Counselling & psychotherapy

What is counselling?
Counselling helps you to look at problems you are facing now. It may focus on a specific problem like bereavement or post-natal depression or on a decision, crisis or conflict. You are encouraged to talk about the feelings you have about yourself and your situation, and the counsellor helps you find ways to tackle them.

What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is another term used to describe counselling. Some people use ‘psychotherapy’ to describe deeper work to explore the impact of childhood experiences and our early life on the problems we face today. For me they are part of the same activity. Each client approaches counselling from a different angle and so I aim to fit my experience of working both in the here and now and with early life experience to the needs of my client.

Cognitive behavioural therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT is often helpful for anxiety and depression. It is based on the belief that our emotions are caused by our thoughts and that by challenging negative thoughts we can help to stop negative feelings from taking hold and spiralling out of control.  Many GPs are now suggesting CBT to help their patients cope with anxiety and depression because there is a strong body of evidence to show that it works.

I use cognitive, behavioural and motivational techniques as well as a person centred approach to help my clients cope with their lives.

Confidentiality
Everything discussed in the session is confidential. I will not pass on any information about you unless I believe you are likely to harm yourself or another person.

Professional membership
I am a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Code of Ethics
I work with a strict code of ethics set by the BACP.

Areas of special interest

• Relationships (including couples therapy)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Isolation and loneliness
• Confidence and self image
• Trauma and phobias
• Health anxiety
• Sexual health and HIV
• Sexuality and coming out
• Life work balance