If you are reading this, it is likely that you are experiencing some kind of distress or would like to make some type of change in your life and feel that you need support. You may find that family and friends try to help when you have problems and this may be sufficient. Sometimes it is necessary to work on your problems and goals with someone who is uninvolved in your life, a skilled professional.
CBT for individuals
CBT is a collaborative form of therapy which explores how thoughts, behaviours and feelings are interconnected. It is an evidenced-based approach to therapy which is widely used in the NHS because it is recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines to help people who are suffering with depression and anxiety.
CBT is particularly helpful for generalised anxiety and worrying, work stress, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, health anxiety, panic, depression and obsessive compulsive problems. Following the development of an understanding of your problem, the therapy focuses on what keeps the problem going. CBT is a structured approach and requires the completion of tasks between sessions. It gives you the tools and a plan to work on any future problems alone.
Counselling for individuals
Counselling offers an opportunity for you to discuss, explore and work through anything which is troubling you with a qualified Counsellor. It might involve concerns about your relationships, life in general, work or if you are a student, an assignment, thesis or viva. You can work on the things which are causing difficulties for you in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space at a pace that suits you. You will be able to explore ways that you could make some changes to live in a more satisfying way.
Counselling is not just for resolving problems. It can transform your life. Counselling can help you to realise your potential and can be used for personal development. For example therapy can focus on improving or changing your career prospects or be used to explore your personal and professional goals. It can help you decide what you want out of life.
Counselling for couples
- Do you need some help to get your relationship back on track?
- Are you unsure whether it is possible to repair things?
- Do you look at your partner and think ‘is this it?’
- Are you going through a rough patch in your relationship?
- Are you finding it hard to cope with a betrayal or affair?
I am experienced in working with couples experiencing difficulties and am qualified to do so. You don’t have to struggle. Couples counselling or relationship counselling can help you to decide what you would like your future to look like.
Does therapy work?
You may be unsure about whether therapy can help. In fact, research has shown that counselling is helpful (see Pybis et al., 2017 for further reading)*. Counselling can help you to feel better and can help you to understand yourself. After counselling people often find that they are able to make changes in their lives or to accept how things are.
An important factor in the success of therapy is the therapeutic relationship the client and therapist develop. If you feel that you can’t talk to your therapist or feel persistently misunderstood then it is unlikely that the therapy will progress. It is, therefore, important to find the right therapist for you.
I am happy to talk to you and answer any questions you may have about counselling and CBT and the way I work or my experience and qualifications so that you can decide if you would like to work with me.
*Pybis et al. (2017)
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-017-1370-7