Counselling offers an opportunity to look at aspects of yourself, your life or your circumstances in a confidential setting. Your counsellor will support and assist you in exploring your own thoughts and feelings and direct advice is not usually given. Instead, counselling can assist you in seeing your own situation more clearly, helping to bring about change, resolve issues and/or find ways of coping more effectively.
People come to counselling for many different reasons, though most often when things become difficult or painful or when talking to someone outside a situation seems helpful. Issues raised include: relationships; self-esteem and personal identity; physical and mental health; academic and work concerns; sexuality; abuse; eating; homesickness; alcohol and drugs; bereavement; anxiety; depression; spiritual concerns.
Person-centred Counselling
At the University Counselling Service we specialise in Person-centred Counselling. This form of counselling and psychotherapy has been developed over the last sixty years and has also been influential in the fields of education, health and social services. The approach is founded on the notion that each individual has the resources within themselves for healthy and fulfilled living, but that often these resources can become obscured through difficulties in relationships, our circumstances and environment or the choices we have made. Person-centred counselling is characterised by acceptance, a careful and deep understanding and openness on the part of the counsellor. There is no set agenda and the client is free to explore any or all of their experience or circumstances. This process of discussion and exploration helps lead individuals to become more self-aware and self-understanding. Clients typically talk of becoming less anxious or depressed by the end of counselling, of having a clearer understanding of themselves and feeling that the way they have changed can be taken forward to other life circumstances. Some recent comments from feedback sheets include: 'I feel I've realised a lot about myself'; 'I feel more comfortable with my emotions'; 'My self-esteem has vastly improved'; 'I am less depressed'; '[I] worked out what is important'.
There are other forms of counselling. For instance, two other common approaches are cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic counselling. Should you feel the form of counselling offered by the Service is not working for you, you can discuss this with your counsellor and they will help you find alternatives if you decide this is what you want to do.
To make an appointment go to Making an Appointment.
