What is counselling?
Counselling is a process that helps individuals, couples and families to work towards improving their ability to resolve personal problems, make decisions and develop coping strategies.
Counselling offers a safe, non-judgemental and supportive environment to help you to explore your feelings that exist around the difficulties and challenges that you face in your life. Counselling aims to provide you with the insight, understanding and skills to help alleviate these difficulties.
Counselling is a very natural process. It doesn’t focus on analysing you or providing advice but aims to help you to develop your own strengths and to do so at a pace that suits you.
Going to counselling is a very healthy and positive way to help you to deal with the mental and emotional aspects of the difficulties you face. It isn’t a sign of weakness. In fact, by actively engaging in the counselling process, you are taking a courageous step towards understanding your problems and looking at possible solutions.
What issues can counselling help me with?
Counselling can help deal with a wide range of issues including :
Bereavement, Anxiety, Stress, Depression, Panic Attacks, Feelings of being overwhelmed, Redundancy/Work related issues, Relationship problems/Separations, Family problems, Feelings of Loneliness, Addictions, Low mood, Self Confidence/Self Esteem, Suicidal thoughts and feelings.
This is not an exhaustive list. People in Kildare and all around Ireland are discovering that counselling can help them cope with a wide range of problems that are affecting their mental and emotional health.
Is counselling confidential?
Counselling only works if it is based on a foundation of confidentiality. Your privacy is respected at all times. Alan works within the ethical guidelines of the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy which are discussed with all clients at the first appointment.
What happens at the first appointment?
The initial consultation offers you the opportunity to discuss the main issue or issues that are causing you problems. You can talk about what your expectations are of counselling and what you hope to achieve. Alan will provide an explanation of his style of counselling and how the counselling process works. There will also be an opportunity to discuss other aspects around the counselling contract such as confidentiality, duration of appointments, fees etc.
