HEALTHYSELF Counselling in Surbiton & Kingston, Surrey

Why therapy?

“....when I have been listened to and when I have been heard, I am able to perceive the world in a new way and to go on. It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens, how confusions that seem irremediable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard.….” (Carl Rogers - 'A Way of Being’)

I am frequently delighted to find that what Carl Rogers uncovered in the 1950s still holds true. The core of my work as a therapist is to listen and to hear or receive what you, as the completely unique individual, are trying to express. This in itself is often therapeutic. While this may sound straightforward, it is not unusual for people to find it difficult to put into words what is really troubling or concerning them. Conversely, you might come to talk about one issue, only to find quite another issue lying underneath, or perhaps long forgotten, is driving the more obvious one. Sometimes you may just have a nagging sense of being quite unhappy or finding life very difficult but can’t work out why - but it's stopping you getting on with your life.

Paying attention
Your experience is largely known only to yourself. You might wish to ask yourself how often in life someone has really provided you with the time and attention to listen to your experience without judging you or trying to fix you or give you their view of the world? This is part of what makes speaking with a therapist special. It helps you to pay attention to your experience in a way which is ultimately health-promoting. You are met with acceptance, and free to be who you are, as you are or perhaps even need to be.
It is safe to say that we all suffer at times from anxiety, stress or confusion. Usually this is a brief period and we find we quickly recover. However, when such feelings persist and cause disruption to your life, the fact is that we get very little help or information on how to proceed. Often we tell ourselves to 'carry on' as if everything were perfectly all right. Perhaps as a result of your experience you might have found that you have developed behaviours or thinking habits which are having a negative effect on your day-day life/functioning. You may have a sense of being 'stuck'. Therapy is highly confidential and provides you the time and space to focus on 'your stuff' and talk about those things that most count to you. Through developing a therapeutic relationship we work together to address stuck areas, generally enabling them to shift.