I work from a client-centred approach, so this means I work what you bring, and what you want to work on, and we go from there. The number of sessions required is discussed with you.
I work from a solution-focused, optimistic approach which I find helps clients to discover inner strengths and resources they may not even realise they have.
Do I need counselling or coaching?
Some clients with more long standing issues are looking for in depth counselling, to help them gain a greater understanding of the issues they are facing, what triggers them and to help them find coping skills. We then work together on changes they would like to make.
Other clients go for more of a coaching approach, which is generally a shorter treatment time frame, with specific goals and some gentle accountability and support from me.
Counselling:
People see counsellors for a variety of reasons - they may be dealing with issues such as depression, anger, bereavement, trauma, relationship problems or family conflicts. They may suffer from eating issues, panic attacks, insomnia, stress or anxiety. Feelings like sorrow, pain, rejection, confusion or anger may be interfering with their day-to-day lives.
The range of problems that people come to talk about are as varied as the people themselves. Some people don't know what the problem is - they may simply be unhappy - whilst others want to talk about a specific difficult situation. Clients sometimes come to talk about a particular problem, only to discover that it's something else that is underlying this.
Relationships, loss and change are all common themes, as are anxiety and stress. Significant life changes, such as the ending of a relationship or moving home or to another area, can have a major impact on us. Emotional problems do not necessarily go away if we ignore them, so it makes sense to deal with them as soon as possible.
Health and wellness coaching:
This type of coaching focuses on working with clients on matters such as achieving a balance between work and leisure, setting health-related goals, maintaining self-care, and tackling self-defeating lifestyle patterns.
I believe that it is a person's beliefs about a situation that impact upon their emotions and behaviours and that many people have "faulty" beliefs that can cause them issues. I like to identify any beliefs that you might have that are limiting your potential and work with you to see what impact these thoughts might be having, how accurate they are, and how any "faulty" beliefs can be changed for more accurate and adaptive ones.
I tend to use a lot of questioning techniques to help clients explore their thoughts and better understand and change their emotions and behaviours.
Clients
I work with adults, teenagers and adolescents in a one to one capacity.
Confidentiality
Ensuring clients receive a confidential service is of the utmost importance to me. There can however, be certain ethical and legal exceptions to this and I will clarify this with you in our first session.
Ethics
I work under the ethical guidelines of the Australian Counselling Association. This means I am obliged to honour the individuality of clients and work in a safe, empathic manner. I am also committed to ongoing personal and professional development that I am required to complete annually.