Counselling

What is Counselling

Counselling is a process that

Counselling:

seeks to support you in understanding yourself and your situation, through which you can resolve your difficulties, become more autonomous and make freer choices.

It can feel really hard to reach out and make contact with a therapist. You might think you 'should' be able to cope alone. I work with a lot of people each week who come for a wide variety of reasons, so you aren't alone in what you're experiencing and you definitely don't have to cope alone.

People come because they are facing a crisis, struggling with loss, grief, low self-esteem, addiction, divorce, depression, illness, frustration at work, parenthood, ageing, redundancy, childhood trauma, fear of intimacy, feelings of hopelessness… or for many other reasons.

Inner Clarity Counselling brings clarity and light to your inner world – even if you can't easily articulate what you're feeling or what the root of your challenges might be.

Together we embark upon a gentle, respectful enquiry into whatever is causing you difficulty or pain and explore what needs to happen internally and externally for you to find a better way forward. We explore patterns and tendencies that have served you in the past, but may now be preventing you from living fully and happily.

In time you begin to feel more comfortable in your own skin, more alive, more joyful – more truly you.

"Everything changes once we identify with being the witness to the story, instead of the actor in it"
 - Ram Dass

I hold a Diploma in Counselling (Integrative and Relational Approach) from the University of the West of England, I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Counselling is a ‘talking therapy’ and can be used to support many different issues. Its fundamental aim is to help the client to understand and positively overcome issues that are causing disharmony and pain. 

Counselling provides a safe and regular space where you are free to talk to the Counsellor about your issues, and explore - free of judgment or criticism - difficult or confusing feelings and thoughts. You are enabled to reach a better understanding of what is happening in your life and thus, can act upon these helpful insights to create positive change going forward. 

My approach is Integrative and Relational. This means that I draw upon a range of therapeutic approaches, enabling me to meet your unique needs. My aim is to help you to gain a better understanding of your feelings and thought processes and by doing so, identify ways to understand, accept and integrate these – and ultimately, for you to find solutions for positive change. I hope to encourage you to observe and understand who you are, and how you are, in the world. We might explore how you have been affected by life events and people and their actions in your life - and vice versa – and integrate alternative ways of coping and being in order to encourage harmony and peace. 

My therapeutic approach is informed by mindfulness practice. I would support you to become more and more aware of being present 'in the moment', whilst encouraging a greater awareness of how you are being affected by your feelings and (sometimes unhelpful and sabotaging) thoughts.  We will become aware of the thoughts that might be controlling behaviour and actions in an unhelpful way - where do they come from? How was your unique belief system and view of the world created? Just as importantly, we will become aware of the somatic self and the somatic-emotional experiences – what is the body trying to tell you about how you are coping with, and feeling about, your life?  The emphasis is on developing a practice of observing thoughts and feelings without judgement. 

I typically offer short to medium term counselling beginning with an initial block of 6 sessions - with the option of extending if necessary.