What is counselling and how can it help me?
Counselling can offer a safe and confidential space for you to talk to a trained professional about any issues and concerns you may be experiencing. A counsellor can help you to explore your thoughts and feelings and behaviours, and this can help you gain a better understanding of yourself, and your relationships with others.
Working with a counsellor can support you to:
- Express your feelings and process them in a safe and supportive relationship.
- Gain deeper insight into any issues you face and patterns and behaviours which may be negatively impacting your life.
- Talk about things which may be difficult to talk with others about, in a confidential and non-judgmental environment.
- Improve relationships, both with others and yourself.
- Find better ways to cope with feelings and anxieties.
- Work on your self-development and personal growth.
A counsellor won’t offer their own opinions, give you advice or tell you what they think you should do. They will support you to find your own solutions, whether that might be making changes in your life or finding new ways to cope with problems.
What happens in counselling?
There are many types of counselling and counsellor, and it is important to find the right modality and therapist to suit your individual needs. You can find out more about the different types of therapy here.
I am trained to offer psychodynamic counselling. This type of counselling is derived from psychoanalysis and places importance on the unconscious and how past experience may be affecting current thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
An accepting and trusting relationship is key to the success of this type of counselling. As a psychodynamic counsellor, I will guide you to talk about your childhood and your relationships with your parents and significant others and together we will explore how these experiences may be influencing how you experience life and relationships now.
You’ll be encouraged to talk freely, openly and honestly. Everything you talk about will be treated with the utmost respect and confidentiality in a safe and non-judgemental environment. As a counsellor, I want to understand how it feels to be you, so that I can help you to think about and resolve the issues you are facing.
Psychodynamic counselling is offered as weekly sessions, at the same time and place each week and of 50-minute duration.
What to expect in the first session
The first session is known as an assessment session. During this session you will be encouraged to talk about what brings you to counselling and what you would like support with. You’ll be asked some questions to help me to get to know you and your personal history and understand more about the issues and experiences that led you to seek counselling.
This first session is also for you to decide if this type of counselling feels right for you and if you feel comfortable with me as your counsellor. You will be encouraged to ask any questions you may have. It’s important that we mutually decide we are a ‘good fit’ to work together.
At the end of this session, if we both decide to go ahead and work together, we will agree a mutually convenient day and time to meet on a regular, weekly basis. There will be some paperwork to complete, such as contract to sign and a personal details form.
Psychodynamic counselling is usually open-ended. I normally offer an initial 6 sessions, at the end of which we will review progress and talk about how you are feeling about the counselling.
What can psychodynamic counselling help with?
A psychodynamic approach is effective for wide range of issues including (but not exclusively)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating and body image issues
- Grief, loss and bereavement
- Relationship issues
- Addictions
- Adverse childhood experiences
How to make the best of counselling
The best results from counselling come from being able to be open and honest and share how you are really feeling.
Counselling is a collaborative process and works best if you are able to take responsibility for your own growth and progress. It’s important to remember that a counsellor isn’t there to solve your problems or give advice or solutions, but to guide and support you to find your own way forward.
Successful counselling requires commitment, and you’ll get the best results if you are able to prioritise your counselling and see it as an investment in your future wellbeing. Make the most of your therapy by arriving on time and attending regularly. You’ll find you get out what you put in.
It’s important to be patient and kind with yourself as you go through the process of counselling. It can feel exhilarating at the start to have a place where you can open up and be fully seen and heard. However, exploring your thoughts, feelings and patterns can be an uncomfortable experience at times. This is a normal aspect of counselling, and it will help if you are able to discuss how you are experiencing therapy with your counsellor.
It can take a long time for issues to develop, so change may seem gradual and subtle. Regular reviews will help you to evaluate your progress. It’s important to be patient and treat yourself with kind, self-compassion on your journey towards improving your mental health and wellbeing.
Contact Me
alex@alexandrastevensoncounselling.co.uk
Malvern | Worcestershire
