Stepping stones, like our lives, weave through shadow and light, patterned with mystery and awareness, whispers of movement, leafy dreams and mossy memories...
There are many reasons that bring someone to contact me for counselling. Sometimes it is a major event, sometimes it is an awareness that it is time for change. Some of the issues that I see clients for include:
Depression, anxiety, self esteem
Stress, feelings of overwhelm, difficulty coping
Relationship issues or concerns
Career or work place issues
Health issues, chronic pain
Family issues, difficulties with parenting
Separation and divorce
Grief and loss
Trauma, PTSD
Over my 29 years of private practice, group work, and teaching, I have gained extensive experience. I am an eclectic practitioner, meaning that I work closely with each client to develop the best process for that individual. In addition to this approach, some of the specific techniques I use are listed below:
Somatic Therapy Somatic therapy guides us on a journey to become aware of the body and the sensations we experience through it. The goal is to ground and connect with ourselves. It is a process which can help heal past trauma from specific incidents and can also repair attachment losses from early family relationships.
Somatic therapy weaves holistic and long practiced forms of healing with the innate wisdom and resources of our own bodies. Sensations, feelings, movement, and images create a path to re-connection. Body awareness and mindful presence make it possible to slow down and calm over-arousal, and to separate the past from the present. Over time, we can become more in tune with our intuition and needs.
Guided Imagery Your imagination process is a powerful part of your inner world. I often weave the use of imagery into my work. This technique can be fun, as well as aiding in relaxation, and assisting emotional exploration of the self in a safe and creative way.
Short Term Counselling For those looking for help with a specific issue (such as challenges in the workplace), or support with a problem solving task (such as making a major life decision, etc) short term counselling can provide a supportive and positive way to use strengths and life experiences to move forward.
In Depth Counselling - Exploring Inner Patterns For those ready to explore long term issues and patterns, in depth counselling can help create much desired awareness and change. Using a range of techniques, we begin looking at beliefs and behaviors that may have been unconsciously learned long ago within one's family of origin.
Stress, depression, anxiety, ongoing grief, and concerns about self-esteem may be indications of unresolved patterns. Identifying and gently examining these deeper parts of the self can help re-connect with health, wellness, intuition, wisdom, and even creativity.