Good morning, I hope this finds you well. I am writing this sitting at a bedroom window, listening to the wind and soft rain in Three Sisters, the tall trees we are blessed with here. It’s a wet and warm weekend in Bristol. I am super excited about a friend visiting us today from Switzerland, so I am also fidgety, just like Nature today. Movement is good, though, and it’s nice to use Nature for metaphors that help self-reflection and morning emotional check-in with ourselves.
How are you doing? I am sitting softly in July, carefully balancing the systemic need to slow down for summer (a privilege for many, but not all and usually not for me), and the business needs to move forward with new ideas.
Good morning. I hope this finds you safe and well. It’s been a busy time for me, so I am entering the weekend with the intention of slowing down. In Wales, you see “Araf” written on the roads to remind you about the speed limitations (or opportunities). My body screams against any speed faster than 60 km/h, so I love the sign on my way to and from counselling work – 5 miles per hour! Every time I enter this alley, I bow to the trees and thank them for watching over me. I bow them goodbye, too.
Some people may not even be interested in those insights. However you feel about psycho-education during your sessions, you should be able to have an open conversation about this with your prospect or current counsellor.
Some clients deeply dislike self-disclosures and prefer their sessions to contain only content about the client. Some people like to sense that their counsellor is a human with emotions and find it helpful.
Good morning. I hope this lands softly in your inbox today. On this Glastonbury weekend here in the UK, I am waking up to the sound of wind in my backyard trees and the still refreshing, gentle air of summer.
I had a long, reorientating week. This year, somehow, each week feels like a century of small steps and wonderful people who carry my work and my life forward. So, landing into the weekend with Nature in mind is so restorative.
We all know this: we say something, and the other person responds with “umm” or “aha!” Those responses can be helpful or irritating, especially when we feel that there is no genuine interest in the listener.
Reflections can sometimes be triggering for clients who have previously accessed therapy and did not particularly enjoy it.
If the relationship between the client and the counsellor feels incongruent (counselling word for a bad match), we can later have negative experiences around basic counselling techniques.
The pacing of counselling conversations is important for your wellbeing and needs to factor in your preferences.
This is an important preference, and a good counsellor should ask you if you like to be challenged. It’s essential to agree on how you will work with your counsellor around emotions, behaviours, and experiences.