HOW CAN PSYCHOTHERAPY COUNSELLING HELP?

If you are considering counselling, it might be because you are living with particular feelings or questions you might need some professional help with. Perhaps you are looking to change a particular situation, or are overwhelmed by a life experience or perhaps you are experiencing anxiety or depression. Counselling can help you to take yourself out of a situation and see it from a different perspective.  It can give you the chance to explore difficult issues in a safe, confidential space and can help to change a situation for the better.  

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Within my private practice I work with a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, lack of self worth/self esteem and confidence, bullying, abuse, self harm and relationship problems.  I also have experience with complex PTSD and PTSD and gained a first in my BA (hons) where I researched into emotional abuse, coercive behaviour, trauma bonding and narcissism  within relationships.  I currently work  with both men and women of all ages and have experience with young people also.  I have run a creative arts group for survivors of rape and abuse and groups within the probation service.  

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Currently I divide my time between working in private practice, working   part time as a trauma counsellor for a sexual violence charity and working with vulnerable teenagers within the care system.  I also have  previous counselling experience  working in a women's refuge and within an agency dealing with a multitude of issues.

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I offer face to face, on-line (Zoom is the most secure) and telephone counselling so this gives the client both a choice and tailors to their needs.

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INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

I use an integrative approach to counselling, which means that a variety of different techniques can be used to help an individual, as one size does not 'fit all'.  This can incorporate psychodynamic and person-centred techniques to name but a few.  I firmly believe in a holistic approach to healing and working with the mind, body and spirit.

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EMDR

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With EMDR Therapy, I will  guide the client through a series of eye movements engaging the brains's system that deals with information processing - similar to when you are in REM Sleep and your eyes are going back and forth.  The clients eyes will follow the stimulus (be it a light bar or fingers, or tapping) whilst the I guide the client through memories of adverse experiences.  In a way what is happening is that myself and the client are having the brains functionality to show that bad experiences are indeed in the past and that there is nothing to be worried about in the here and now.

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Interestingly, with EMDR therapy clients do not need to discuss every detail of the trauma. They won't have to relive the experience or indeed recount what happened. Much of the processing happens unconsciously, making the approach to trauma care helpful in keeping clients comfortable.

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EMDR is used to treat many mental health conditions.  Originally it was used to treat PTSD and the symptoms that occur after someone has gone through a traumatic experience.  However it can be used for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, abuse etc.

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With this treatment it helps for clients to feel less stuck. It can also be useful when clients are stuck in negative thought patterns or emotional cycles.

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EMDR can be for anyone :-)