Counselling

Regardless of where we come from and what part of society we are a part of, we inevitably at some point in life have issues that we may find overwhelming.  Some people have the ability to deal with them on their own whereas others find that they need some assistance in overcoming the issue. Of course, some issues are more overwhelming than others.

Counselling is nothing to be afraid of. Many people have a biased negative view of counselling because of what is portrayed by Hollywood. Yet, in reality it is not that scary. Basically, we will work through a process to ensure that the issues that surface are dealt with effectively.

A client may need counselling for any number of issues. Some of the more common ones are:

For some issues it may be preferable upon assessment to refer a client to a specialist in that area. MPC has a good database of suitable psychologists for this purpose.

I work from a holistic or humanistic perspective where I believe that many factors influence a person’s situation, and often counselling must address a number of issues for a person’s well-being and cannot be summed up in one issue.

My work is cognitive-behavioural where I believe that an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours interact with each other. When one of these is not compatible with the others, then an individual may experience some kind of ‘negativity’, culminating in the need for therapy. By guiding an individual into addressing this incompatibility, therapy can succeed. I see my role as guidance, not as an expert who knows exactly what the client should do and tells them to do so. The client is the expert. I guide them to bring to the surface those things they need to know about themselves or improve in themselves to make them a better person and feel good about themselves.

The process is fairly simple and easy to understand. Initially, we will spend some time interacting to gain background information about you, and feel more comfortable with each other. It is imperative that we feel comfortable with each other for therapy to succeed, as we may need to cover issues that are quite intimate and personal to you.

During this time I will also assess the issues that may be relevant for you, including your presenting problem. For this, you may complete some tests or questionnaires, we will discuss various issues and if relevant I may seek information from observing you in action or discussion with other relevant people (such as a coach if you are an athlete). This may be a good moment to inform you that counselling and other services of MPC are strictly confidential. Any discussions with others about issues relevant to you will be conducted only with your permission.

After assessing the issues, I will feedback the relevant information to you and upon agreement, we will develop and implement an appropriate intervention plan. This intervention may take a few sessions or may take longer depending on the issue and the impact of the counselling.

My style is quite interactive and you may be encouraged to read and put into practice various strategies in-between sessions. During the intervention we will also monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention to make sure we are going OK, and constantly review how we are progressing. That is basically it. Not too much to fear really is it!

• anxiety and panic
  

• grief and personal loss
  

• injury management
  

• career
  

• sexual abuse and trauma
  

• suicidal ideation
  

• depression
  

• interpersonal skills
  

• pain management
  

• relationships
  

• eating disorders
  

• domestic violence
  

• stress management
  

• critical incidents
  

• anger management
  

• health issues
  

• body image
  

• change management
  

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