Problems that I work with include, but are not limited to:
See more about problems addressed
Tel: 01606 872 625
email: mark@redgravecounselling.co.uk
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Having been trained as an Integrative Counsellor, I have developed a wide scope of therapeutic interventions that has enabled me to work with clients of all ages, inclusive of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. They are:
The psychodynamic approach assumes that problems in living arise from painful feelings and thoughts that have been buried in the unconscious (sometimes referred to as the subconscious). These feelings and thoughts can be linked to life experiences such as loss, trauma or unhappy childhood memories. In order to avoid having to face such memories, individuals often create mental defenses that protect them from psychological pain. These defenses, however (for example ‘denial’), can generate more problems than solutions (such as depression, anxiety, obsessional compulsive disorders). It is therefore the task of the psychodynamic counselor to help clients uncover these painful feelings. By doing so, by helping the client to talk about and discover what is going on in their unconscious selves, strong, often destructive feelings can be released and relinquished (catharsis) and new insights achieved. As a result of this process, problems can be resolved and life can be lived more creatively.
Often, unresolved relationship conflicts, originating in the past, form the core of current difficulties one is facing in the present. Addressed in a psychodynamic way, these past difficulties with significant others are reexamined and healed, paving the way for healthier relationships in the present and in the future.
We all have common thinking errors that can disrupt the quality of our lives and for some these errors can lead to problems that may require counselling. Two examples would be:
All or nothing thinking
You think in extremes, in black and white terms where there is no middle ground. You make blanket statements about others, “He’s an idiot”, or yourself, “I’m hopeless, I’ll never succeed in anything’. You condemn yourself as a failure on the basis of one event.
Catastrophizing
You magnify and exaggerate the significance of an incident, giving it a negative spin, expecting a disastrous result. Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong will go wrong.
The origin of this faulty thinking is often rooted in the past, where we may have been conditioned to think in such ways as a result of our life experiences. Cognitive behavioral Counselling focuses on challenging these kinds of cognitive distortions. Although the past is taken into consideration, the main focus of this therapy is on addressing current thoughts and behaviors. It is based on three assumptions:
The Cognitive behavioural approach aims at teaching the client to identify these cognitive distortions with a view to challenging and then replacing them with more realistic and adaptive ones. By reinterpreting events, this produces a more positive emotional and behavioral outcome. The therapist and client work together collaboratively, taking an empirical approach to therapy, examining thoughts, assumptions and inferences.