Having listened to and helped many people over the years, I decided to formally train in counselling skills.  I decided therefore to attend Bristol University and study a Certificate of Higher Education and Social Sciences and Law in Counselling Skills.  This course took 2 years part- time and has provided me with the skills to listen to people attentively in a non-judgemental way.  It has also helped me to support and nurture people, and encourage them to talk about and understand their current circumstances; also to work through the pain and trauma attached.  Subsequently they are able to work towards understanding their present situation, and to set goals for a more positive future.

 

I work in a humanistic and person-centred way emphasising people’s potential for growth, change and movement in a positive direction in their lives.  From the course I studied I have adopted the course philosophy of the following 6 principles:

 

1.   People deserve acceptance – valuing people as individuals and not judging their behaviour.  

 

2.   People create their own meaning – each individual will have their own interpretation of their world based on their beliefs and reinforcing experiences.

 

3.    People are experts on themselves – people know best how they feel and what they believe and think.  However, people are often out of touch with themselves.  They may not be used to thinking about what they want or they may have had a lifetime of denying their feelings.  Enabling individuals to know what they want as opposed to what they think they ought to do is an important aim of the helping process.

 

4.   People are capable of change  - Individuals do have the ability to learn to think, to feel and to behave differently.  They may come for help believing that they are stuck with the lives that they have.  People want to realize their potential.  Individuals have the capacity to become more proactive and to take greater charge of their lives.  Helping individuals to take a realistic census of their resources, to own their strength, and tap into their under-utilised potential is essential, if they are to respond more creatively to the challenges that face them.

 

5.   Challenging peoples’ beliefs and helping them to make creative changes is a fundamental value in this model.

 

6.   People will work harder for their own goals - Individuals are likely to work harder and commit themselves to outcomes, which they value, rather than outcomes, which have been imposed.  Goal setting must be a collaborative process, in which individuals are helped marshal their energy towards changes they value.

 

 

During an initial consultation I take your full details and answer any questions or queries you may have. I hope that this will help you to feel at ease, and to get to know me and to establish the beginnings of a good counselling relationship.  It is important at this initial meeting for you to decide weather you feel you would like to confide and talk to me.

 

I have worked with people with a wide range of issues including relationship problems, career or job related difficulties, bereavement trauma, self-esteem predicaments and many other life obstacles or puzzles. 

 

If you are finding life difficult and need a helping hand, please do not hesitate to ask.  Sometimes we need help to overcome problems, and we do not know who to talk to.  Help is only a phone call away to let the sunshine come closer again.

 

Spiritual Counselling:

 

If you feel that you are at a cross roads in your life and in need of some guidance from the spirit world, I can channel this help through for you with the help of my guide Talking Bear.   We sometimes need a mentor to take us through a transitionary period in our lives and counselling can help us to make these changes and find out next piece of the jigsaw of life.  We sometimes feel driven to do something different, but don’t know how to carry out these changes.  I am very happy to help you to make these changes and to travel with you on your journey of self-discovery.