Alison Clare Psychotherapy and Counselling

What are psychotherapy and counselling?

Both provide the time and space for you to share and explore whatever you wish in confidence.
You may have a specific concern - a relationship difficulty, a problem at work, a lack of social confidence or an eating disorder.
You may have experienced a bereavement in your life, either recently or a while ago and are finding life hard to manage.
You may be depressed, anxious, stressed or have a general dissatisfaction with life and want to understand more about what is going on.

Taking the opportunity to talk to someone outside your situation is likely to enable you to see things more clearly and to support you to find ways to make new choices.

Generally I see counselling as a shorter term process usually with a specific focus. Psychotherapy works at greater depth enabling you to explore the underlying patterns of relating that you have developed and how these occur in your current life. This awareness I see as key in making long term changes in the way you live your life in the world.

Building a relationship is central to our work, so it is important that you choose to work with someone you feel comfortable with. For this reason I would meet with you for an inital session giving you the chance to meet me and to see if you think what I have to offer is right for you.

Gestalt is a fully integrative approach taking account of the whole person. It combines a focus and exploration of your thoughts and beliefs, your feelings, your physical responses and your behaviour.