During a workshop I attended on trauma the lecturer related the story of a client who said they felt without any glimmer of hope. This resonated with me and is something I have heard many times over the years. So what is hope? How can we define it? Hope is the essence that provides our […]
Author: sussexcounsell1
Aftermath of loss – Numbness
My personal perspective I was a full-grown adult when my Dad died. He was in his seventies, mid-way through plastering a wall at home, when he collapsed. He took his last natural breath as I hurtled up the M1. A doctor switched off his breathing apparatus 25 minutes before I completed the 4-hour journey to […]
“I didn’t leave him on a train”
Exploring the language of loss On the bottom shelf of my book case sits my dictionary. The edges of each page are sandy coloured with age. As I open this heavy tome, I bow my face and breathe in the unmistakable fragrance of old book, transporting me to my Nan’s spare room, though she has […]
A Tale of Hope
Self-disclosure is the act of revealing something about oneself to another person. From a therapeutic perspective, it is telling a client something personal about myself. It was drummed into me during my counsellor training that revealing anything about my life, family, history, personal philosophies or any other factor must only be done if, and only […]
One size does not fit all: A brief look at the therapeutic relationship
“It is amazing how much people will tell you if you listen in the right way” (Pratchett,T 2015 P37) For many years I have possessed a beautifully bound but well-worn notebook that is never far from me when I read. The notebook contains all the sentences that jump out at me, those rare moments when […]
In A Nutshell – Transactional Analysis
Welcome to my “In a Nutshell” series. When you are looking for a therapist the terminology can be baffling. There is so much theory, so many different fields of study and dozens (literally dozens) of different therapeutic modalities. How do you know if what I offer matches what you want from therapy? This limited series […]
In A Nutshell – Gestalt Therapy
Welcome to my “In a Nutshell” series. When you are looking for a therapist the terminology can be baffling. We counsellors are keen to tell you what model of counselling we are trained in and it is confusing because there is so much theory, so many different fields of study and dozens (literally dozens) of […]
In A Nutshell – Person-Centred Counselling
Welcome to my “In a Nutshell” series. When you are looking for a therapist the terminology used can be baffling. We counsellors are keen to tell you what model of counselling we are trained in and this can be bewildering. There is so much theory, so many different fields of study and dozens (literally dozens) […]