What is Counselling?
An Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy
You may have realised that you are experiencing some difficulties and may need help. You may be unsure about what counselling is and if it is right for you.
Many people also ask what the difference is between counselling and psychotherapy.
Counselling refers to shorter term work, that is aimed at helping you deal with a specific problem area in your life. It tends to be more present day focused and equips you with the tools to be able to manage your challenges in that specific area.
Counselling can help people with anxiety, depression, stress, assertiveness, boundaries, self awareness, emotional difficulties, addiction, symptoms of trauma, coping with changes, relationship difficulties and many more challenges that we naturally experience at some point in our lives.
Psychotherapy is slightly different in that more time is taken to help you understand the root cause of your difficulties. With psychotherapy, a greater degree of personal insight is gained in how we learned to think, feel and act the way we do.
With both therapies, your therapist provides you with a safe place so that you can explore your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment from another person. This process of exploring your own internal world helps you to discover your authentic self and increases your autonomy to live a life that feels good for you.
Which kind of therapy is right for me
You decide your goal for therapy and I will be able to use my professional judgment to decide which approach to take. I work with complete transparency and my personal style is very informative, I believe information can be very empowering.
Some general key benefits of therapy are:
Increased autonomy
Reduced anxiety
Trauma resolution
Stress relief
Healthy coping mechanisms
Resilience
Higher self-esteem
Increased self-awareness/insight
Greater emotional intelligence
Increased confidence
Increased assertiveness
Ability to set boundaries
Better relationships