FIND PEACE AND CLARITY
Counselling for Personal Growth
What is counselling?
Have you ever wanted to be absolutely, completely seen & heard?
Ever wanted to know that somebody is actively listening to you, intentionally focusing on your words, hearing and understanding the way that you’re feeling, without thinking of their response or deciding whether they agree?
Well, that’s what counselling is.
It’s being fully seen, heard and understood by someone who unjudgementally provides you with a safe space to say and explore all the things that you need to
It’s a unique relationship built on trust, empathy and mutual respect.
Your counsellor will only ever be your counsellor – not a friend, colleague or family member; and not someone who might be “weighing up the other side of the argument” because by intentionally, empathically listening they see things only from your frame of reference.
“It is astonishing how elements that seem so 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” 1980
Why might I need counselling?
All of us, at times, have so much going on that we either can’t or won’t switch off.
Can’t: because we don’t know how
Won’t: because we’re afraid of what might happen if we do.
We may experience
“Washing machine brain”- when thoughts go on an endless spin cycle.
“The inner monologue” - when we have repeated conversations with ourselves instead of the people we need to have them with.
Or we may have physical signs such as:
Pins & needles
Tinnitus
A tight jaw
Night-time teeth grinding
Churning tummy
Constipation
Fluttering chest
Palpitations
Neck & shoulder pain
Back spasms
Our body holds onto past and present emotion – happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and surprise, and the feelings we associate with those emotions: grief, loss, confusion, frustration, shame, rejection, regret (to name just a few). Counselling offers an opportunity to sit with, and talk about those feelings & experiences in a uniquely safe, trusting relationship.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves” Victor E Frankl “Man’s Search For Meaning” 1947
Won’t talking to my partner or best friend do just the same?
Open communication with your friend or loved one is so important, and having someone to share thoughts and feelings with benefits all of us emotionally and physically. A counsellor maintains clear professional boundaries, ensuring that the focus remains on you (the client) so that the relationship doesn’t get entangled in personal biases or expectations.
As a qualified, accredited Person-Centred therapist, I’m bound by confidentiality laws, I have monthly meetings with a professional supervisor who oversees my work and provides support for my professional & ethical practice, and I have studied and practised for years, utilising recognised theoretical techniques to facilitate deeper self-exploration.
I feel like I need fixing - Can you do that?
Let’s explore why you feel broken and in need of fixing. Through speaking their truths and being fully heard clients begin to understand themselves differently, seeing the way in which both internal and external controls hold them in their belief that they’re ‘broken’.
"What's wrong with you?" isn't a helpful approach to finding answers. I will offer a safe, supportive space for you to explore the, sometimes more challenging question, “What’s happened to you?”
I don’t think I know what to do for the best - Will you give me advice?
A core part of the therapeutic process is to foster client autonomy and self-discovery.
I believe each individual is the expert on their own internal world: you have the right solutions for you and I’ll support you to find them through guided self-exploration. I’ll offer insights, I may pick up on patterns that clients may not recognise on their own and I sometimes share relevant psycho-education to provide information about human mental processes and how to effectively navigate them. But no; no advice.
“We do not see the world as it is. We see it as we are.”Anais Nin
Do you specialise in a particular area?
I work with clients who have come for specific reasons and with people who can’t really articulate why they want counselling except that life just doesn’t feel right & they need to explore why. Among many ‘presenting issues’ I have worked with people experiencing anxiety, depression, compulsive overthinking, grief, low self-esteem, perfectionism, loss, gender and sexual-orientation challenges, a fear of failure, traumatic & difficult childhood experiences, long term health issues, recent life changes, relationship difficulties, becoming a carer for a loved one, coping with parenthood, loneliness, living with pain, wanting to find answers, wanting to let stuff go, feelings of failure, ADHD and neurodiversity, unsustainable treadmill lifestyle, needing to unravel a lifetime’s worth of knots… the list goes on.
So, we just sit and talk?
While many sessions are the two of us sitting and talking, I do work with different ‘techniques’ including creative approaches, solution-focused work, walks & talks and mindfulness.
Mindfulness involves focusing on the present, including your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. While it doesn't eliminate problems, regular mindful practices can lessen their negative impact. Breathing techniques, body check-ins, gentle stretching and meditation help increase self-awareness, identify stress triggers, and promote positive coping. This helps reduce anxiety, build resilience and lessen stress-related physical symptoms.
Solution-focused therapy draws our attention to finding achievable solutions instead of focusing solely on problems. We may use charts, lists and journalling techniques in the session to help you identify your own resources and areas of strength, to aid your focus on future goals and develop confidence in your own abilities to achieve desired outcomes.
Creativity is not about being artistic or able to draw (forget what you may have been told at school!) We are all genuinely creative souls just by being human. A creative approach is a way of bypassing the analytical left-side of our brains and using the creative right-side to reach the sometimes deeply-blocked unconscious. When we are ‘moved’ by art, music or poetry we can often feel a shift of energy, a ‘freeing’ of emotion within us.
Whatever the weather (within reason!) I offer ‘walk & talk’ sessions outdoors in the beautiful surrounding countryside. This option may help you if you don’t spend as much time outside as you’d like, or if you feel anxious or claustrophobic in traditional therapy environment. Walking & talking surrounded by nature, close to water or through fields and wooded areas connects us with the natural world of which we are a part, but from which we are so often disconnected through work environments and online lifestyles. Being outside can reduce tension and shift ‘stuck energy’, and it often provides new and different perspectives on personal challenges. Throughout these sessions, the therapeutic relationship remains central, with our focus being exploring your feelings, and developing strategies to effectively manage your emotions.
I’m keen to try.
How do you see clients?
My practice is in Byfield, a West Northamptonshire village between Daventry and Banbury, and easily accessible from Southam, Leamington Spa, Middleton Cheney and Towcester.
Backing onto fields, my therapy room is at the top of my garden where it’s quiet and secluded. We can meet in-person there or online if you prefer; some clients do both, depending on their schedules.
All session are 50 minutes and cost £50. Please see the Agreement to Counselling form below for further details on timings and payment.
I offer a free 15 minute “intro call” before meeting clients face to face for the first time. This is both a safeguarding tool and an opportunity for a brief chat. You can get a feel for me and ask any questions.
If you would like to book an intro call or find out about availability, please contact me on the form below.
Whatsapp 07450 103448
Counselling Directory https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/joanna-browning
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