About Oak Park Counselling
Here at Oak Park Counselling we have a team of qualified therapists who each have extensive experience in humanistic approach based therapies such as Person-centred and Gestalt therapy, along with CBT and mindfulness techniques. Each counsellor is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Being a member guarantees that our counsellors have the recognised qualifications required and that they work proficiently and professionally within their ethical framework which ensures you are protected and receive a safe quality service. Each counsellor also holds their own personal indemnity insurance and have been DBS cleared.
Our counsellors have volunteered at various non-profit organisations and GP practices, within the local area. This level of experience has provided an in-depth valuable knowledge and understanding that enhances the level of support our counsellors are able to offer.
At Oak Park counselling services, we provide a safe haven for anyone who is in need of support and a place where clients are encouraged to explore their emotions and how they present in the here and now.
How Counselling Could Help You
Here at Oak Park Counselling we provide an environment that is free from judgement and assumption and instead a place that is safe, confidential and empathic. It is our belief that offering this environment will help you explore any issues you are facing and together, we can work through those issues and establish a sense of empowerment and positive mental well-being.
We understand from personal experience that finding a counsellor can be difficult and may even feel over-whelming. However, we would like to reassure you that, there is always help and support available that is right for you.
We offer support in such issues as anxiety, abuse, bereavement including loss of self, low self-esteem, hoarding, alcohol and substance misuse, relationship issues and many more.
What To Expect On Your First Session
Within the first session, we can discuss the reasons that brought you to therapy and how you are feeling and experiencing your emotions in the here and now. Your therapist will explain about confidentiality, including your rights as a client and how they work as a therapist. You and your counsellor will jointly establish a working agreement, setting out preferred methods of communication and your expectations of therapy. What we discuss in the sessions is down to you. They are your sessions and your therapist will work at a pace that suits you. There are no right or wrong answers in therapy, it is about you and your experiencing of an event and/or situation.
Our Focus
Our focus at Oak Park Counselling is to help individuals heal, energise, and become aware of their inner strengths. We achieve this by providing a neutral safe space, listening to your concerns, and doing so without condition and without judgement.
Our Promise to our Clients
We promise to be there for you every step of your journey. Our goal is to help you grow from your struggles, heal from your pain, and move forward to where you want to be in your life.
How can we help?
Depression & Anxiety
Depression, fear, and anxiety are some of the most common and uncomfortable emotions that we can experience at some point in our lives. Through counselling, we are able to help you recover motivation, perspective, and joy that you once had in your life.
Trauma & PTSD
Many individuals can experience symptoms associated with painful and traumatic circumstances. Anxiety, fear, and hopelessness are a few emotions that can linger post traumatic events. We can help you overcome these symptoms and guide you through the process of grief and healing.
Relationships
Relationship counselling can be beneficial to couples who are looking to strengthen their emotional connection, in all stages of their relationship. Therapy sessions are held with both couples and is a supportive place to discuss issues and solutions to better strengthen your relationship.
Addiction
Addiction can present in many ways and have life changing events for many people, when it is out of their control. Counselling can offer support to clients experiencing addiction related issues in a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment.
Gender Dysphoria
It can be very distressing, keeping how you feel to yourself. It may be that a lack of support, information or fear of judgement or discrimination, has left you living a life where you are unhappy and unable to be yourself.
Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness, however, people who experience gender dysphoria often suffer great stress as a result of hiding their identity. This is why it is so important that we speak about these issues. Counselling provides a place of safety and support, after all nobody should feel they have to keep quiet about who they are.
Pre-Bereavement/Bereavement
Unfortunately, at some point or another, we will all lose someone that we love and care about. Counselling offers support to clients experiencing loss, including loss of a pet, in an environment that is empathic and safe. I also offer support for terminally ill people and their families. Having trained with Aintree hospice, I have developed ways in which terminally ill clients and their families can make memories that will last a life time . I have extensive experience supporting bereaved clients and feel confident in my approach to supporting those bereaved either recently or several years prior. I also work with loss of self-esteem and any other loss such as loss of employment or loss of home.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a technique in behaviour therapy to treat anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy involves exposing the target client to the anxiety source or its context without the intention to cause any danger. Doing so is thought to help them overcome their anxiety or distress.
Employee Assistance Programme
I am now taking referrals for EAP clients. Please contact me if you are an employer and would like to refer a member of staff or if your are an agency providing counselling support to employers. I am able to come out to your place of work or support clients from my private practice.
Relaxation and Mindfulness
Relaxation scripts are a fantastic way to reconnect with your organismic self and connect your body and mind as one. I offer assistance in mindful eating, mindful activities and general tips on how best to relax and unwind after a hectic day. These sessions are great for people who want to learn to relax more and connect with themselves.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psycho-social intervention that aims to improve mental health. CBT focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors, improving emotional regulation, and the development of personal coping strategies that target solving current problems
Solution Focused Therapy
Solution-focused therapy is a goal-directed collaborative approach to psycho therapeutic change that is conducted through direct observation of clients' responses to a series of precisely constructed questions. This approach is ideal for clients who are preferring to have short term therapy.
Creative Therapy
Creative therapy uses images - in art, clay, sound, sand, or just the images inside your own head to help the therapist understand your inner world and experience. Some sessions may be spent talking and listening and whether to use the art media is always a free choice. These sessions are ideal for people who may not know where to start or struggle to talk about their emotions. By using creativity in therapy, the mind will relax, thus allowing for the unconscious part of the mind to engage in therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Person-centred counselling?
The Person-centred approach places focus on the client and the way they are feeling in the here and now. Established by Carl Rogers, the Person-centred approach has gone on to be one of the most recognisable and successful forms of therapy. It is the role of the counsellor to listen empathically to the client and view them with unconditional positive regard and work in an honest way. It is important for the client to bring themselves to therapy and want to engage. It is believed that with the right conditions and in the right environment, a client will be able to explore their emotions and their experiencing of them.
2. How can counselling help me?
Counselling is as unique as the client themselves and how you experience it depends on what you want to get out of it. Sometimes speaking with a person who is not emotionally involved can be beneficial as the focus remains on you, the client. For this reason, counselling allows space and an environment that is unconditional and supportive of your needs.
3. How many sessions is considered standard?
There is no set amount of sessions, every six weeks we will review our sessions and discuss future sessions or endings depending on where you are at.
4. Can I return to my counsellor if I decide I want more sessions?
Should you feel after deciding to end therapy that you would like to return, you can do so at any stage. Please just call or email me and I will arrange further appointments accordingly. You are always welcome, I operate an ‘open door’ policy.
5. How do I make a complaint?
If you have concerns or would like to make a complaint, you can do so by contacting the BACP on 01455 883300 or via email to complaints@bacp.co.uk quoting my registration number. All complaints are handled with care and professionalism.