Counselling and psychotherapy

Although we all have a natural inclination and ability to adapt to and cope with what life throws at us, sometimes, despite this natural resilience, it feels like we can do with some help to figure out what has happened and how to go forward. A psychologist is trained to have a theoretical and practice-based understanding of psychological problems and suitable treatments.  In my perspective, having a psychological problem does not necessarily mean having a mental health issue or a mental illness.  In a way, we all struggle with certain challenges.  Sometimes, these challenges can become so overwhelming that they seem to take over our lives and become a significant part of who we are and impede us in how we function in our lives, whether at home or at work.  This can, for example, lead to unusually and extensive low mood (usually called depression) or low self-esteem or certain unhelpful obsessions.  Sometimes, a small number of counselling sessions are all that is needed to help us to identify strategies and solutions to cope with what has happened to us.  On other occasions, when the problem is more complex and long-standing, therapy can be a longer-term process.  In such cases, psychotherapy is often about helping us to make sense of what has happened and to support us while we better accept, tolerate and accommodate what has happened to us in the story of our life.