Many potential clients reach me because they are unsure whether they need therapy or life coaching. Typically people see a counsellor because they wish to resolve something in their past or present such as a relationship issue or a past trauma. Coaching is often regarded as future orientated - reaching a goal.
My experience and the reason that I am dual trained is that in practice, many feel that those two distinct approaches are not workable. Many people do not reach a goal because of something they have not resolved from their past and therefore we have to go back in order to resolve the blockage. A professional coach in this situation should refer their client to a therapist at this point. Unfortunately such referrals often do not happen and a coach with no therapeutic training will try and 'fix' the client with limited results at best.
Conversely, clients coming to the end of therapy may wish to explore their future with a new sense of self - they may be asking the question 'what now?'. Clients also report that they are looking for a more dynamic approach to their therapy and talking about the same issue over and over is not helping, they are looking for a more dynamic approach and want tools to use outside of the sessions - this is where coaching can help. For instance, anxiety can be treated with tools to help cope with the condition whilst delving deeper into the psyche for the cause.
The combination of counselling and coaching allows for a more extensive and inclusive learning experience. Your life-coaching can also have a therapeutic element. Your therapy can also be practical and pro-active.
I have always had an online service, but the majority of my sessions were held in my large, airy office in London. After entering lockdown, I decided sadly to give up my lease on my office and concentrate on my online service.
Most of my face to face clients happily transitioned with me and found online therapy just as beneficial as face to face. So in this new world we find ourselves living in, online is my new normal, as it is for many others.
Will I go back to face to face? Yes probably at some point in the future, but so many of my clients actually prefer the flexibility of the online service that this method of delivery will now be a large part of my service.
My clients live in many areas of the globe, typically I speak to clients in Australia, Spain, Middle East, Singapore and all areas of the UK.
I work with clients to help create goals on their terms and reach them on their timescales. I can help you find solutions and create new ways of being, exploring your desire for growth and supporting you during our sessions.
I can help you heal pain from your past, rebalance unhelpful and outdated belief systems about yourself and the world to bring real, visible and lasting change. We can explore a painful childhood through inner child work, we can work to heal you from stress and burnout, support you in depression, we can create a sense of reconnection with the world. I can also help you set goals, help you gain confidence and give you tools to be effective in the workplace or other areas of your life.
My sessions are many things - they are a safe space, a place of understanding and non judgement, somewhere where you can be seen and heard. There may be silence for reflection, but there also maybe energetic conversation, exchanging of knowledge and experience. There may be sadness but there may also be laughter.
I do not believe a client should fit the approach, I believe the approach should fit the client, therefore my clients experience of sessions will be attuned appropriately to their needs and their personality.
If you feel this resonates with you, contact me today and lets explore how we can work together.