Why Counselling?
Life presents us with a series of challenges, some we feel more equipped to deal with than others. These challenges are often opportunities for personal growth and positive change, although some can be incredibly painful and the growth process will take place over a long period of time. However, such challenges can come to feel more like crises when we do not feel we have the tools to deal with them effectively. Change, whether of circumstance or personal relationships, is often difficult and testing and can give rise to feelings of anxiety and doubts about our self worth and adequacy.
I believe that we all have within ourselves the ability to face these challenges, to make our choices and take responsibility for our chosen paths in life. The reasons that we seek counselling are unique to us, and may not always be obvious or well defined but may manifest themselves as a general ‘dis-ease’ or dissatisfaction with life. Sometimes life becomes too hectic and noisy and we are unable to clearly hear what we are thinking. Often those who are too close to us cannot hear us because they are struggling with their own life challenges.
What Can I Expect?
Counselling offers a safe and confidential environment where you can be heard, both by the counsellor and yourself. Being heard by the counsellor, in an environment of respect, empathy and non-judgment frees us up to listen to ourselves more effectively. Being heard also empowers us to identify the choices available and to make our own, sometimes-difficult decisions. Occasionally this will involve letting go of what is causing us ‘dis-ease’ and other times we may decide to meet the challenge head on and incorporate the learning we have achieved into our every day lives. This forms a large part of our personal growth and coping skills, allowing us to feel more in control of our lives and often to approach life in a fresh way. As your counsellor, I will provide support for you during this period of change.
It is not uncommon to feel stuck within a certain situation and counselling offers us the opportunity to bring whatever is bothering us into the therapeutic space. It is then the job of the counsellor to feed back what is heard and observed during the counselling session to help us clarify what it is about that situation that is making us ‘stuck’. This can provide valuable insight into how we are in the world, how we react to certain people and situations. This raised self-awareness offers the possibility for change and counselling helps us to explore our own tools and abilities to deal with these challenges and to make our chosen changes at our own pace. Sometimes, just being able to tell our story, and knowing that we are not being judged or causing hurt to the listener can be enough to free us and help us continue upon our chosen path.