I am trained as a Psychodynamic Counsellor, although I am familiar with other approaches such as CBT.
If you are not familiar with different counselling approaches, the Counselling Directory provides good definitions. If you ask yourself questions such as:
“Why am I like this?”
“Does this stem from my childhood experiences?”
“Why do I feel so frightened or angry all the time?”
Then Psychodynamic Counselling is likely to be the right approach for you.
Over a long career as health professional and counsellor, I have worked to help many with issues such as building confidence, coping with loss, managing emotions, particularly anxiety and anger and improving relationships – difficulties that sometimes go back to childhood experiences.
I believe in working with the whole person. We cannot separate mind and body. Anxiety, depression or long-term unhappiness impact on us physically over time. We understand that illness is aggravated by mental conflict and stress. Or that long-term stress can cause a variety of physical problems. We may find it hard to take care of ourselves properly. Maybe you are someone who puts everyone else first.
I have particular experience in working with people who have health problems or a disability or those who are caring for someone who is unwell. I have experience of working with people with a range of conditions such as:-
| Arthritis | Fybromyalgia |
| Chronic back pain | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| Medically unexplained symptons | Other Long term conditions |
Often, understanding ourselves and our difficulties can take time and sessions are usually open-ended for as long as you need them. However, time-limited sessions are also available to help you improve your coping strategies and learn stress-management techniques.
I am committed to working with adults of all ages, abilities, cultures, religious beliefs or LGBTQ.
I also provide supervision to counselling trainees or mental health professionals.
I offer an initial appointment in order to gain an understanding of your needs and for us to decide if we want to work together. The fee for this is £50. There is no obligation at this stage as it is important that you feel comfortable and committed if you decide to attend regular sessions. On-going fees for a 50 minute session are between £35-50 negotiable depending on your financial circumstances.