What is counselling?
Whether you're new to therapy or just wondering about how I work, this
what therapy is in a nutshell.
Therapy and counselling – what’s the difference?
You’ll often hear the words therapy and counselling used interchangeably, and for many people they mean much the same thing. Both offer a confidential space to talk, reflect, and make sense of your experiences with a trained professional.
Different approaches to counselling and therapy
There are lots of different ways of working in counselling and therapy, which can sound confusing at first. In reality, most approaches are simply different ways of understanding human experience and supporting change. What matters most is finding something that feels right for you.
Therapy approaches
What does “person-centred” mean?
It means the focus is on you and your experience, rather than on diagnosis or advice. The relationship itself is central, and change comes through feeling heard, understood, and accepted.
What is psychodynamic therapy?
This approach looks at how past experiences, especially early relationships, may be influencing how you feel or relate in the present.
What is CBT?
CBT focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It’s often more structured and can include practical strategies for managing things like anxiety or low mood.
What does integrative mean?
It means drawing from more than one approach, adapting the work depending on the person and what they need.
How I work...
I work primarily in a person-centred and relational way. That means I don’t try to fit you into a model or technique. Instead, I pay close attention to your experience and to what unfolds between us, allowing the work to develop naturally and at your pace.
You don’t need to understand therapy models or know “what you want to work on” before starting. Many people begin counselling simply because something doesn’t feel right — and that’s more than enough.