Primarily counselling is a relationship between people.  The counsellor creates and maintains a relationship that creates a feeling of safety so that people feel able to talk honestly and openly about the aspects of their life that are creating emotional or psychological distress. This sense of safety is about the creation of trust between people so that they feel able to talk about their thoughts and feelings, their experiences, hopes and dreams, safe in the knowledge that they will be listened to with compassion and respect. 

Counselling is much more than just listening.  As an experienced counsellor I can support people in unravelling the many threads of feelings and experiences that may have become tangled up over time.   Through this process, people are able to free themselves from many of their negative thoughts and emotions, change behaviours that are unhelpful or often risky, and regain the freedom to respond more fully to life as it happens.

Research on the impact of counselling on people's wellbeing consistently demonstrates that a high indicator of any kind of successful outcome is the quality of the relationship that exists between the client and the counsellor. Where there is a high degree of trust and the client feels accepted rather than judged, there is an opportunity to shine a light on various aspects of our lives to create a fresh understanding that can lead to lasting changes.