Psychodynamic counselling
Psychodynamic counselling is an approach that our behaviour and feelings as an adult are rooted in our childhood experiences. Our early experiences of how we are treated as children can be repeated in how others treat us as adults. Psychodynamic counselling is about enabling a client to make changes in their life by understanding the causes of their issues and the relationships that were formed in their early years.
Through a secure relationship with the counsellor, the client is able to explore how their early relationships have shaped their present experiences and expectations and work together to encourage the unconscious to become conscious thereby allowing the opportunity for choice and change. The counselling provides a safe place in which to explore past and present feelings and the meaning of past and current relationships.
This type of therapy is particularly useful for people who have tried short-term counselling and CBT and still find they have the same relationship problems. People who find themselves repeating the same mistakes and relationship patterns may find psychodynamic counselling useful. When a child’s development is arrested, when feelings are repressed, especially the feelings of anger and hurt, a person grows up to be an adult with an angry, hurt child inside of them.This child will spontaneously CONTAMINATE our adult behaviour. This neglected,wounded inner child of the past is the major source of human misery. Until we reclaim and champion that child, he/she will continue to act out and contaminate our adult lives.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT is a psychotherapeutic approach that addresses dysfunctional emotions, maladoptive behaviours and contents processes and conflicts through a number of goal-oriented, explicit systematic procedures. It is a fairly short term therapy which works to offer clients techniques to manage symptoms.
CBT acknowledges that there may be behaviours that cannot be controlled through rational (cognitive) thought. It is believed that the way we feel about something is determined by the way we think about it, and so if we can challenge the negative thought patterns associated with an event we can also change both the emotional and behavioural consequences of that event. CBT is thought to be particularly useful for a number of conditions such as anxiety, panic attacks, eating, OCD, phobias and self-esteem.
Person Centred Counselling
Person centred counselling is an approach that is dictated by the client as the therapist believes the client is the expert and that human beings have a fundamental desire to move towards healing and growth. It takes the view that the client has the internal resources needed for growth and will achieve this through a relationship that provides unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence.
The therapists’ role is to offer a safe space where the client feels accepted for who they are, where the client can explore and try out different ways of being in a non-judgemental environment and where the client is respected for the unique individual they are. The therapist believes in the therapeutic relationship as being key in this process and sees themselves as ‘alongside’ during the journey. Therefore the client can explore their issues in a safe space and find solutions that are tailor made for them.
Play Therapy
This is an effective therapy that helps children & adolescents deal with past trauma, modify their behaviours, clarify their self-concept and build healthy relationships. In Play Therapy, clients enter into a dynamic relationship with the therapist that enables them to express, explore and make sense of their difficult and painful experiences.
Play Therapy works in a similar way to talking therapies (counselling) but the emphasis is placed on play & creativity rather than verbal expression. Play Therapy uses creativity, sand tray work, images and metaphors to help a client understand what is going on for them and because of its focus on play & creativity it is often used with children. However, the concepts and principles of Play Therapy mean it is a therapy that can be used with anyone of any age.
Children and Young People Counselling
Our trained counsellors have and are working in local primary and secondary schools as well as seeing young people at St. John’s Church Centre and in their counselling rooms at homes in Earl Shilton, Barwell and Hinckley. They help clients deal with a wide range of physical, emotional, sexual and neglect health problems including the consequences of split families, insecure attachments, anger, bullying, anxieties, panic attacks, self-harming, bereavement, eating disorders, body image, autism, ADHD and self-esteem.
Couples counselling
Couples counselling is available and can be provided by a married couple. This can have the advantage of 2 qualified counsellors seeing the couple so that individual counselling can be facilitated if required and better allows impartiality. Many of the relationship issues presented are improved by learning communication skills and the abandoning of assumptions and preconceptions.
