What is Psychodynamic Counselling?

Psychodynamic Counselling is the longest established of the talking therapies.   It's ethos lies in the belief that experiences, relationships and events from our earliest childhood throughout our lives serves to shape our current way of relating to the world around us.    The underlying interaction is verbal between therapist and client and uses both conscious and unconscious processes to help the therapists unravel, with the client, the links that make the here and now so difficult.

Counselling can be provided to individuals and groups and can be face-to-face, over the telephone/Skype and/or online.  Group work is less common in the private sector but is becoming increasingly popular in the NHS and corporate arena.   Online counselling has seen a recent increase in popularity as it caters to the 'mobile' lifestyle and can be a cheaper way to provide a service to larger groups of people but its efficacy is yet to be established.   

I offer face-to-face counselling to individuals aged 18 +

Short term vs Long term counselling?

The number of sessions needed by any client is a very difficult question to answer at the outset of therapy.   In our initial meeting I will be listening to your needs and will be able to think with you about the length of our time together.   More often than not this will be an open-ended contract and we will end at whatever point you and I feel is appropriate.  If you are coming for a particular issue and it is clear that there are time constraints attached to the problem e.g you are going to University, or you are getting married or moving jobs then we will agree a more time-limited contract.  This can be any number of weeks (e.g. 6 or 12 or 20).   Contracts longer than 20 weeks fall under open-ended work.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is currently the favoured therapy of the NHS and by virtue of its name works with the cognitive (thought) aspects of mental health.   CBT techniques involve rethinking negative thought patterns and addresses the symptoms rather than the aetiology of mental health problems.   I use some CBT techniques in my work but the majority of my approach will be about the root(s) of your difficulties and how we can change your perspective and therefore change the impact these have on your here and now.