Online Counselling and Psychotherapy

Sass Boucher MSc BA(Hons) MNCS (Accred) & MBACP.

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• What is counselling and psychotherapy?

• More formal definitions of Counselling and Psychotherapy

• How I approach therapy.

• How might therapy help you?

• Who do I work with?

• How long will it take?

• My practice hours and fees

 

 

What is counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling and Psychotherapy are talking therapies, a therapeutic, professional relationship where you can feel safe, listened to and accepted.

 

Counselling and Psychotherapy can give you a place where you will be able to explore and consider how to make changes and gain a greater awareness of who you are, whilst discovering what your needs might be.

 

Our relationships, with our self and others can suffer. We might develop panic attacks, unhelpful coping strategies, perhaps we can’t sleep, focus or concentrate, or might we feel hopeless and sad. Our emotions affect us in lots of different ways, and if any of this sounds familiar, I invite you to get in touch. 

 

I work with clients who maybe experiencing, amongst many other things:

 

Anxiety

Low Mood

Depression

Stress

Grief

Lack of Confidence

Relationship Issues

Trauma

Stuck with making important decisions

Panic Attacks

 

 

The busy frantic world that we live in can be exhausting, life can most definitely be challenging. Things happen that we don’t plan for or expect, and though we may aim for change, sometimes we get stuck. 

 

Our relationship will be based on honest non-judgemental empathic understanding. This is so very important, as it is this relationship that allows you to safely explore concerns, behaviours and feelings that you may not feel able to discuss with others, even those who we know care for us.

 

We might feel like people don’t understand us, and we can become incredibly stressed, anxious, fed up, low or spend a lot of time thinking and behaving in ways that please others rather than being able to work out who we are.

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More formal definition of Counselling and Psychotherapy

 

The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) states that “Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. They are delivered by trained practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change and/or enhance their wellbeing”.

 

The BACP have a wide range of information that you can access here, and I would really recommend you do so if you have the time. MIND also have some great information and advice around counselling and psychotherapy here.

 

How I approach therapy.

There are many different ways of working, or ‘modalities’ in counselling and psychotherapy.

We are all different, and have different needs at different times of our lives. Primarily, I aim to work with my clients in a way that feels safe and comfortable to do so. Due to my training and experience the following forms of modality are my main areas of interest:

 

As a starting point, I take a humanistic approach, which focuses on you, the individual as a whole. It encourages us to think about our feelings and take responsibility for our thoughts and actions. The emphasis is on self-development and achieving our potential, rather than on problematic behaviour.

 

Person-centred therapy

In my practice, I follow and work within a person-centred approach, this means that I prioritise your unique experiences, feelings, and perspectives throughout our therapeutic journey.

Person or client-centred therapy is based on the view that everyone has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change, given the right conditions. Rather than being seen as the expert and directing the therapy, as your counsellor I offer unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence to help you start to understand, or gain a deeper understanding, around your world, your feelings, and develop in a way that is right for you.

In our sessions, my main goal is to create a safe, non-judgmental, and empathetic space for you to explore your thoughts, emotions, and challenges.

I believe that you are the expert in your own life, and I am here to support and guide you in discovering your own solutions and inner strengths.

One of the key aspects of person-centred therapy is providing unconditional positive regard. This means that I aim to accept and value you as a person, regardless of any choices or experiences you may have had. This acceptance creates a foundation of trust and allows you to feel comfortable sharing openly without fear of judgment.

Another important element is active listening. I will genuinely listen to you, seeking to understand your perspective fully. I aim to sit alongside as you gain deeper insights into your feelings, thoughts, and behaviours.

Collaboration is essential in our therapeutic relationship.

Ultimately, my approach is centred around empowering you to make the changes you desire, fostering self-awareness, self-acceptance, and personal growth. I believe that you have the inner resources to find your own answers and solutions, and I'm here to support you on that journey.

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Transactional analysis
I also have an interest in Transactional Analysis which incorporates aspects of humanistic, cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic therapy. It categorises the human personality into three states – Parent, Adult and Child – which can help you understand how you interact with others.

 

We might also look at how your beliefs and the way you interpret the world around you can create recurrent and problematic patterns of behaviour and we can work with you to help you make changes.

 

Psycho-education around cognitive behaviours, neuroscience and coaching theories.
Gaining an understanding of who we are and how we and how our brain works can be a powerful experience, maybe something we could have been taught at school!

 

It can be invaluable to understand how our previous experiences can damage our perception of ourselves, which can then affect our attitudes, emotions and our ability to deal with certain situations.

 

Understanding how we, our brain and our behaviours can change can give us hope.

 

How might therapy help you?

Counselling can be a great source of relief and comfort and help us through the tough times.

Often, we emerge calmer, more confident, more resilient and more peaceful, there is strength in understanding how to ‘drive’ ourselves.  

 

In counselling or psychotherapy, having someone there who understands, listens and does not judge can be very powerful and result in change on a great scale. I really believe that we all need someone to talk to from time to time.

 

 

Who do I work with?

I work with individuals from the age of 16 years.

 

How long will it take?

This is such an important question if you are exploring private therapy, time and money are resources we all have to be aware of.

 

Realistically, relationships take time to build, and generally clients tend to consider 6 - 12 sessions; for others it could be 6 months, a year or more.

 

Rarely, some clients feel that they gain a greater understanding and are able to make changes from day one, but this is unusual, and implementing change can take time.

 

You might want to work with me for a set number of sessions to work through a particular issue. Or maybe you want to explore yourself and your life more deeply, in which case longer-term therapy might be right for you.

 

My practice hours and fees

My practice days are Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday.

I generally work with clients from 10am, my last session of the day generally starts at 6pm.

 

If I don’t have immediate availability for a day or time that works for you, I do keep a waiting list.

 

Current fees

£50 per 50-minute session

Payment options: direct to bank; or cash on the day