Counselling is confidential and safe. Confidentiality means that whatever you share with your counsellor stays in the room. This may help you open up and explore your challenges without judgement or fear that the content of your session will be shared elsewhere.
The most commonly known counselling format is a series of weekly 50 – or 60 min long sessions. However, some counsellors offer fortnightly, monthly or one-off sessions too. You can ask for one session, a few sessions or ongoing counselling. Some counselling modalities, such as walking or couples therapy, may require longer, 1.5 hrs long sessions. Group therapy can also consist of longer sessions.
A trained counsellor will offer a specific approach to counselling. There is a wide range of counselling modalities and ways of working: talking, walking, movement (dance, drama), non-verbal (art, object therapies) and many more.
A trained professional provides counselling, so when you book a counselling session, you should check the counsellor’s professional qualifications, the amount and type of training they have received, and their professional accreditations. On average, a counsellor should have completed a year of a counselling certificate course, two years of a diploma at least, with additional MA courses and relevant CPD courses added to their portfolio. A counsellor can only offer the types of therapy they are trained for.
As we open our counselling practice this month, we invite you to explore what counselling is.
What is counselling? Oxford Dictionaries define counselling as “the provision of professional assistance and guidance in resolving personal or psychological problems”.
At the heart of almost every film and book is the hero’s journey. This is the classic storyline in which the main character has to overcome various trials and tasks and then returns home transformed. Along the way, the hero is usually accompanied by friends. There will be a teacher or mentor to offer wise advice and an adversary who will challenge and push the hero to their limits.
How are you doing? How was this year for you? December marks the end of the year, a time of slowing down and reflection. I am spending most of my free time looking back at the year 2022 with a heavy heart. If you know me, you may find this surprising: I am, in fact, a sceptical optimist – optimist nonetheless. However, in order to move forward, look into the future and change, I find it incredibly important to pause and assess the past twelve months. Since I started blogging in 2004, I have also used the December time for written, public summaries, so here it is.
Q: What is your resilience, and what would you expect and need from the environment and collective to safely grow, heal, and move through trauma?
Q: Where would you like to move from here? If I have a direction in mind, how can I get there with what I have available and what support do I also need on the journey?
Q: Have you experienced positive growth in your sense of spirituality after traumatic experiences?