What is Counselling?

Counselling provides a safe and confidential setting in which to talk to someone who is trained to listen non-judgementally. It offers a regular time and space to explore difficult feelings or patterns of behaviour which may be counter productive to daily living. Counsellors do not usually offer advice but rather help you gain insight into areas of your life-past or present-which may be troubling you.

What Kind of Counselling and Psychotherapy do I Offer?

I offer an integrative approach to therapy incorporating both the person-centred values and the psychodynamic perspective. The psychodynamic perspective explores how past experiences and relationships impact upon present behaviours whilst the person-centred practice focuses more upon the individual and their feelings in their current environment. A more integrative approach allows me to meet varying client needs. In all cases however the central aspect of my work is the therapeutic relationship between myself and my client.

What Areas do I Have Experience Working Within?

I have spent a good portion of my time as a professional counsellor working within generic counselling agencies-this is an agency where a client may present with any issue seeking therapeutic help. At the moment, alongside my private work, I practice within a generic counselling agency in Northern Ireland. More specifically, within these various counselling agencies, I have found the majority of my experience to lie within the areas suicidal ideation, self-harm, anxiety and depression. During 2011/2012 I spent  fourteen months working as a counsellor for an agency for the prevention of suicide and self-harm where I was offered a huge amount of training around the areas of suicide and self-harm prevention. Within this agency I worked with many individuals-adults and adolescents- who were self-harming or who had suicidal thoughts.

Which Age Groups do I Work With?

I offer counselling and psychotherapy to adult indiviuals as well as adolescent individuals aged 11 and upwards.