Counselling

Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues; it allows people to discuss their problems and feelings in a safe, confidential environment.

You may have something that you feel you would like to discuss and explore to help with some healing or progress in your life. 

Counselling can also bring some clarity to your thoughts and feelings. So maybe there is not a specific issue that you would like to resolve, but a sense of being “out of sorts” and wanting to look at settling that feeling and gain understanding.

Counselling can help you cope with:

• a mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety or an eating disorder
• an upsetting physical health condition, such as infertility, disability or medical conditions
• a difficult life event, such as a bereavement, a relationship breakdown or work-related stress
• difficult emotions – for example, low self-esteem or anger
• other issues, such as sexual identity

Counselling can also help with finding out how we tick, help us to understand ourselves and from there look at life and relationships differently. Emotional intelligence is a great benefit to enable us to enjoy life more.

Counselling can mean different things to different people, but in general, it is a process people seek when they want to change something in their lives, or simply explore their thoughts and feelings in more depth.

Counselling does not come in a standard format and each session is tailored to the individual. There is flexibility within this type of therapy that allows for a variety of counselling formats, including:

• Face-to-face - This is when you make an appointment with a counsellor to see them in person, usually at our offices. Face-to-face sessions are one of the more popular therapy formats because they provide an opportunity for you to discuss any emotions that arise there and then. 

• On-line counselling - Some people prefer not to physically speak to a counsellor, utilising technology and video calling or emailing their counsellor instead. This form of counselling may allow you to take the time to think through what you wish to discuss, and many find the act of physically writing their issues down cathartic.

We offer counselling to adults, couples, young people and children, either short or long term. We also offer clinical supervision to practising counsellors and therapists, support workers, schools and organisations.