Counselling

What is Counselling?

“It is as though he listened and such listening as his enfolds us in a silence in which at last we begin to hear what we are meant to be.”

Lao-tse

Counselling is a talking therapy. It is a process where you can feel safe talking to someone who listens to your point of view, who accepts who you are, who doesn’t tell you what to do and who will not discriminate against you.

 It can help you

  • Understand difficult emotions
  • Make sense of your circumstances
  • Work out your own options
  • Move on better equipped to cope with the future

People come to counselling with many different experiences.

  • You may feel angry, scared, sad, depressed, anxious, stressed or lonely.
  • You may be grieving, have a lack of confidence, a difficult decision to make, difficulty sleeping, concerns about sex or experience of abuse.
  • Your problems may be with relationships, family, work or school.
  • You can talk about and work with your individual needs.

There is safety in exploring your own experience in a confidential environment. I liken it to being on a journey. You may find you need to stop and look at the map for some reason. Perhaps you are lost, or don’t like the road you have been on. Maybe you wonder what other roads are out there. It might be that the ride has been very bumpy or traumatic even. Counselling offers you a chance to stop, look at the map and have time to yourself to help with the next step.

“If we do not change the direction we are going, we are likely to end up where we are headed.”
– Chinese proverb.

In this time I don’t tell you where to go nor do I judge your progress. It can be very helpful having someone looking at the map with you. If I point to what I see on the map, this may enhance your view.

What is the Difference between Counselling & Psychotherapy?

 There is a view that counselling works in the short term and with fewer complex issues, whereas psychotherapy works with more chronic mental and physical health problems.  It focuses on the client’s thought processes and way of being in the world rather than specific problems.

I feel that both ways of working overlap and therefore I see myself fulfilling both roles in the way I work. 

 

 

What is CBT and how does it differ from Counselling and Psychotherapy?

CBT is a very structured and practical approach to helping people identify and then change unhelpful thinking and behavioural patterns. While it can be delivered with empathy and support, it does not emphasise free talking or much exploration of the past and is more directive than counselling and psychotherapy. It can be seen as more of a “treatment” for depression and anxiety. Counselling and psychotherapy offer more space and time for free exploration, allowing the client to find their way through talking about experiences.

I sometimes offer a possibility of a combined approach if you and I feel it might be useful. I find much of the knowledge-base and techniques used in CBT to be very helpful indeed. I like to present the concepts as things that may be of help, rather than structure sessions around the delivery of these techniques. CBT is very solution focussed. I remain person-centred, while incorporating some of these more solution-focussed techniques.

I also incorporate Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, a derivative of CBT which has combined with Eastern meditation techniques. MBCT trains a person to observe rather than react to thoughts, as they flow in and out of the mind. This reduces the struggle against unhelpful thoughts and encourages acceptance, rather than resistance.

Please read my Counselling/psychotherapy agreement in full on this following link: Counselling/psychotherapy agreement 

Words of Appreciation 

Counselling

Juliana as a counsellor is an invaluable life mirror who always present and listening.   She knows when and how to intervene at the appropriate moment helping me to face and accept challenging issues. She helps me find my way in life.  Juliana is a warm and caring human being.

 

Counselling

Juliana created such a safe, warm and genuine space for me in our sessions. I felt I could be open without fear of judgement, and was really supported by the depth of Juliana’s listening. After having been very nervous about the idea of counselling, I found that I truly looked forward to our sessions. To have a place where I felt fully at ease and valid in what I was feeling and experiencing was so special, and I am very grateful to Juliana for making this possible.

 

Supervision

I have found our supervision sessions invaluable in terms of constructive reflection which has enabled me to manage my clinical work and the potential emotional impact of it.

Counselling

Until I started talking to you, I didn’t realise how much unnecessary mental baggage I was carrying! Thank you for providing space for me to unload, which has enabled me to keep going in a very stressful time.

Supervision

I have been engaging in supervision sessions with Juliana on a monthly basis since Oct 2017. This in itself is testament to the successful relationship we have and the benefits I feel from the work we do together. Particularly I thrive, am inspired by, and develop my own practice from these of Juliana’s approaches to her work

Counselling

During my appointments with Juliana as a counsellor she was patient and compassionate.  She gave me the time to talk about the pain I was going through at the time and helped me to slowly work through that pain to eventually come to a conclusion in my own time.  She was able to acknowledge how I was feeling without judgment.

Supervision

Juliana has been my Supervisor for the past five years. As a Person-Centred Counsellor, I have valued her experience, her way of working…and her warmth. I have used her as a role model as well as a supporter.

Supervision

Juliana challenges me when necessary but also reassures and encourages. When I have ventured into new fields, she has facilitated my learning and my practice. She has recommended books, provided copies of relevant articles and even checked facts with BACP

Supervision

Juliana has been attentive and understanding during our (supervision) sessions. I have felt heard and held. Her knowledge and experience is evident and she is warm yet curious in her responses. I have learnt much from her and enjoy the warm friendly environment including from the dogs and cat

Relationships

We have been in couple’s counselling with Juliana for over a year. Juliana is kind, compassionate, non judgemental and a great listener. It has helped us to listen better and understand what each other is saying underneath what we might be reacting too.