Counselling

I am a person centred counsellor trained by the CPCAB, specialising in a variety of areas. I have detailed below just some of the presenting issues I work with, however if you would like more information on any of these or would like counselling for anything that is not listed below, please do feel free to contact me, I am more than happy to talk with you.

How does counselling take place?

I provide a variety of ways that counselling can take place, this can be face to face, in public, or in a cafe etc. via phone call, and on a case by cases basis I can also provide home visits. Where possible I will try and meet you in a place where you feel comfortable, some prefer to meet in public as this may feel more safe, on the other hand a more private setting may be more preferable for others! Counselling sessions generally are 50 minutes in length.

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

Depression and Anxiety are both conditions we can all experience in life at one time or another, for some it can be temporary, others long lasting. I myself have suffered with depression and anxiety in the past and understand how difficult and confining they can be.

However, you need not suffer in silence.

Just by talking to someone who really listens and empathises with you can in itself be a huge relief and make a big difference, however by also processing and working together and setting meaningful tasks and milestones can make a world of difference. That said, I would be your counsellor, and we would only work with what you felt comfortable with.

If you would like to know more information, or even book your first session, go ahead and contact me today!

DOMESTIC ABUSE COUNSELLING

An estimated 1.9 million adults aged 16 to 59 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year, according to the year ending March 2017 Crime Survey for England and Wales (1.2 million women, 713,000 men).
The police recorded 1.1 million domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes in the year ending March 2017 and of these, 46% were recorded as domestic abuse-related crimes; domestic abuse-related crimes recorded by the police accounted for 32% of violent crimes.

I have worked primarily with victims of domestic abuse via the WAVES Counselling Project, The SUsie Project, and Barnardos, while having received training and supervision from Jo Stone, a specialist in domestic abuse and working with perpetrators of abuse and violence.

If you would like to receive counselling support, or like to discuss whether counselling is for you, please feel free to contact me today.

ADDICTION

Addiction comes in a variety of forms, for some it is alcohol or drugs, others it can be a substance all of its own, whether illegal or not. When suffering with an addiction, it is easy to become isolated, not trusted, and lonely, but if you are suffering with an addiction, you do not need me to tell you how damaging it can be.

I have previously coordinated three services in Cornwall providing support to those who have overcome their addiction, to those who are within the deepest depths of their addiction while having to deal with other factors in their lives such as crime, various mental health problems, financial issues, child access problems etc. I have also been trained in the field of addiction via various providers including Addaction. However, no matter what your addiction, I am happy to discuss your case, please feel free to contact me.

ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR COUNSELLING

Abusive relationships, many have been a victim to a partner who is abusive, many of us have also been abusive, whether it was "just one time" or "many times". Being abusive in a relationship can be caused for many reasons, whether it is the stress you are under, a loss of control over your life, or perhaps the feeling that a loved one may leave you, or maybe he or she already has.

I have received training from Paul Wolf-Light of Ahimsa, an expert in the field of abusive behaviour within intimate relationships, and Jo Stone who is specialised in working with victims and perpetrators of abuse. Often the first lesson of counselling together will be that you are not a bad person that does bad things, but most likely a good person that did something bad, that is the difference between shame and guilt. By taking that first step for support, you are already working towards change, that is big!

SUICIDE

Talking about suicide can be difficult for us as a culture, even now there will be people out there contemplating suicide with no one aware of his or her intention, maybe you are someone contemplating suicide right now.

I have felt suicidal in the past, and understand how difficult it can be to open up and talk about it without feeling like a burden or that you are causing anyone else unhappiness. However I am not everyone else, and as your counsellor, I am able to provide a confidential listening service where you can reveal exactly how you feel without having to disclose what is going on for you to friends or family, it is my job as your counsellor to listen and support you.

As you may have seen in my portfolio, i have worked closely with CLASP charity and fund-raised for both CLASP and the MayTree Suicide Sanctuary.

PAEDOPHILIA, HEBEPHILA & EPHEBOPHILIA (MAP's) COUNSELLING

You may find it surprising that there are different definitions for the different age groups someone may be attracted to, and it is partly at the fault of media and also social media that we automatically assume that anyone who has an attraction to a child or young adult that is under the age of 16 is a sex offender or someone who will commit sexual offences, however this is simply not true, and this held belief can cause numerous problems. It is true that some individuals will commit sexual offences, but many will not, having not offended nor created a situation where there is an opportunity to do so, these individuals are known as NOMAP's (Non-Offending Minor Attracted Person).

A paedophile (paedophilia) is someone who has an attraction to prepubescent children, so generally children under the age of 10.
A hebephile (hebephilia) is someone who is attracted to children aged 11 to 14, so pubescent children/young adults.
A ephebophile (ephebophilia) is the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19.

Whatever your reasons for accessing this part of my site, it may give you comfort to know the differences, or it may not. It is true there is not a magic switch, and that many discover these minor attractions around the age of 14, but this does not mean you will offend. If you worry that you may identify with any of these three classifications, then please do not hesitate to contact me for counselling support, you need not suffer alone.

SEX OFFENDER COUNSELLING

In a crime survey for England and Wales,The Ministry of Justice have reported that on estimate 473,000 adults has been victims of sexual offences, 72,000 of these being male. Victims had experienced anything from the most serious of offences of rape and sexual assault to other offences such as indecent exposure and unwanted touching. [Full report here].

In the UK, a report in 2011 suggested that 1 in 20 children had been sexually abused, and that 90% of victims were sexually abused by someone they knew; while a report in 2016 identified 2,900 children as needing protection from sexual abuse. From 2016 to 2017 there were over 9,000 counselling sessions that had taken place via Childline regarding sexual abuse. [Further details here]

As you can see from the statistics, sex offending is an ongoing issue, and support must be provided to those who have or at risk of sex offending to help reduce the victim rates, it is not something that can be ignored.

I have been trained by Andrew Howard Smith, an expert in working with sex offenders, and trained and attended informative events by other professionals such as Lydia Guthrie, Kieran McCartan, Marilyn Hawes etc. I am able to provide counselling to those wishing to receive support for their historical sexual offending and wanting not to re-offend, and to clients who feel he or she is at risk of sex offending and want support and practical skills not to do so. If you would like non-judgemental support and counselling, you can contact me today.