Pam Laurance
My View of Counselling
Counselling is a time to talk over troubling situations and feelings with a trained listener.
Research shows that it is important that the client and the counsellor feel comfortable in each other's company and able to work together in order for therapy to have a good chance of being successful. The first appointment, for which I do not charge, is to see if we think that we will be able to work well together. Therapy is a joint project.
My aim is to help you to find your way through whatever difficulties you may be facing. I hope that this will increase your self-confidence and also your ability to enjoy life.
Counsellors do not usually give advice but I will listen very carefully and ask questions; counsellors pay attention to the way that you generally think and feel, as well as to the situation that you are trying to deal with just now. Coming to counselling is likely to help you feel better, but it can also bring painful feelings to the surface which might unsettle you for a while. In the sessions you may become tearful at times as we take a close look at the feelings involved as well as actual events. This can be a useful as it helps us to become clearer about some of the causes of your distress.
We will work together to try to make sense of what is happening just now and we will think about what changes you might want to make.
People sometimes develop particular ways of behaving in order to cope with particular situations; later on, when those situations no longer apply, these ways may be unhelpful. This can often be a fruitful area to look at in order to find new ways forward.
Counselling does not have to be all 'doom and gloom'. We can also look at what you enjoy about life and what you value about being you.
It is your right to choose to talk about, or not to talk about, anything you wish. I may suggest particular areas to discuss, but the decision about what to talk about is yours.
We will review what we are doing from time to time to discuss how the sessions are going. We will look at what you are finding helpful and if there is anything you are finding unhelpful.
If there is anything you want to ask me about, you are welcome to do so.
Where Can I Get More Information About Counselling?
You can get more information from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
They are at:15 St John's Business Park, Lutterworth LE17 4HB
Tel: 01455 883300, Fax: 01455 550243, Minicom: 01455 550307, Text: 01455 560606.
They will be able to give you a lot of useful information, including contact details for other local counsellors and psychotherapists. www.bacp.co.uk/
