Why counselling ?

People seek counselling for various reasons:

• a bereavement
• relationship problems
• a divorce or separation
• a job loss
• stress at work or school
• family conflict
• depression
• low self esteem
• anxiety and panic attacks
• life transitions, eg. mid-life crisis, empty nest syndrome, teenage years
• crisis
• parenting strategies
• to resolve issues from the past

Are you ready for counselling ?

Do you know what the problem is but feel totally overwhelmed by it?   Would sharing the problem with someone you can trust be the first step in winning your life back?

Has there been a major loss in your life?   Do you feel the need to share your pain, sorrow and confusion with someone who understands but is not personally involved?

Has your life reached crisis point and you need someone to help you sort it out?   You may need help with a personal, relationship or work issue.

Do you feel trapped?   Does your life seem to lack meaning and purpose?   Do you find yourself thinking "there should be more to life than this!"?

Are you coping with the same old problems and experiencing the same old repeating patterns in your life?   Would you like to stop reacting and have more of a say in what's going on for you?

Then you may be ready for counselling.

How can counselling help ?

Many people come to counselling because they are unhappy and want to bring about change. Sometimes they know broadly what aspect of their lives they want to change but feel so overwhelmed that they don't know where to start or what they really want. Talking with a counsellor may help to clarify the situation and often the experience of "being listened to" and "sharing a problem" can bring huge relief, particularly in the initial stages of counselling.

When client and counsellor put their heads together in a working alliance, the client contributes information on the problem as well as their self knowledge, while the counsellor draws on various theories & techniques, general knowledge on issues, her personal life experiences and the collective wisdom of her clients, past and present.   Guided by the client's expectations and desired outcomes, "the alliance" gradually unravels the problem and works towards a resolution that fits with the client's values, beliefs, hopes and aspirations.

Counselling can involve major transformations as well as smaller significant changes in a client's life. Usually a series of at least 6 sessions is required to enable the desired change to be successfully implemented.

Lyn's approach to counselling

As a professional counsellor, Lyn is skilled in active listening and empathic responding. She offers her clients a warm, safe, supportive and confidential environment to share their problems and concerns.

Lyn employs an eclectic approach, drawing on a number of theories and techniques to complement her counselling skills including Narrative Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Mindfulness, ACT, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Psychosynthesis and Grief Counselling.

Over time, Lyn has developed a wealth of professional experience and knowledge on various issues such as building healthy relationships, domestic and family violence, grief and loss, childhood trauma, midlife and other life transitions, life strategies, parenting, work, time management, stress, anxiety, depression, identity and self-esteem.