STYLES OF THERAPY

Person Centred Therapy is the basis for all my counselling work, it is based on creating a therapeutic relationship. Fundamentally it stems from the belief that the relationship between counsellor and client is that of equals, respecting, accepting and valuing the person as a unique individual. 

As a person centred counsellor I believe that as humans we have a drive to grow and develop. I work to create these conditions for growth by being open and honest, whilst engaging with you in order to see the world as you do, journeying beside you to understand your world through your eyes.

By building a trustworthy relationship, free from the pressures of judgment, you can engage with your own resources, discover your own solutions, become more self-aware and have greater independence.

This Is probably one of the most recognised forms of therapy. It can be used to good effect in short term work, although it can also be used and integrated into longer term therapy. We will work together to identify how your thoughts affect how you feel, which in turn affects your behaviours. By identifying this cycle, it is then possible to understand your negative thought patterns in order to elicit change by managing and adapting these thought processes. 

CBT has its focus on the here and now. Athough the past can provide insight into how the negative thought processes occurred and became embedded, the past is not the focus of the work.

TA Is a psychotherapeutic model which is designed to promote personal growth and change. The focus is upon how we interact with others, recognising how this is shaped by our past experiences, specifically our childhoods. 

TA incorporates numerous models, concepts and tools in order to examine how we interact with others. Understanding our own interactions with others allows us to initiate change. 

There is a focus upon belief and how you understand and interpret the world around you; which may have given rise to problematic recurring behaviours.. Gaining this understanding allows a person to transform by exercising choice over their behaviours.

As the name suggests, SFT has the focus upon finding new solutions in order to develop strategies to help you move forward. Goals are set by exploring how your life would be if the issue that brought you to counselling was solved. We can then move on to look at your inner resources, previous successful coping mechanisms and explore new strategies.  

Although there is a focus in SFT on accessing solutions, there is space to explore the problems/ issues you are experiencing. After all it is these that brought you to therapy and exploring these can help give you insight into how these are affecting you.   

SFT can be used to work on a specific issue, or it can be integrated into open ended work, exploring new ideas.

In open-ended therapy, I will work with you for as long as necessary until you feel that you no longer need to see me. This allows a freedom to work on whatever you want and often allows for deeper work, including exploring your past and childhood experiences. 

In long-term therapy there is sufficient time to work through complex emotions, uncovering deep seated issues, with space to explore new ways of approaching your future and personal growth.

If desired, we will work together for a set period of time with a focus on one particular issue, which is usually related to the 'here and now'. This can be very effective at helping you cope with an immediate issue that you are struggling with.

It can also be helpful for people who are experiencing life transitions or personal crisis.