Conwy Counselling & Psychotherapy

Counselling and psychotherapy is widely recognised to improve emotional wellbeing by alleviating a wide variety of mental health issues and problems in living - see here for some evidence that backs this up.  In order to benefit you don't need a diagnosis or to be in crisis or even to understand what the problem is.  Seeking out therapy is an individual choice and people come to therapy for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes this may be to help with a long standing psychological difficulty, or it may be a particular issue like anxiety, depression, or a challenging relationship.  Other times it’s in response to significant life events or unexpected changes, such as the death of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship or the loss of a job.  Alternatively, many people seek help because they feel that something is wrong but they don't know what it is or because experiences in their past or way of being in the world is impacting how they relate to others and respond to the challenges they face.  Some come for their own personal development as they pursue personal exploration and growth.

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Whether the problem is your life circumstances, relationships, your past, or it feels like it’s something about you, if you’re suffering and struggling, feel like you’ve lived too much in the recent past on ‘automatic pilot,’ or if it’s becoming increasingly difficult to live how you wish and like it's time to unwind what's going on, or you want to develop greater self knowledge and understanding, or need support getting out of your own way or navigating a difficult life transition, therapy could help you.

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Deciding to come to therapy can be a difficult decision, especially if you have never experienced it before. The thought of sharing your feelings with a stranger can feel very daunting.  You may think that your issues are not significant enough or that you might be seen to be “making a fuss about nothing”. Alternatively, you may worry that your problems are so huge that they may overwhelm anybody you choose to share them with.  No matter what the reason for contacting me, you will be met with compassion, curiosity and professionalism. Therapy is right for anyone interested in getting more out of life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change.

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Friends and family members can be of great support but sometimes they are too close to help; you may be worried about the effect that sharing your worries would have on them or they may form part of the problem.  Perhaps everything you've tried so far to improve things hasn't helped in the way you'd hoped, and you’ve run out of ideas. Perhaps you haven’t had the safe and accepting environment to work through your problems, or the people you turned to haven’t quite given you what you needed.  This is where working with a therapist can help.  The therapeutic relationship is like no other. At its best it is intimate, supportive, and challenging all at the same time.  A warm and secure relationship yet with clearly defined boundaries where you can feel heard, seen and acknowledged for who you are can provide the much-needed space for you to say how you really feel - and tell the situation as it really is.  You can read more about what therapy is like with me and my approach by following the links.
 

Therapy is about having a space to be, and a supportive place to express and process your emotions and to reflect on yourself and your life to help you to better understand yourself: how you relate to yourself internally and how you relate to others around you.  Together, we can work at a pace that suits you to help you explore what is important to you.   The relationship with your therapist is a key factor in helping to understand patterns and behaviours which can be unhelpful or destructive.    Often this will provide a fresh perspective on difficult problems, provide a new blueprint for relating to other people,  unearth potential and free you up to live more fully and more creatively and so get more out life.   Working with a therapist may also assist you in opening up previously unknown or unacknowledged aspects of yourself which will enable you to become more who you are in order that it becomes possible to face each moment openly and freshly without the protection of a pre-formed opinion, position, attitude, or expectation.  It is not about me telling you what to do, but more about supporting you to find your own solutions, giving you the choice to make meaningful and lasting changes in your life.  Whilst I won’t give advice or tell you what you should do, often working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all helping to manage all types of life challenges such as  interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life.

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Some of the benefits can include:

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• Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values

• Developing skills for improving your relationships

• Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy

• Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety

• Better management of powerful emotions such as anger, grief and depression

• Improving communications and listening skills

• Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones

• Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage

• Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence

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I am keen to work with you if you have experienced abuse, trauma, loss or bereavement of if you are experiencing Anxiety,  Depression, Relationship issues or are struggling with your identity, including sexuality and gender.  My practice also includes working with clients experiencing, difficult life transitions, feeling “stuck” or seeking a higher quality of life, social phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder and stress management.  

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I can also help with: