Life Matters Therapy Counselling Therapy - Hypnotherapy - Coaching
in Manchester

Fundamental to counselling is a confidential, non-judgemental, safe and trusting relationship within which a person can talk and explore their difficulties. It might be the case that you feel isolated and in need of someone to talk to, or that you find it easier to talk to someone independent.

Counselling is an umbrella term that covers a range of talking therapies attended over a short or long-term period. Sessions provide a space to express feelings and be heard, and to identify the cause and patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that may be creating difficulties. As a counselling psychotherapist, I collaborate with you to explore any difficulties in the now, assist you to uncover the root cause if appropriate, and work on finding peace of mind and find ways of coping. You do not have to be in crisis or on the verge of one to consider therapy, it is better to address the difficulty before getting to that stage in order to engage in the process more effectively. Therapy can be a great way to address feelings of dissatisfaction with life in general, or to seek balance. Similar to taking a car for a service or MOT, or employing a Personal Trainer for physical health goals, a person may wish to do so with their mental health.

CBT aims to help you to recognise how your thoughts can affect your feelings and behaviour by combining a cognitive approach (examining your thoughts) with a behavioural approach (the things you do). The idea behind CBT is that our thoughts and behaviours have an effect on each other. That by changing the way we think or behave in a situation, we can change the way we feel about life. The therapy examines learned behaviours, habits and negative thought patterns with the view of adapting them.

This type of therapy is particularly helpful for those with specific issues because it is very practical (rather than insight-based) and looks at solving the problem. Sessions will aim to help you focus on the 'here and now', and recognise how past events may have shaped your thinking and behaviours. The therapy is collaborative, which means you you may be expected to take a proactive role within your treatment, such as completing tasks at home.

This type of therapy will be more useful to those who relate to the ideas behind it. This includes the solution-focused approach, the ideas about behaviour, thinking patterns and the importance of completing at-home tasks.

Being committed and doing the assignments set is an integral part of CBT. While the sessions offer support and space to explore your concerns, it is the work you do outside of your sessions that is likely to have the most impact. By staying focused and completing assignments, you will help yourself progress quicker. This way you will hopefully start to develop a stronger sense of self-confidence and self-belief.