Counselling - Adults, Children and Young People
Telling your personal stories in counselling can be incredibly therapeutic. It allows you to process and make sense of your experiences, emotions, and challenges, which can lead to a greater understanding of yourself and your feelings. Sharing your stories can also help build a stronger therapeutic relationship, enhancing trust and connection with your counsellor. This process can lead to increased self-awareness, emotional healing, and ultimately contribute to overall well-being and inner peace.
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My client exploring layers of conditioning and abuse
Adults
Growing up, we can be conditioned by what we see, hear and feel from our environment. Our lived experiences included expectations from; parents, teachers, friends, culture, religion and generations of family values. When we don’t feel that we have reached those perceived life expectations we can feel lost, sad and empty. At the same time, achieving what is expected (marriage, children, a home…) can leave us feeling unfulfilled, searching for meaning and questioning our identity.
We each have so many different labels: wife, daughter, husband, provider, mother, not a mother, single, old maid, spinster, career woman. Our labels can make us feel isolated and trapped; unable to explore other parts of ourselves that may be desperate to reach the surface.
The exploration of repressed and buried feelings can be painful. The development of our (client and counsellor) safe relationship will allow you to begin the process of becoming ‘unstuck’, releasing and unraveling what is happening within you. Whatever you feel deserves to be acknowledged, validated and empathised with.
Children
It's important to prepare children and young people for counselling. Counselling can feel daunting and your child may not completely understand. For therapy to be successful, a child must know their reasons for coming to counselling, and recognise the need for change. Please refer to the 'Useful Materials' section for resources that could support with this.
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When working with children I like to use a range of activities and interventions. These help develop self-awareness and curiosity about how the child feels within their body, about certain situations, certain people and how they make sense of the world around them.
I have worked with children experiencing a wide range of challenges; from self-esteem issues to domestic violence, from bereavement to anger management. I achieve excellent outcomes through being genuinely curious about what the children are trying to communicate. I help them express their feelings through a variety of means that are easily accessible for the child, allowing them to use their imaginations to explore who they are.
I have worked with children experiencing a wide range of challenges; from self-esteem issues to domestic violence, from bereavement to anger management. I achieve excellent outcomes through being genuinely curious about what the children are trying to communicate.
I help them express their feelings through a variety of means that are easily accessible for the child, allowing them to use their imaginations to explore who they are.