors involved in the causes of addiction; it could be genetic, social influences or cultural, or chemical or emotional changes.
Counselling can help people struggling with addictions, as it can enable them to start to understand their emotional needs and make sense of their underlying problems. It is a way of building up self esteem to be able to live a more fulfilling life..
Abuse
Abuse is when one person in a relationship is more dominant or forceful than the other resulting in overpowering the other. This is usually to the extent that the needs of the dominated person are not considered or dismissed . Most often there is lack of respect and the more forceful person makes the other person lose their self worth. This can be done by criticisms, put downs physical, sexual ,financial psychological or emotional abuse. can happen in many areas of life and be associated with domestic violence and bullying .
Counselling can help in restoring self esteem and help the abused person detach themselves from the abusive person’s behaviour. It can help build strength to face the patterns of being abused, and how to express suppressed emotions .
Bullying
Bullying is when a person or a group of people are intimidating or overpowering towards another, causing them pain and distress. The intention of a bully is to cause emotional or physical hurt over their victim . There does not appear to be any limits over bullying, it occurs through all levels of societyregardless of age groups children and adults and gender. Bullying affects victims lives in all areas such as their jobs , relationships and home lives almost always their physical and mental health can suffer. People usually lose confidence as a consequence of being bullied as they feel powerless confused , anxious , isolated and lost . They can isolate themselves , suffer depression, anxiety , self harm and be unable to function. Bullying can fix a person in an unhealthy way of living , permeate their lives and limit their potential.
Counselling can help with building on the ability to be assertive. It offers a way to offload and express feelings that others may not understand . Counselling can also help with issues of trust and confidence, it can build up positive thinking patterns , develop self esteem and examine unhealthy beliefs.
Panic attacks
A panic attack is when your body experiences a rush of intense psychological (mental) and physical symptoms.
You may feel an overwhelming sense of fear, apprehension and anxiety. As well as these feelings, you may also experience physical symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, trembling and a sensation that your heart is beating irregularly (palpitations).
A panic attack can be very frightening and intense, but it is not dangerous. It will not cause you any physical harm.
How common is panic disorder?
At least one person in 10 experiences occasional panic attacks, which are usually triggered by a stressful event or situation. However, people with panic disorder have recurring and regular attacks, often for no apparent reason.
The number of panic attacks that you have will depend on the severity of your condition. Some people may have one or two attacks each month, while others may have several attacks a week.
Because panic disorder is a very unpredictable condition it leaves affected people feeling constantly anxious and concerned about when their next attack will be.
In the UK, approximately one person in 100 has panic disorder. Most people first develop the disorder during their 20s, and it is approximately twice as common in women as it is in men.
Anxiety conditions
There are several conditions where anxiety is one of the main symptoms. Phobias, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder can all cause severe anxiety.
Anxiety is a characteristic feature of most people. In it’s ‘normal’ form, it helps with vigilance, learning and general performance. In short, anxiety is useful. However, in excess it starts to work against us. Extremes of self-focus and apprehension quickly reduce attention and performance, perhaps aggravated by that particular blend of emotions (such as anger, shame, guilt or sadness mixing with a dominating fear) that make up each person’s unique ‘anxiety’.
Anxiety and feelings of stress are symptoms, a response to pressure - the more intolerable or persistent the pressure, the worse the anxiety. And this does not necessarily mean a single, overwhelming difficulty. More often it is an accumulation of things.
Low self esteem
In Latin esteem means 'to estimate' therefore self esteem is often defined as how you estimate yourself. Low self esteem is quite common in todays society, signs of having low self esteem could be finding difficulties in answering yes to questions such as 'Do I deserve to be loved? Do I deserve to be happy? Do I like myself? . People suffering from low self esteem and accept a low sense of self worth may be prone to drug or alcohol misuse, depression and anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. Most people experience low self esteem at some point in their lives, for example when they lose their jobs or a relationship ends. and may find it difficult to bounce back.
Common signs of low self esteem are feeling tired, bored having little motivation and feelings of not having much to look forward to , feeling negatively about positives in your life and your abilities.
Causes of low self esteem are often found in childhood our formative years and family hold a strong force in the development of our individual self esteem .Our own natural personality and the messages and influences we receive from everyone around us in how we should think, act and behave.
Counselling can help sufferers of low self esteem as it can help them develop a sense of self. This can help them live a more fulfilling life and find empowerment from within themselves.
Training and Qualifications.
Bsc Honors - Criminology - University of Teesside
Certificate of Higher Education in Counselling - University of Teesside
Diploma in Counselling -NCFE
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills and Theory -NCFE
Access to Higher Education ; Middlesbrough College
Grief Counselling - Teesside Hospice Care Foundation
'Forget me Not' Childrens Grief Counselling-Teesside Hospice
Importance of Play Therapy -Teesside Hospice '
Men and Grief Counselling
Counselllor Training Course and Motivational Interviewing -Albert Centre
Sexual Violence Training for Counsellors -Womens Support Network and Jigsaw.
Solution Focused Practice - Inter Agency Training
Solution Focused Approaches to Counselling
Transactional Analysis
Cognitive Behaviour therapy for Depression and Anxiety
Empowerment
Gestalt perspective working with dreams
Defusing Violence and Aggession
Suicide and Self harm Awareness
Child Protection
Domestic Abuse
Awareness of Child Abuse and Neglect
Risks and Needs assessments
Mental Health Interventions and Best Practice Approaches
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health systems and legislations
Drug Awareness level s1 and 2-NECA
Crack Awareness levels 1 and 2
Amphetamine Awareness levels 1 and 2
Service Categories
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Counselling
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