A Year of Counselling Online

It’s incredible to think that we’ve been working with clients remotely for a whole year. In fact counselling via video or telephone has become second-nature to us now.

Although not suitable for everyone, telephone or video counselling can be just as effective as in person therapy & many clients have said they actually prefer it. It can be much more convenient for people to fit around their commitments and it has also enabled clients from further afield to access our service.

So although we’re very much looking forward to working with clients in person again in the not too distant future, we’ve decided to continue to offer both telephone and video counselling for those who want it. We also intend to continue our very successful Walk & Talk sessions.

Please get in touch to arrange a 30 minute free consultation if you would like to discuss the kinds of counselling we offer.

Walk & Talk Therapy: Harnessing the Healing Power of Nature

This is a windswept Michaela, returning from a recent Walk and Talk session with one of her counselling clients.

We’ve been offering Walk and Talk Therapy since last summer and it’s been a fantastic way to maintain face to face contact with clients during the pandemic.

Whilst video and telephone sessions are working well - some clients are struggling with the isolation imposed by the lockdown, particularly if they live alone or are suffering bereavement.

Our outdoor sessions usually consist of short walks in and around the Whitley Bay, Tynemouth and Cullercoats area. The walks can be interspersed with periods of sitting, depending on client preference - and the weather!

Walk and Talk therapy, (sometimes also known as eco-therapy) harnesses the therapeutic healing potential of nature for the benefit of mental wellbeing. It involves the delivery of counselling sessions in outdoor, natural environments.

There is now considerable scientific evidence to suggest that being outdoors and connecting with nature, can have a significant positive impact on our mental health. Being more mindful of our natural surroundings can be good for all of us, but it can be particularly beneficial to people suffering from anxiety, depression and bereavement.

This kind of therapy could also appeal to those people who may find the idea of sitting opposite a counsellor in a therapy room, intimidating or off-putting.

In considering whether Walk and Talk therapy is appropriate for a client, there are a number of practical considerations, which we discuss before embarking on a course of sessions.

These include confidentiality, (what we might do if either counsellor or client comes upon someone they know whilst walking), weather conditions, (what we might do if the weather is too inclement to walk) and issues relating to health and safety and physical fitness levels.

Walk and Talk sessions are charged at £40 per session. If you are interested in pursuing this option then please email or phone us to discuss it further.

The Anger Iceberg

Often, when we experience anger, there are other, more vulnerable emotions hidden beneath the surface. For example, we may feel hurt, fearful, rejected or overwhelmed. Looking ‘underneath’ our anger can help us to better understand our responses and learn to manage them more effectively.

This can be particularly important in personal relationships where we can find our emotions escalating very rapidly in ways we find difficult to control. In the illustration anger is helpfully represented as an iceberg, highlighting the way our deeper emotions can remain concealed from view.

Reflecting upon our anger in this way can help us to take a step back and look inside ourselves rather than lashing out at those around us.