MidLife
Counselling

MidLife

The Challenges of midlife
Midlife is a time of change. Our hopes from earlier in life are at best partially realised or no longer seem important. New challenges have arisen. We manage these as best we can but sometimes life can become too much. We can find ourselves with feelings that are difficult to cope with and we sometimes adopt damaging ways of managing these feelings which can include addictions, disordered eating and self-harm.Crisis? What crisis?
We may find ourselves facing some form of 'midlife crisis' focussed on a particular issue. Or there can be growing unease and discontentment. We may get a sense of a neglected emotional life, that there is something deeper happening which we can’t fully understand. Life may feel as though it is passing us by or somehow out of control.The possibilities
Midlife can also be a time of possibilities. A new sense of self can emerge; we can recognise what we have lost and focus our life in a new, more fulfilling, way. Long-standing issues, often going back to childhood, can be addressed. Difficult emotions can be acknowledged and worked with. Deeper relationships can emerge.

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Counselling

What is counselling?
Counselling provides a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space for you to work on emotional issues and difficulties in your life with someone who is independent of your situation and who is trained and experienced in this kind of working. It is not about me as a counsellor giving you advice. It is about enabling you to learn to explore your emotional life and discover your way forward.What issues can I bring?
You can bring any issues you wish. Often there are immediate issues that are pressing and that need addressing but over time underlying more fundamental issues can be identified. I will support you in thinking through the issues that affect your experience of life. It is up to you where we focus our attention but if I think we are missing something, or perhaps there is something difficult that we are struggling to discuss, then I will gently bring that into our conversation.What is the cost?
The cost is £60 per 50 minute session.How are sessions held?
I use Zoom and will send you a link ahead of our sessions. You need a secure connection and a confidential space to work in.How long will the counselling last?
This will be your decision. I work with clients on both a short term and long term basis. I recommend committing for 6 sessions initially; that gives us a chance to identify the issues you want to bring and to start to build a therapeutic relationship.

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My background
I am a qualified counsellor experienced in working with adults of all ages. I have been interested in counselling since my 20s when I volunteered with the Samaritans. This interest was unexpectedly reignited when I found myself as a client in my early 40s facing my own midlife challenges. 10 years later I started a new career as a counsellor. Since then I have worked with Mind and Survivors Trust and two low-cost counselling agencies.My way of working
My original qualification was as a humanistic counsellor (often referred to as person-centred counselling) but I also have significant experience of behavioural and psychodynamic approaches to working with clients. This means I can use a range of ways of thinking about your experience of life. My aim is to work in a way which will strengthen your ability to understand and manage your emotions and to develop your experience of your internal world.My professional registration details
I am an accredited member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (reg. no. 00921043) and I hold an enhanced disclosure and barring service certificate.For a free 30 minute consultation email me at [email protected]

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