Services

Counselling & Therapy for Adults

Perhaps you have never had counselling before and you are unsure about what happens in the sessions. I am here to answer any questions you may have with regards to what is involved. At certain times in our life it can be difficult to deal with problems, worries and anxious feelings. Issues can mount up causing disturbed sleep, becoming irritable and depressed. Perhaps there is an over riding issue that keeps returning to your thoughts or a host of different concerns that sweep in and out of your mind. You may be wondering 'What type of counselling do I need?'

Regardless of the issue or query give me a call today and I can offer you a FREE chat/consultation to suit your requirements.

Counselling & Therapy for Couples

Counselling for couples can provide a space to express feelings and views within a trusting, non-judgmental environment. The majority of this work will be carried out in the counselling session. However, there maybe some small 'in between tasks' set apart from the sessions. I won't take sides but I will be there to give a view of your relationship and a directive approach in helping you find a way through with a solution focused approach.

My additional qualifications in this area:

Circles Training (Couples & Family Relationships) 2016 & 2017, Connect Programme 2018 – programme facilitator (How to maintain your relationship and make it stronger), Couples therapy and counselling certificate (refresher) 2022, Relationships and shame 2023.

Counselliing & Therapy for Families

Family therapy: is a time for all family members to explore and communicate issues that have been affecting them. This is also a time for family members to listen to each other and express their differences as well as their strengths. By working together changes can be made through negotiation to strengthen their relationships for more fulfilling futures.

Family mediation: Perhaps there has been a Separation or Divorce and both parties might want to share a space with myself to discuss these issues.

My experience in this area:

Working as a Family Support Officer for young carers and their families. Families requiring support with the emotional unrest of coping with palliative care, short and long term disabilities or support for a family member with addictions.

My additional Qualifications in this area:

Circles Training (Couples & Family Relationships) 2016 & 2017, Parents Protect Training 2016, Hidden Sentence Training 2016,Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviour 2012, Connect Programme 2018 – programme facilitator (How to maintain your relationship and make it stronger). Relationships and shame 2023.

Counselling & Therapy for Children/Young People

Children from 6 years:

During the sessions there will be observation and gentle facilitation by the therapist whilst children are free to act out and express their emotions and feelings during a sand therapy session. Child and therapist interaction will also take place within the sessions in order to provide a therapeutic and trusting relationship. I provide a 'secure base' for children to feel relaxed and safe as well as working with them at their pace. Although at times there may some directive approaches put in place for goal setting and to achieve positive outcomes. I provide strategies for managing worries, anxieties, and feelings of frustration or anger.

My additional qualifications in this area:

Suicide Idealisation training 2019,Childhoods - ACES 2019, Child Safeguarding Training updated Feb 2019, Place2Be Training Play Therapy 2016, Place2Be Training Sand Therapy 2016, Place2Be Helping Children to Tell Their Stories 2017, Place2Be Hidden Harm 1 & 2 2017, Place2Be Making Endings with Children 2017, Attachment Theory 2016, Child Sexual Exploitation 2012, 2014, 2015 & 2019, Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviour 2012.

What's on Offer:

Age 6 plus: Sand therapy, role play, games and age appropriate art activities. Expression of feelings through puppets, small world play, helping to understand emotions of winning and loosing.

Tweens & Pre Teens: Mindfulness Art for kids. Age appropriate games /crafts - talking through play about thoughts and feelings in relation to their world. For example: School playground/classroom injustices. Sibling rivalry, expression of bereavement/grief and loss etc...

Teens: Optional Talk and Craft, involving more complex crafting activities and materials/expressive arts. Confidence building and strengthening the therapeutic relationship. Time to talk at their pace without having the spotlight on them to talk about themselves for the whole session.

Teens: Take a seat and talk, involving no crafts and person centered talking at the young persons pace.

Alternatively: CBT for Kids. Model explained in a child friendly way and resources provided thereafter

Schools Colleges & Universities:

Young people often find teenage years difficult due to massive transitions within their lives. Body changes, identity, exams, relationship issues, self- worth and friends or family break ups. Bereavements of loved ones as well as much loved pets can all have an impact on young peoples mental health.

Children & Young People: sessions provided for persons questioning their identity/dealing with abuse from others - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer or questioning (LGBTIQ), and people who are gender- and sexual-diverse (GSD).

Teenagers:

Transitions can be difficult during teenage years in respect of education, relationships, puberty and identity. Also cognitive, emotional & social transitions. I help teenagers by enabling them to process their feelings in ways that empower them to form stronger relationships with others as well as becoming more self aware. The model used is based on psychoanalytic and psychological theory and the neuro scientific research-base research.

My experience working with Young Peoples mental health:

I have worked in educational settings for over 20 years within primary and secondary schools Support with Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL), (Burscough Village Primary School Nursery, Burscough Bridge Methodist Nursery Burscough, St Johns Catholic School, Burscough, St Johns Cof E School Burscough, St Andrews Primary School Maghull, youth groups and young offenders supporting parents, children and young people (St Helens). My one to one work with children has encompassed working with children on the Autistic spectrum, dyspraxia and other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

My Counselling Roles supporting Young People:

I have supported children and young peoples mental health within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), schools (Longmoor Primary School, Roby Mill Primary School, colleges (Skelmersdale College, Blackpool college) and universities (UCLAN, Lancaster, Hull and Edge Hill University).

* Please contact me for a free chat/consultation either with or without your child.

Face to Face

Often, email and telephone counselling can be misread or misinterpreted by either person within the session. Therefore face-to-face meetings can minimise the risk of a communication being mis-understood.

During face to face counselling signals are given off via body language and this can often speak louder than words.

Face-to-face counselling enables family sessions to take place and enough room for everyone to sit in a calming area where they can all see and hear each other.

Although, it really depends on you, as some clients opt for telephone or online sessions - please read the next section below.

Telephone& Online Counselling

This can be at a day and time that suits you best. We can either arrange the same time every week or you may need to alter your appointment times to fit in with your family or work. You can arrange a call from either your own home, your car or perhaps when you are out walking.

I will be in my office when I phone you at our agreed time enabling confidentiality.

Perhaps you prefer for us to both see each other. If you are unsure how to set up 'Zoom' I can help you with easy step by step instructions. There is no extra cost to our sessions by using this service.

Zoom calls can also be provided for you anywhere in the world taking into account time zones of course as a mutually agreeable time frame. However, I have previously counselled people via Zoom and other online platforms in USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand.

There is provision for late night calls for persons who are shift workers or parents requiring a late night telephone session - Please ask for details.

Employee
Assistance Programme
(EAP)

EAP is when your employer funds the cost of the counselling sessions. It is a funded benefit that enables employees to have confidential counselling in relation to work and personal issues such as relationship problems, bereavement, financial worries, substance/alcohol misuse or other issues. . Invoices can be provided for your employer.

Person Centered Counselling

The aim for person centered therapy is for you to gain greater independence by seeking to enable you to cope with current and future problems. This is client led and a non directive therapy by working at your pace. It can help with a wide range of mental heal issues for all ages. Person centered counselling will give you the opportunity to explore yourself and your feelings.

Humanistic Therapy

This therapy will help you to be more aware of your actual strengths and your choices in the here and now. The focus here will be for you to achieve your goals by exploring your emotions, working on growth and seeing your potential. You will find the benefit of Humanistic Therapy if you feel depressed, anxious, or OCD. Also, if you are finding things difficult due to your self-esteem.

Integrative Threapy

This is a combined approach of several therapies with a goal to facilitate wholeness such that the quality of the person's being and functioning. The idea is that there is not just a single approach for the client but a combination of therapies.

Psychodynamic Counselling

Sigmund Freud was the one to put forward this theory on the thought that our behaviour in our adult life are rooted in our childhood.

Unconscious thoughts and feelings can transfer to the conscious mind in the form of parapraxes, popularly known as Freidan Slips of the tongue. We reveal what is really on our mind by saying something we didn't mean to. Freud believed that slips of the tongue provided an insight into the unconscious mind and that there were no accidents, every behavior (including slips of the tongue) was significant.

Schema
Therapy

This is an integrative approach that brings together elements from cognitive behavioural therapy, attachment and object relations theories, and Gestalt and experiential therapies. This therapy can tend to work well for personality disorders and depression.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle. CBT provides a focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviours.

Solution Focus Therapy

Solution-Focused Therapy: Solution-Building Practice therapy was developed by Steve de Shazer SFBT is future-focused, goal-directed – Drug and alcohol misuse/ phobias or other goals to overcome. i.e. shyness, lack of confidence, interview techniques etc.

My experience in this area: Supporting prisoners at HMP Wymott, Garth and Preston Prison. Breathe Eating Disorders Clinic, Preston.

Addictions: Your thoughts drive your behaviours that can result in damaging cycles of addictions. This becomes just like a merry go round that we cannot get off. The road to recovery may begin but often this can lead to a lapse or relapse. Let me help you with solution-focused therapy. We can work together at your pace.

My experience in this area: Drug and Alcohol group facilitator Inspire Drug & Alcohol Services Preston

Phobias: This therapy gives focus on the therapist working with the client with a vision of the future they wish to achieve. This therapy works on empowering the client to take control.

My experience in this area: NHS IAPT Services Northwest Area, Breathe Eating Disorder Clinic Preston and CAMHS.

Mindfulness, Creative Arts, Wellness, Mentoring & Coaching

Mindfulness: I provide mindfulness Classes on a one to one basis as well as groups and organisations

Creative Arts: Will be on offer for Adults, Children & Young People (Please ask for separate Brochure)

Wellness: This will encompasses your physical health, mental, emotional, spiritual & social health.There will be a focus on your food and mood and strategies provided to reduce stress affecting your physical health.

Mentoring: I am a student Mentor for the following universities; Edge Hill, Uclan, Lancaster, Hull, John Moores, Open University and Skelmersdale and Ormskirk Colleges. I provide weekly slots for students from September to June during each consecutive academic year.

Coaching: I provide coaching for adults , Children & Young People. Confidence building, rasing self esteem and self worth.

LGBTQ+ support

Friendly therapist offering counselling and therapy with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer or questioning (LGBTIQ), and people who are gender- and sexual-diverse (GSD).

This service provides sessions on a one to one basis or for couple therapy.

Please feel free to give me a call and I can provide a free chat/consultation.