The initial process and aim of therapy

I would have an initial telephone conversation with you at no charge where I would ask for brief details of your difficulties and answer any questions that you may have. We would then arrange a consultation meeting where we can discuss your current situation in more depth and consider possible ways forward. I will consider what I can offer and you can think about whether you wish to proceed with therapy. If you decide to proceed, we can discuss whether short-term focussed therapy is best or whether a longer-term more open-ended approach would be more helpful.

 
The overall aim of therapy will vary for different individuals. It may be symptom relief e.g. for anxiety, having more self-compassion and fewer self-critical thoughts, or better relationships with other people. I am both practical and flexible in my approach and aim to provide an environment  where we can explore what is causing you distress, what can be done to help you to feel better, and how to move on to live a more flourishing life.

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We all have repetitive thoughts and actions, often in relationship with other people. Some of these may serve us well and some less so. Therapy may involve looking at some of the patterns and perhaps their origin. You can then make a decision about whether to continue with these patterns or change them in a way which will be more helpful to you and result in you having both less distress in your life and better relationships with other people.

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I offer psychological therapy for many issues including:

Anger; Anxiety and phobias; Lack of assertiveness; Bullying; A need for coaching; Conflict with others; A need for couples therapy; Depression and low mood; Divorce or separation; Grief and loss; Health-related problems; Life transition challenges; Personality difficulties; Relationship issues; Difficulty in relaxing; Self-esteem; Self harm; Stress; Being a survivors of abuse; Being a victim of crime.