What Is Counselling?

(A very short introduction)

Counselling - or therapy - is a confidential space to explore what it means to be human in all its complexity. It’s not about being “fixed” or told what to do, but about being truly heard and understood. At its heart, counselling is a conversation that helps you make sense of your inner world - your thoughts, feelings, relationships, and patterns - so you can live with greater clarity, freedom, and self-acceptance.

In therapy, you’re invited to slow down and speak honestly. Sometimes the process is gentle and reflective; sometimes it can stir deep emotion. A good counsellor provides a safe and steady presence through it all - someone who walks beside you, helping you notice what’s really going on beneath the surface.

What Happens in a Counselling Session?

Sessions usually last around fifty minutes and take place weekly, either online or in person. You may come with a clear issue in mind - anxiety, relationship struggles, grief, or loss of direction - or you may simply feel something isn’t right and want to understand why. Together, we explore your experiences and the meanings you attach to them. Over time, therapy can help you build self-awareness, resilience, and a kinder relationship with yourself.

Different Types of Counselling

There are many approaches to therapy, each offering a different way of understanding the human experience. Some of the main ones include:

• Person-Centred Therapy – Based on the work of Carl Rogers, this approach trusts that each person has an innate capacity for growth when met with empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard. It’s non-directive, meaning the therapist follows your pace and priorities.

• Psychodynamic Therapy – Looks at how past experiences, especially in early relationships, shape current patterns of feeling and behaviour. It often explores the unconscious and the ways we protect ourselves from painful emotions.

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – A structured, present-focused approach that helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours, replacing them with more balanced and effective ones.

• Integrative Therapy – Combines elements from several approaches to suit each individual. Many modern therapists work integratively, drawing from person-centred, psychodynamic, existential, and behavioural traditions as needed.

• Existential Therapy – Explores the deeper questions of life - meaning, freedom, isolation, and mortality - helping you face these realities with honesty and courage.

Other forms include Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, and Transpersonal therapy, each with their own rich traditions.

My Approach

My own practice is grounded in the person-centred tradition, which means I believe lasting change comes not through techniques or advice, but through relationship - through being met with genuine empathy and respect. From this foundation, I also draw upon existential and integrative approaches, allowing me to tailor our work to you as an individual.

I offer both online and in-person sessions and work with a wide range of issues - including anxiety, relationship difficulties, loss, low self-esteem, and questions of identity or purpose. I have a particular interest in men’s emotional wellbeing: helping men find language for their inner world, to reconnect with the parts of themselves that may have been silenced by expectation or fear.

Counselling, at its best, is a quiet act of courage - an opportunity to step into honesty, to be seen, and to rediscover the meaning of your own life.