COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY QUESTIONS
LIFE ISSUES | WORK STRESS | TRAUMA WORK | LIFE COACHING
HOW CAN COUNSELLING OR PSYCHOTHERAPY HELP ME?
Counsellors and therapists provide a safe space where you are able to discuss issues which may be troubling you, in a confidential and non-judgemental environment. It gives you the opportunity to build a trusting and therapeutic relationship with clear boundaries outside of your day to day life. This can be a place where you can talk about and explore issues which you might find too difficult to disclose to friends or family.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Counselling tends to be shorter term work and may deal with current issues which may be resolved with solution focused models, for example Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Psychotherapy tends to apply to longer term therapy which may work with historical un-addressed issues which may be having an impact on your behavior and your life now.
DOES COUNSELLING OR PSYCHOTHERAPY WORK FOR EVERYONE?
No, it may not be good for everyone. In my opinion its benefits are best revealed to those who have made the decision themselves that they wish to make changes in their life and are willing to engage in collaboration with the therapist to work through their challenges. It is not always an easy process, but I believe that we all have inner resources which are sometimes difficult to engage with on our own. Therapy gives a platform to explore these resources and can help to empower us by reflecting on challenging issues from a different perspective. I provide a reduced fee for our initial assessment appointment to give you an opportunity to ask questions and decide whether it is for you.
I am a Registered Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and adhere to their ethical standards. I attend regular clinical supervision and continued professional development and training to ensure my practice is current and safe.
LIFE ISSUES
There are many day to day life issues which may impact on emotional wellbeing if not addressed. Some of these are:
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
DIVORCE
RETIREMENT
LOSS
LONELINESS AND ISOLATION
EMOTIONAL DISTRESS RESULTING FROM TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES
I provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where together we can look at some of these issues and explore options which may help alleviate stress and anxiety and enable you to better manage some of the challenges that life has thrown at you.
WORK STRESS
In this age where contracts are short, targets are high and you can be assessed by your last 12 month performance, there is often not time to reflect on the meaning and what you might want out of life. I have worked in an agency for over seven years, two years of which I coordinated a project and offered therapy within a very busy Therapeutic Service. I therefore have firsthand experience of the challenges involved in meeting annual targets, report writing, managing work relationships and balancing this with my own aspirations and self care.
I offer a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where together we can explore work stress issues you may have and the impact they may be having on the concept of your career and the meaning this has in your life.
TRAUMA WORK
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is a very debilitating condition which can arise from any of the following: An accident, a mugging, a violent attack, bullying, domestic violence, childhood sexual abuse, rape, military service, police service, hospital service including paramedic work. It is also common in those who have witnessed extreme violence or a traumatic incident.
This kind of trauma can destroy the fabric of time for you and can leave you unable to distinguish the past from the present. It can leave you in a state of reliving your experiences over and over in the present. These episodes can be extremely frightening and are often triggered by ordinary day to day sounds, or smells, or images or touch.
I have seven years experience working with survivors of violence, childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence and with witnesses of violence and abuse, who regularly present with symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD symptoms can prevent you from consigning difficult memories to the past, leaving you reliving traumatic experiences in high definition. This can be debilitating and frightening and make it difficult to cope with day to day life.
I provide a safe non-judgmental space where the symptoms of PTSD can be addressed and where you, as a survivor, can begin to understand what is happening to you and make choices to engage in activities which help to alleviate the frightening symptoms. With the use of grounding techniques and information about the condition and by working together with narrative and timelines you can begin to place your experiences into some kind of time frame which makes more sense.
Therapy can help you to explore your experiences from a different perspective. Trust is often a feature for survivors and I believe in being completely myself in the counseling room and engaging in a way that gives you the opportunity to positively challenge and feel that you have autonomy in the therapeutic process, thereby contributing to the restoration of your sense of self. Narrative can take place within a trusting environment where feelings of shame, low self esteem and loss can be explored and coping strategies identified.
LIFE COACHING
Please email contact@margaretcounselling.co.uk for further information.
