Anna M.
How would you describe your approach to counselling?
My approach is Humanistic Existential. This means that my focus is on how you see the world, your experiences and your response to those. You can bring whatever you want to our sessions and together we can explore it in terms of what it means to you, how it feels and the effects on your life and relationships. I will aim to create a safe space where you’ll hopefully be able to have a clearer sense of who you are and the choices you may have. I won’t give advice, I won’t tell you what to do and I won’t try to ‘fix’ you.
What do you think are the most important factors in the counselling relationship?
I want you to feel that I can hold whatever you choose to bring to our sessions, even if that might be uncomfortable or painful, so trust and safety are really important to me. I’ll aim to build this by moving at your pace and checking in with you regularly that we’re focusing where you want to. I also think it’s essential that there is equity in our relationship. I am not the expert with all the answers, and I think of counselling as a conversation built on trust and empathy as opposed to a rigid, technical process. My approach is relational and this means that each client-counsellor relationship will be unique as we work together.
Do you have any special interests or client groups that you work a lot with?
I really enjoy exploring freedom, choice and responsibility with clients and how making changes may impact in all aspects of our lives including our relationships with others. Outside of my work as a counsellor, I have spent the last 25 years working in an advice, community and support capacity for mental health, housing and women’s organisations. I have experience working with those who have claimed asylum in the UK, as well as working with interpreters where English is not someone’s first language.
What do you enjoy most about your work as a counsellor?
We don’t often get the opportunity in life to really listen and pay attention to someone else’s story. For many people, counselling is the first time they have been able to talk to someone else without judgment and to explore their experiences and what it’s like to be them. I find it very rewarding to be in that space with a client with all the potential for dialogue, exploration and possible change.
Tell us something interesting about yourself
I love drinking tea, eating cake and dancing!