How can Counselling, Psychotherapy or Ecotherapy help?
Many people find themselves having difficulties during life: depression, anxiety, bereavement, illness, problems in relationships, eating disorders, addictions and issues arising from childhood trauma. People can often find themselves stuck and unable to find a way forward on their own or may feel unable to continue to cope with life's demands. Counselling and psychotherapy can help the individual to make sense of themself in a new way and find it possible to experience more contentment, meaning and joy.
Through an ongoing relationship with the therapist the individual can discover different ways of looking at their difficulties and coming to terms with things and thereby find alternative and more satisfying ways of responding in their current life. By being listened to deeply and non judgementally, people can be helped to find their own insights. People who experience counselling or therapy usually find they have increased confidence and self esteem and notice improvements in the quality of their relationships as well as an overall increase in their sense of life's meaning.
Counselling and therapy - Theoretical approaches
There are many similarities between these two processes, however counselling is usually shorter term and focuses on more specific and current life issues. Both counselling and therapy offer a unique opportunity, within the safety of a confidential relationship, to be challenged to think in new ways and to see oneself in a different way.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy draws on the theories of psychoanalysis which have a long heritage in western thought. Psychoanalysis, broadly speaking, considers the difficulties people may be experiencing in their present lives and relationships as having their origins in childhood experiences and relationships with significant others. The process of psychotherapy usually involves some exploration of the current relationship the person is developing with the therapist. Through developing awareness of particular patterns of relating that may be replayed with the therapist the person is able to change these patterns.
In Counselling the persons past and their current relationship with the therapist is not explored so deeply and more focus is usually given to problem solving about the current difficulties, through increased self awareness and acceptance.
In my counselling and psychotherapy practice I also use Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT) approaches. These develop and enhance psychoanalytic ways of understanding a persons difficulties. The focus in MBT is to help people to recognise and understand their own feelings and the feelings of others, more effectively. 'Mentalisation' is a fairly recently defined term which describes the capacity we all have for understanding our own and others feelings and behaviour. In situations of emotional stress this ability can be compromised and for people who have had trauma or difficulties in childhood this can happen more frequently and can at times lead to self destructive ways of behaving or relating. Mentalisation is something that can be done more effectively through awareness and practice, fostered in the context of a secure relationship with the therapist. Through focussing on, and practicing mentalising in the context of therapy people can be helped to be better able to maintain or regain their mentalising capacity in their lives.
Ecotherapy
Ecotherapy is a relatively new form of therapy, derived from the discipline of ecopsychology which has at it's heart the view that many emotional problems facing people today stem from their disconnection from the rest of nature. Personal distress can be alleviated by enhancing the relationship between ourselves and our environment. Through considering our relationship to the natural environment and learning to care for it we become more able to care for and nurture ourselves.
Ecotherapy combines usual counselling and therapy methods with other practices designed to help people to reconnect to the natural world and ultimately with our inner nature. Spending time in nature, either alone or accompanied by a therapist, people find space for inner reflection and the potential for personal growth by making sense of inner emotions and life experiences. Sessions may take place outdoors in various settings such as woodlands, by an open fire, in fields or gardens.
Through an ongoing relationship with the therapist the individual can discover different ways of looking at their difficulties and coming to terms with things and thereby find alternative and more satisfying ways of responding in their current life. By being listened to deeply and non judgementally, people can be helped to find their own insights. People who experience counselling or therapy usually find they have increased confidence and self esteem and notice improvements in the quality of their relationships as well as an overall increase in their sense of life's meaning.
Counselling and therapy - Theoretical approaches
There are many similarities between these two processes, however counselling is usually shorter term and focuses on more specific and current life issues. Both counselling and therapy offer a unique opportunity, within the safety of a confidential relationship, to be challenged to think in new ways and to see oneself in a different way.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy draws on the theories of psychoanalysis which have a long heritage in western thought. Psychoanalysis, broadly speaking, considers the difficulties people may be experiencing in their present lives and relationships as having their origins in childhood experiences and relationships with significant others. The process of psychotherapy usually involves some exploration of the current relationship the person is developing with the therapist. Through developing awareness of particular patterns of relating that may be replayed with the therapist the person is able to change these patterns.
In Counselling the persons past and their current relationship with the therapist is not explored so deeply and more focus is usually given to problem solving about the current difficulties, through increased self awareness and acceptance.
In my counselling and psychotherapy practice I also use Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT) approaches. These develop and enhance psychoanalytic ways of understanding a persons difficulties. The focus in MBT is to help people to recognise and understand their own feelings and the feelings of others, more effectively. 'Mentalisation' is a fairly recently defined term which describes the capacity we all have for understanding our own and others feelings and behaviour. In situations of emotional stress this ability can be compromised and for people who have had trauma or difficulties in childhood this can happen more frequently and can at times lead to self destructive ways of behaving or relating. Mentalisation is something that can be done more effectively through awareness and practice, fostered in the context of a secure relationship with the therapist. Through focussing on, and practicing mentalising in the context of therapy people can be helped to be better able to maintain or regain their mentalising capacity in their lives.
Ecotherapy
Ecotherapy is a relatively new form of therapy, derived from the discipline of ecopsychology which has at it's heart the view that many emotional problems facing people today stem from their disconnection from the rest of nature. Personal distress can be alleviated by enhancing the relationship between ourselves and our environment. Through considering our relationship to the natural environment and learning to care for it we become more able to care for and nurture ourselves.
Ecotherapy combines usual counselling and therapy methods with other practices designed to help people to reconnect to the natural world and ultimately with our inner nature. Spending time in nature, either alone or accompanied by a therapist, people find space for inner reflection and the potential for personal growth by making sense of inner emotions and life experiences. Sessions may take place outdoors in various settings such as woodlands, by an open fire, in fields or gardens.
