The terms counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably. In my view counselling is a short-term process, which addresses present symptoms/problems and tries to find a direction to move forward. Psychotherapy is usually a long-term process and explores more complicated, deeply rooted issues, which need time and right conditions to be processed with patience and consideration.

What I offer in my service is a space for you to feel at ease to talk, explore and seek meaning of any problems and difficult emotions you may be experiencing. This may include past and present life events, relationships, feelings, dreams, ideas, beliefs, states of mind, symptoms…

A role of psychotherapy/counselling is to help in recognising, articulating, understanding and testing your ways of experiencing. A new awareness is built gradually as we investigate difficult emotions, problems and struggles. This can help you to gain a better understanding of where you are in your life, what your needs are, how to make sense of challenges you are facing and opportunities you may find hiding in them.

The type of counselling I’m offering (my modality) is known as Person-Centred Approach. This means that I will not assume what is best for you or give you solutions or advice. Rather we will engage together in finding what feels best and right for you at this point of your life.

I don’t see a symptom or ailment as a problem to resolve but as a question to orientate us on the path. After all it is never about a single symptom but a cluster of circumstances and only the person who experience them is able to “see feelingly” and untangle the knot. In this perspective depression or addiction or relational issues are not disturbances to eradicate, but a valid response to unprocessed emotions or entanglements, which needs to be named, acknowledged and then gently processed.

Processing means discussing, exploring your inner landscapes, checking in how you feel, sometimes engaging imagination, dreams, sometimes focusing on a body/nervous system response. In doing so we strive to find best way forward, which may be specific for you and you only. I find the Person-Centred Approach fits my own philosophy as it has at its very core an unshakable belief that everyone can, and will become a more fully functioning person if given the correct conditions. The approach was founded by Carl Rogers in 50-ties in USA and has been developed ever since. The underpinning principles of the Person-Centred Approach are focused on therapist being honest, authentic, present, accepting and fully engaged in the therapeutic relationship. I aim to offer these core conditions as best as I can during our sessions.

For further information regarding Person-Centred Approach, please refer to the following link:

https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/what-is-counselling/

In my work I am inspired by Jungian Analysis (a philosophy and psychotherapy developed by Carl Gustav Jung). I embrace it as a lens to understand psychological processes, although I am not a qualified Jungian Analyst. I have accomplished a Jungian training and had an experience of my own therapy in this modality. I do appreciate the perspective that unconscious processes influence our life and functioning. Dreams, synchronistic events, myths, fairy tales or bodily symptoms may bring an image, a symbol or a message which sheds light on a new, unexpected idea and open a door into… yes, the change.

I believe that everybody comes to a point in their life when they would benefit from psychotherapy/counselling. We all experience changes whether developmental, “normal” stages of life or unexpected turns of fate: loss, relational hurdles, health issues, crucial decisions to be made, periods when we feel despairing, lonely, conflicted, helpless, confused… The river of life rarely flows smoothly forward. And these unexpected hurdles often happen around the normal, developmental changes - when we enter a new relationship (or can not enter it), when we build family and want to (or can not ) welcome children, when we face a loss, an old age, death…

In entering therapy/counselling one can put the load down, look at it from a distance, unpack what is hurting and start noticing its meaning. Symptoms (both mental and somatic) and emotions, especially the difficult ones often become a way forward. “What stands in the way becomes the way” says Marcus Aurelius in his “Meditations”. In the therapeutic process we follow a symptom or an emotion in a respectful yet persistent way, so it can eventually yield a valuable message it carries.

Sometimes it leads to childhood and the first attachments we have formed with our parents. Sometimes we need to touch an old wound, things we would prefer to have swept under the carpet, but somehow they just won’t go. And yes, sometimes it takes time and emotional turmoil before it gets clearer and feels better.

Psychotherapy/counselling is a journey. My relationship with you serves as a container enabling safe journeying. We both contribute: it requires your trust and courage to engage, it requires my skills, experience and belief in you; it needs honesty from both of us so we can address any obstacles and clarify problems in communication. It also needs commitment from both of us. My role is to create a balance between safety and challenge to facilitate a movement, a change.

You can use your counselling sessions to talk about anything that feels important to you. I will not ask or expect you to talk about anything you do not feel comfortable sharing. Rather I will listen, ask facilitative questions and support your way of going by noticing and understanding where you are at, giving you my honest feedback and compassionately holding the difficult emotions as you process that, which needs processing.  

Confidentiality is essential in counselling.

It is important that you feel safe and able to discuss or express anything you need to. Therefore anything you share in a counselling session will be completely confidential and will stay between you and me.

Every effort is made to provide a safe and secure environment for your online therapy with encryption software to protect your confidentiality (I use a platform especially designed for therapists “Therapy Lock”, which is similar to Zoom but safer).

There are boundaries and limits to confidentiality in certain cases. If you shared something which led me to believe that there was a significant risk of harm to yourself or another person I am bound to take this information to the appropriate authorities. If possible I would discuss this with you beforehand.

There are other instances a therapist is bound to break the confidentiality clause:

When the client infers involvement in or knowledge of an act of terrorism, money laundering or drugs trafficking,

When the client infers knowledge of or involvement in behaviours that may, in the therapist’s opinion lead to harm or neglect to children and vulnerable adults.

When they are required to do so by a court order

I all these cases the therapist will discuss it with the client.

All counsellors have an independent supervisor who supports and oversees their work with clients.

It means that I may discuss certain aspects of our sessions with my supervisor or a supervision group. If this happens, confidentiality will be maintained, and you will not be identified. The supervision process helps me to keep learning and developing my practice while checking on myself by working through any difficulties or doubts with someone who has experience in the same field.