An experienced, accredited counsellor for individuals and couples, based in Cheltenham
A safe space to talk
My aim will be for us to work together to create a safe space where you can explore the issues in your life. I believe that it’s important for you to feel that you set the agenda, so that we talk about the areas that matter to you. We can’t alter
the things that have happened to us, but we can look at them differently, and this shift in perspective can allow us to make changes in our lives. Looking at past experiences can help us to understand why we react as we do in the present - this is not about blaming people, but moving towards acceptance, of ourselves, and of our life experiences so far.
I have developed an interest in mindfulness and have seen how a mindful approach can change things. We will all face different issues in our lives, but whatever happens to us, heightening our awareness of the world around us can help us to let our thoughts and feelings be, rather than getting caught up in them. We can even start to identify our values, working out what kind of person we would like to be in the world, and how we might go about achieving this, initially by taking very small steps.
I won't tell you what to do, but I'll try my very best to help you find a way forward that makes sense to you.
Getting started
The first step is to give me a call or send me an email. You can tell me a little about the issues you're facing, and we can arrange a time to meet, usually within a few days. We'll then have two preliminary sessions where we think about how we might work together. You'll get a clear idea of how I work and whether you feel I can help. I'll refer you to an appropriate colleague or service if I don't think I'm the right person for you to see.
If you decide to go ahead, we’ll work out whether it would be most helpful to explore your circumstances in some depth, which would indicate open-ended counselling, or whether you have a more specific issue that can be worked on with an agreed number of sessions. We will then arrange to meet once a week, usually at the same time. You can decide to end counselling at any point, and we will review regularly as we go along.
