Talking Therapy
With me, counselling is about offering a safe and warm place for you to come and share the more difficult aspects of your life that perhaps you are unable to share with others. Sometimes difficult emotions or memories can seem just too big to cope with by yourself and the act of talking them through with someone else can make all the difference and create a bit more breathing space.
Throughout my clinical experience I have adopted various psychological tools such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, Transactional Analysis (TA), Clinical Mindfulness (MBCT), Attachment Styles and Jungian Archetypes. Some people find these tools extremely valuable in helping them break free from old habits and live with more openness and peace. You may be struggling with some of the bigger questions in life like ‘what is the point of my life’ or ‘where’s my place in the world’. These big questions can be worked through with Existential Psychotherapy. We delve deep into the root of things like life and death, meaning and freedom to gain a greater understanding of life. It may be that right now you just need someone to listen without judgement or advice.
Human suffering comes in many forms; reasons for someone to come for counselling may include: depression, loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, stress, bereavement, relationship difficulties (including our relationship with food), addiction, self-injury and suicidal thoughts. I have undergone specialist training in working with trauma and have helped people with experiences such as childhood abuse, bullying and terrorist bombings – trauma can have such a debilitating effect on us and can prevent us from living full and meaningful lives. No matter the cause of the trauma, it affects the brain in a similar way and by actively processing the trauma, a new possibility of the future unfolds. As the Desiderata wisely says: "With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be brave, strive to be happy."
Some younger children find expressing themselves through play easier than talking. From an outside perspective, it may look like we are just playing, but there is something magical at work here. By entering into the world of play, a child’s pain and distress can be seen more clearly and the process of healing can begin. Playing is not just for children though. Many adults find creative therapies such as sand tray, art and clay modelling extremely beneficial as they can allow deep insights into ourselves and our relationships with others.
Below is a list of specialist therapies I offer, please feel free to give me a call on 07949 416057 or email hello@justiniles.co.uk to find out more
