Counselling & Therapeutic Approaches

One of the most important things I can do for you is listen. This is often what has been missing in our lives and the need to talk and have someone listen to your story and your concerns is of paramount importance to me. Such an approach is sometimes framed as Humanistic counselling.

This involves being in the present moment, so we can both hear and sense what is important to you.

You may want to share where your perspectives have come from. Perhaps issues have arisen from your present circumstances or perhaps they have been with you for many years- possibly decades. If this is the case then we will both become aware of this and/or it may be helpful for you, for me to point out possible links from your present circumstances and how they link to the past.

By clearly seeing this we have the potential for self-awareness and self-empowerment.

I can also help with simple mindfulness techniques to help you deal with everyday life circumstances, which you may find difficult at the moment.

As such, this essentially an integrative and holistic counselling service, which grows with you.

At the core of my practice is a belief in the importance of the therapeutic relationship and I count among my primary influences Humanistic and Psychodynamic theory. But what I bring to the therapy is guided by your needs and individual psychological perspective. As such it is a client led process. I will work with you to identify the areas that you particularly want to address and to identify the approach that you feel would be the most useful and meaningful to you.

The short answer is, yes.

I have been meditating for about 25 years. My tradition is Soto Zen.

I am very interested in how meditation and mindfulness can help people and have seen at first hand how this can be used by children in the classroom to help them self-soothe.

I have also seen adults with addiction issues use it to help them become more mindful of the patterns which lead to addiction.

More generally, for all of us, bringing some peace to the mind and body can alleviate stress and help us make the right decisions.

You do not have to be a Buddhist to do this: meditation is just a natural practice which helps us focus and see the world more clearly.

As a counsellor I do not preach Buddhism. Indeed Buddhism doesn’t have all the answers, but it can be very helpful.

By meditating we begin to see the changeableness of our perceptions and how they arise and fall. When we begin to relax with what is ‘bothering us’ – what we cling to – then slowly we begin to rest in our true nature.

By letting go of what we cling to and what we are avoiding we can begin to see what’s blocking us in making our decisions and what needs to be done to help us live the life we want to live.

Meditation and the practice of mindfulness can help us in our lives.