In the Person-Centred Approach the counsellor trusts the client to find their own answers and direction.
The counsellor is a fellow traveller on the client's journey, helping the client to understand how they interact with the world and helping them to develop a greater sense of self-awareness in a (physically and psychologically) safe environment.
The essential qualities needed to create this environment are empathy, acceptance and congruence. These core conditions, are at the heart of the Person Centred Approach.
Therapists use all sorts of complicated words to describe their particular style of therapy, which can be really confusing. This table explains some common terms you might come across:Arts or creative: Uses creative processes such as painting, drawing, drama and music as a way to help explore and communicate difficult or confusing feelings – such as in arts and creative therapies.
Behavioural: Explores the way you act.
Cognitive : Explores your thoughts and the way you think – such as in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Dialectical: Explores opposite positions and looks at how they might exist together – such as in dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT).
Humanistic: Focuses on the individual as a whole, including mind, body, spirit and soul.
Mindfulness-based: Involves becoming aware of all your current thoughts and feelings and accepting them. Often involves mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises.
Person-centred : Focuses on using your own strengths and insight about yourself to encourage personal growth and improve relationships.
Psychoanalytic (or analytic): Focuses on unconscious, deep-rooted thoughts that often stem from childhood.
Psychodynamic (or dynamic): Explores how your unconscious thoughts might affect the way you act.
Solution-focused: Focuses on what you want to achieve in the future rather than exploring past experiences.
Anyone can benefit from counselling regardless of culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or employment group. Counselling can be for individuals, couples, families, teenagers or children.
Counselling helps with a wide range of issues including:
Don't worry if you are simply not sure which approach best suits you as your first appointment is an assessment where you can discuss your issues and the different types of therapy that might help. Most therapists are 'integrative'' meaning they are trained in many types of therapy they can blend to best match your needs.
Yes, counselling sessions are confidential expect in the very rare occasion where you were to pose a danger to yourself or others.
All the counsellors at Serenity have degrees in counselling and are registered and accredited (or eligible for accreditation) with the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
Counselling usually takes place in weekly sessions helping you make gradual and steady progress with real results. Sometimes two or more sessions per week are given if both the counsellor and yourself it beneficial. The number of sessions vary from person to person and after tweleve sessions a review is taken on the progress and direction of the thera
Yes, free parking is available.