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ABOUT THERAPY

We all instinctively know that having someone supportive and compassionate to talk to will help us through a crisis. This is why so many people – from all walks of life and with a whole range of different problems – use therapy as a way of resolving personal issues and finding a successful path through life.

Psychological therapies have a proven track record in helping us deal with a range of psychological issues: Addiction, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, sexual problems, relationship and attachment issues – the list is almost endless. Psychotherapy and Counselling can bring us a new understanding, enabling us to move out into the world with a renewed sense of self.

Some people come to therapy not because of crisis but simply because they want to know more about themselves. We all have a desire to understand our motivations, behaviours and repeated life patterns in order to move through life with more ease and less stress.

Finding out about ourselves in the presence of a professional can be an enriching and enjoyable experience and many clients come to see  therapy as an enjoyable aspect of their personal growth.

Counselling

Counselling is a process that enables a person to look at issues and come to decisions that will affect their life. Often counselling is sought at times of crisis or change but also can help us at any time of life. Through the counselling process we can start to recognise and name problems, whilst challenging some of the blocks that keep the problems locked in their place. Counselling is typically a short term process– between 6 and 12 sessions – and will usually focus on a specific issue in the here-and-now. Many people find that a short period of counselling is sufficient to help them to find new ways of dealing with old problems and bring a new outlook to familiar feelings.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is generally a deeper and longer term engagement than the counselling relationship. We employ the same basic principles of active listening, empathy, and respect, but the purpose of psychotherapy is to facilitate transformation at a deeper level of the psyche. This requires us to hold a coherent psychological model of the self in order to work with the structure of the personality as well as here-and-now issues. My aim in the psycotherapeutic relationship is to engage with you on a deep enough level to understand what it is like to walk in your shoes and yet also to understand what it is like to be in relationship with you. In processing all of those experiences together, between the two of us, new understandings of the self have the space to emerge and be nurtured. My work is focussed on the present rather than the past: the past is useful in telling us how we got to where we are, but we need to focus on present-centered relating in order to get to where it is we want to be. A typical course of psychotherapy can be anything between 6 months and 3 years. The length of time in therapy is entirely dependent upon you and the depth at which you wish to work.

Couples Counseliing

Is your relationship going through a rough patch or are you simply stuck in a rut? I am an experienced couples counsellor and have worked with many, couples over the past twelve years helping them to stay together and move into a new phase of their relationship or, sometimes, helping them to separate in a healthy way. Coming to couples counselling can feel like a daunting experience. What you need to know is that you are in safe hands with an experienced therapist who can give you the guidance you need to move your relationship into new territory. Many couples leave it too late to come to therapy. Your relationship doesn’t need to be in a trouble before you take the leap. If you are reading this then the chances are you are already contemplating getting help in moving your relationship forward. Something to bear in mind is that most couples don’t regret making this move although they often regret not having taken it sooner.

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Skype or phone sessions

If for various reasons you cannot make it to the practice an online session can be arranged using Skype or alternatively a session can be done over the phone or by e-Mail. Contact Pat for further information.
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