What is counselling
Counselling, sometimes known as psychotherapy and talking therapy, can help people explore their thoughts and feelings and provide the opportunity to discuss a concern. Talking about a problem can be helpful, however, talking to a trained professional can have greater benefits as we have emotional distance from you and therefore we are impartial and not involved in your day to day life.
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When you have a better understanding of yourself you are better equipped to make changes to your thinking and behaviour. Self-awareness is a powerful tool for personal growth. Understanding your emotions can help you recognise how they influence your thoughts and actions and help us to manage emotions effectively. When we are able to respond to situations thoughtfully rather than reacting impulsively, this can lead to better decision making. In turn this can impact on your relationships, lifestyle and overall wellbeing. Not only can it help you but it can help you understand those around you, understanding and relating to the emotions of others fosters deeper relationships and communication.
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Overall, the process of Counselling can enhance your emotional intelligence and self awareness and improve your ability to navigate life’s challenges with a deeper understanding of yourself and others.
Who is it for
Anyone can use Counselling for any manner of reasons. If it matters to you then it is worth exploring. It may be a current concern you wish to discuss or something historic. For some individuals it is a time and space just for you to offload life stresses and ground yourself.
Alcohol & Stress
Stress is a common feature of today's busy lifestyle. The root cause of stress isn't always the obvious factors, such as work load or personal commitments. Sometimes it may be caused by a lack of control, loss of self-confidence or inability to say 'No'.
At times pressures can become overwhelming and it can be tempting to turn to alcohol to relieve stress. It is a common belief that drinking alcohol can 'calm the nerves', and it is true that it can temporarily make us feel more relaxed. However, drinking excessive levels can induce rather than reduce stress responses - the activity of drinking alcohol can actually produce the effects similar to those they are trying to relieve.
There are some indicators to highlight whether drinking is becoming a problem such as, drinking alone, feeling irritable if you can't have a drink or maybe hiding your drinking from friends and family.
Drinking alcohol is often used in place of more effective stress management such as talking through problems with colleagues, friends of family and learning to express feelings rather than bottling them up. Identifying the cause of the stress is the starting point for making positive changes.
People sometimes have negative beliefs about their ability to cope based on past experiences. Talking to a qualified therapist can help to indentify areas of difficulty, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and highlight new ways of thinking about problems. A therapist can also support you towards a healthier relationship with alcohol, while enabling you to develop more productive ways of coping
with stress.
What are the benefits
Through the process of talking and self reflection it can aid your ability to recognise your actions and reactions and make sense of them. For some it might be a process of self-discovery, for others, managing stress and emotions and building on your resilience or perhaps it is addressing unhelpful patterns of behaviour. By improving your ability to communicate with others and understand your own needs and wishes, Counselling can also aid your self-esteem, and improve your quality of life.
What is it not
Counselling is not for diagnostic or labelling purposes and a therapist will not tell you what to
do. However we will, through the process of talking and asking questions, support you to find
your own answers.
About me
Susan Brett
After three years of training with the University of Manchester, I qualified in 2006.
Since then I have worked in a variety of settings including NHS Adult Mental Health, Secondary & Sixth Form Education, Central Cheshire Alcohol Services and within an NHS GP Practice. My therapy work is solely in Private Practice now seeing members of the public. I am also a member of the BACP , British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
My route into Counselling and therapy grew from a keen interest in nursing which I have had from a young age, however, rather than become a nurse I wanted to help people more emotionally than physically, as I believe this is just as important and the two most certainly impact on each other.
During my career, I have also worked in social care for over two decades managing a variety of services for older people, adults with learning disabilities and adults with dementia and Autism.
I have worked with many clients presenting issues over the years, and find my work very fulfilling. I consider it incredibly rewarding to accompany someone on their journey and be able to see them through a difficult time or struggle and see them out the other side. I enjoy meeting new people and value my work as a therapist.
Confidentiality
What you share during your session remains confidential. However there are some exceptions to this; In the event you shared information about the harm or danger of a child, or information to suggest you might seriously harm yourself or someone else, then there may be a need to break confidentiality. If this was the case I would discuss it with you at the time.
How I work
I only hold virtual sessions as I find it can offer my clients a greater sense of comfort and
therefore I hope they will feel more at ease. I will send you a link to an online appointment
via Zoom, Google Meet or we can call via FaceTime, whichever suits you. The aim is to be
convenient and discreet.
Fees
The fee per session is £35.00. Each session is a maximum of 50 minutes.
Fees are payable in advance via Bank transfer.