Psychological therapy or counselling is much more than just talking and listening! It is the purposeful application of evidenced-based psychological theories and knowledge within the collaborative relationship you establish with your psychologist to achieve your agreed therapeutic goals.

Whatever your circumstances, psychological therapy aims to help you build confidence and self-esteem, develop more successful relationships, reduce unhelpful and repetitive behaviours, overcome past losses and abuse and increase your overall well-being. It can help you to release old emotion, realise ambitions, to face challenges and difficult situations with renewed self-belief and enthusiasm, and consequently gain more pleasure from life and from your relationships.

Establishing an honest, collaborative and trusting relationship with your therapist is essential. I will be non-judgemental and provide you with unconditional positive regard and empathy so that the time in therapy becomes therapeutic and healing all by itself. We will work together to identify your goals and keep them as a focus for your treatment. With your goals in mind, I will help you gain insight, awareness and understanding of your past and current situation and any unhelpful repeating patterns in your thoughts, behaviours and relationships. This includes how you relate to others, yourself and the world and also how you conceptualise the future. The resulting personal growth can facilitate a greater sense of meaning, happiness, empowerment and control in your life. It is a psychoactive process that develops over time as you apply your learning to your life outside therapy. Although there can be no guarantee of success, in my experience it is rare for people to finish a course of therapy without gaining significant benefits.