A confidential counselling & psychotherapy service based in Christchurch, Dorset.
A free thirty minute consultation is offered to enable you to meet me to ask any questions you may have and see how you feel about working with me, before making any commitment. I offer both short term or open ended counselling for individuals and couples and long term psychotherapy. I have been a member of the British Association for Counsellors & Psychotherapists for ten years and see clients with a diversity of issues.
I have particular experience in working with all forms of childhood abuse and its continued impact on present life and relationships.
Do I need counselling?
There are many personal problems, difficulties and traumas that can lead to you feeling overwhelmed, depressed, anxious or unable to cope with life. Sometimes talking to friends and family does not help or there may not be a person in your life with whom you feel safe enough to confide in and trust with your intimate concerns or worries. Often when feeling overwhelmed with difficult feelings, or struggling with issues that stem from events and experiences in the past there can be a fear of burdening others, alienating them or you worry about the emotional impact your problems may have on them. It can be very hard to reach out and ask for help, you may feel that no one will be able to understand how you feel and this can feel very isolating.
Counselling can help when you need to work things through with someone unbiased. A therapeutic relationship is an empathic, supportive and non-judgemental relationship with a trained professional. As your counsellor, I shall support you as you try and establish your needs and find ways of meeting them, rather than offering solutions. Experiences in the past can unconsciously affect how we think and feel in our current relationships, which will include your relationship with me, as your counsellor. The counselling relationship offers a unique insight into our ways of relating and being.
Counselling offers a safe containing environment where you can discuss, explore and work through issues and feelings that are negatively affecting your life. Talking things through, being heard, engaging in this process of exploration with a trained professional, who has knowledge of psychological theories and recognised communication skills, modified with experience, intuition and empathy, can facillitate insight and greater self awareness. A confidential, therapeutic relationship can help you to move on from painful experiences and difficulties and lead a happier and healthier life.
Taking the step to talk to a counsellor can feel daunting and you may wonder whether you need counselling, or how it can help you.....- Maybe you are experiencing relationship difficulties or dealing with painful feelings of loss and grief due to bereavement or other life changes?
- Where you emotionally, sexually or physically abused during your childhood or more recent past and are now struggling with the after effects?
- Are sexual problems causing you concern or worry?
- Feeling confused about your sexuality and feel that you need to explore this with someone in confidence, without judgement?
- Are you having unmanageable feelings (anger, sadness, emptiness) which are difficult to understand?
- Do you suffer from low self esteem, lack confidence, have feelings of worthlessness, or feel that you are not good enough?
- Do you use alcohol or drugs in a detrimental way or physically harm yourself to cope with painful life situations and feelings?
- Are you feeling ill at ease at work, socially and/or in the family?
- Is life becoming unbearable because of depression, stress, anxiety or panic attacks?
These are just some examples of the kind of things that bring people to counselling, however, as we are all unique individuals, no "list" of reasons why people seek help will ever be fully comprehensive and your own problem may not have been described. You may have a myriad of difficulties, feel overwhelmed and unclear about where your emotional pain and current feelings stem from.
Traumatic experiences can be buried and seemingly 'forgotten' but then begin to resurface and affect your life and sense of self in negative ways.
If you have tried to 'get over' something or block it out but still feel affected or keep finding yourself in certain patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour, or in abusive or difficult relationships, counselling or psychotherapy can be effective in helping you to break these patterns.
Whatever is troubling you, if you feel the need to talk to someone who will listen, without judgement......a confidential relationship with a professional counsellor can help
Service Categories
Counselling, Psychotherapy
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