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FAQ's:
frequently asked questions
Can you help someone with my problem?
Whilst on paper we can separate out distinct problem areas or issues - motivation,
self-esteem, bereavement, abuse, sex, adoption, divorce etc
- I see myself more as working with individuals, each with their own unique
personality. In 10 years I have helped people with all sorts of issues.
Perhaps it will help to know some of the issues people have come to me with:
abuse
(sexual, mental or physical)
adoption
anxiety
and panic
bereavement
(including cot death)
depression
divorce
and separation
eating
or food-use disorders
ethnic
identity
guilt
about past behaviour
intimacy
men's issues
motivation
relationship
difficulties
self-esteem and self-confidence
sexuality
violence
workplace
stress
Do
you see couples together?
Many of the people I see come to me because
of difficulties in their relationships with partners, husbands or wives.
I work with individuals on a one-to-one basis in order to help them explore
their relationships with their partner, with others (colleagues, friends,
family etc) and with themselves. Things usually link up in a connected way.
The aim is that individuals who see me get to know themselves more, and
become more able to handle how they feel and act within all their relationships.
I
think the way I work is best done away from partners, so I don't offer to
see couples together.
What if I don't have a problem - I just want to get more out of life?
I think everyone I see is ultimately coming to me because they want more
out of life.
Will you offer me coping strategies?
I don't do that directly, as the way I work is more about increasing self-awareness.
However, people often find they come up with their own strategies, as a
result of the work.
What
are the different types of therapy on offer?
At the last count there were about 300 different types of psychological
therapy. Pretty much all of these address the mind, body and soul, and thoughts,
feelings and behaviours, and see what can be understood about how we are
in the world. But I think the most important thing is the quality of the
therapeutic relationship itself, rather than the methods.
How do you work?
My
job is to develop a conversation with you in which I try to get to know
you. Along the way, I communicate to you how I see you, and we explore together
whether my perceptions fit with yours. From a technical point of view, I
work psychodynamically, also integrating elements of the Humanistic approaches.
This means making sense of 'what makes us tick' in the context of relationships
in our life, both past and present.
What is your background?
I worked in industry as an export sales representative, then later as a
guitar teacher before doing this work.
What professional experience do you have?
Since starting to work in this field in 1992 I have worked in a number of
settings - student counselling, divorce counselling, community centre, in
NHS GP practices and for workplace-stress counselling programmes.
I have also worked with separated parents, in Family Mediation. I now concentrate
on my private counselling and therapy practice.
What are your life experiences?
This is a tricky one to answer as I often don't give a huge amount of information
about my personal life to my therapy clients, which could clutter the space.
On the other hand you would want me to have a richness of my own experience
so that I can empathise with others' experience. I'll pass on this question.
Have you had your own therapy?
I think it is essential for a good therapist to have spent substantial time
sorting through their own issues in personal therapy, so yes, I have been
in both individual and group therapy.
How long does therapy last?
I have done a lot of time-limited work lasting 3 months or so. Some important
issues can be addressed in that time-length. However, most people who see
me privately come for much longer than that - a year or more is common,
to deal with an exploration of their deep motivations, needs and difficulties.
Is the first appointment an assessment?
I try to steer clear of this word as it can remind people of being tested
at school. However, the first meeting is about me assessing whether I can
help you, and about you assessing whether therapy with me is the right step
for you now.
How can I check out whether you are the therapist for me?
This is another difficult one. I don't think It's easy to tell on the phone,
though a bit can be gleaned from tone of voice etc. Unless you have been
recommended me by name, it's a bit of a shot in the dark. The best way is
to make an initial appointment with me, when you can get a flavour of what
it might be like.
What is supervision?
Most professional associations require their members to have supervision.
This is a confidential setting where I talk over my work with another therapist,
in order to process my feelings and to make sense of the therapy.
Are you a member of a professional organisation?
I am an Accredited and Registered Counsellor with the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am a Registered Independent Counsellor
with the UK Register of Counsellors. |
