Debunking the jargon

If this is the first time you have tried looking for a counsellor, it can be very confusing and daunting. It takes great courage to even acknowledge that you might need help and even more courage to reach out to a therapist. Lots of jargon and odd phrases are banded around about training and modalities of therapy. I could try and list all the things I can offer, but probably what you need more than anything is a listening ear: someone who will meet you and listen to you in a confidential, supportive, non-judgemental space where you feel that you are accepted, seen and heard. 

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In my practice I take a Client Centred approach. That means that your needs and objectives drive everything that I offer. My aim is always to be that “listening ear”. I may or may not be the right person for you, but I offer a free 20 minute appointment either by phone or online where you can find out whether you feel we could work together. Once we agree to work together, I recommend a commitment of 8 sessions, where we meet on a weekly basis, and then review whether you wish to continue.

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Maybe you are more familiar with the world of counselling and you need me to address some jargon. I am a trained Commercial Mediator, Samaritan Listener and Psychosynthesis Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. Psychosynthesis is a transpersonal modality of psychotherapy. What this means in ordinary English is that it considers each individual unique in terms of purpose in life, and it places value on the exploration of human potential. It acknowledges a non- religious spiritual dimension to life and it sees every crisis and failure as an opportunity to grow, learn and emerge into a more authentic You. It seeks to identify the various roles that each of us play in our day to day lives with the aim of synthesising them to work together rather than against each other. It is also a holistic  modality that uses ideas and techniques from other modalities of therapy, including mindfulness, guided meditations, Internal Family Systems,"chair-work" and body- and breath-work. It also explicitly acknowledges the links between our environment, physical wellbeing and emotions .