Counselling that starts with you
You don't need to come to counselling knowing exactly what's wrong, what needs to change or what you want to do next.
Sometimes you just know that things have become too much. You might be overwhelmed by parenting, worried about your child, struggling within your relationship or feeling as though you've lost touch with yourself somewhere amongst looking after everybody else.
My role is to help you slow things down and make sense of what's happening.
I want you to feel that you can be honest with me about how things really are. You don't need to worry about being judged, saying the right thing or having everything figured out. I'll listen, ask questions and help you explore your thoughts, emotions, relationships and circumstances so we can begin to understand what's going on and what might help.
I believe you know yourself and your family better than anyone. My role is to work alongside you, helping you understand yourself, explore what matters to you and find ways forward that feel right for you and your circumstances.
Understanding what's happening, then working out what might help
Sometimes you need somewhere to talk and feel understood. Sometimes you also want practical help with what happens next.
My approach brings those two things together.
I won't focus only on the immediate problem. We'll look at what may be contributing to it, including your thoughts, emotions, reactions, relationships and what's happening in your life more broadly. We can notice patterns, look at what's working and what isn't, and explore what you might want to do differently.
Some sessions might involve talking through something that's been weighing on you. Other times, we might look at patterns in your relationships, explore different ways of responding to challenges or work through practical strategies that suit you, your family and your circumstances.
A practical, person-centred approach
Person-centred counselling is at the heart of how I work, and I also draw on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Solution-Focused Therapy.
We might look at your values and what's important to you, particularly if you've spent a long time focused on what everybody else needs and aren't quite sure what you want anymore. At other times, we'll focus on what you'd like to be different, what's already working and the small, realistic changes that could help you move forward.
I don't use one approach for everybody. What we focus on depends on you, what's happening in your life and what you need from counselling.
An understanding of what family life can actually be like
Children and families are a world I know well, both personally and professionally.
I've experienced parenting across different ages and stages myself, and my professional work with children and families has given me an understanding of child development, challenging behaviours, family dynamics and the different pressures families can face.
That means when you tell me, “I've tried everything,” “My kids are driving me crazy,” or “I don't know what to do anymore,” you don't need to make family life sound better or easier than it is.
I understand that you can love your children deeply and still find parenting really hard. You can want to be there for your family while also needing something for yourself.
Counselling can give you somewhere to start sorting through all of that, so you can understand yourself and your relationships more clearly, feel more confident in your own decisions and work out what moving forward looks like for you.
