Complementary Health

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Counselling

Counselling offers the opportunity of a confidential, trusting and non-judgemental therapeutic relationship in which a person can explore difficulties being experienced in their life and be supported in finding the inner resources to identify and make the necessary changes.

Sometimes difficulties or issues which bring someone to counselling will be very clear and may have happened very recently however other times, matters can seem very complicated or can have happened a long time ago. Often thoughts can occupy a huge amount of head space while affecting behaviours, relationships or the ability to work or look after others. Unfortunately, the people closest to us are sometimes not the best people to help and in these instances it can be more supportive to explore vulnerabilities, fears, confusion, pain or discomfort in the context of a professional counselling relationship.

It is not necessary to have worked out what is wrong or where to start before coming along to a first counselling session. By creating a suitable therapeutic environment, counselling aims to help you explore, clarify and understand and then support your use of inner resources to feel more capable of making changes, considering alternatives or thinking about things in a different way.

What can it help with?

Counselling can help with many difficulties some of which are as follows:
  •  Relationship issues
  • Domestic abuse
  • Miscarriage and still birth
  • Anxiety
  • Bereavement
  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Suicide
  • Self Harm
  • Separation
  • Self confidence
  • Sexuality 
The above are just some examples. If your particular difficulty or issue is outwith the experience or training of the Counsellor or if it is considered that you might receive more appropriate support elsewhere, then the requirements of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy are that this will be discussed with you.

Couple Counselling

Being a couple can be an amazing experience but sometimes family, work, disagreement or discontent can get in the road causing distance, anxiety or loneliness. Often this happens slowly in a relationship but sometimes the change can be sudden, for example when there is a life event or affair. Past relationships can also impact and occasionally patterns of behaviour creep in which cause a relationship to work less well than it did at the beginning. Through open discussion in the non-judgemental counselling setting issues can be aired and explored and the sometimes difficult conversations supported in order to build a strong, lasting and loving relationship.

Number of sessions

Counselling sessions last 50 minutes and usually take place weekly and it will be discussed at the first whether there will be further meetings. For some clients, one or two sessions is enough to feel sufficient progress has been made to either resolve or cope with the issue alone however for others, the counselling support may need to be longer term; it depends on a number of factors which include the complexity of issues and the wider support network which an individual might have. Whether long or short term work however, regular reviews are carried out to ensure that therapeutic support continues to be necessary.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT, or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, is a talking therapy that focuses on how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and behaviour, and teaches you new coping strategies for dealing with different issues. It combines cognitive therapy (examining the things you think about) and behaviour therapy (examining the things you do), taking a practical approach to problem solving, focusing on changing negative thoughts, patterns and their resulting behaviours.  It has been proved to help treat a wide range of emotional and physical health conditions in adults, young people and children.

Provided by Allan Lindsay - £45

Confidentiality

Counselling is delivered in accordance with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework, which amongst other things, covers issues around confidentiality. More information on this Framework can be provided if required.

Theoretical Approach

Different theoretical approaches are used within counselling and psychotherapy, each based on a different understanding of how people grow, develop and change. The type, (or psychological model) favoured by the Counsellor at Lochaber Complementary Health Clinic is known as Person-Centred, which is non-directive and based on a humanistic theory developed by the Psychiatrist Carl Rogers in the 1940s.

Costs and further questions.

Individual counselling costs £45 per session (£38 for Students and £35 for school children) and couple counselling £55 per session however if you are unsure if counselling is for you, or if you are undecided and want to find out more, a free 15 minute consultation with the Counsellor can be arranged either at the Clinic, or by phone.

Training and Registration

The huge growth in the number of people in the UK seeking Counsellors has seen significant moves within Government to move counselling towards becoming a Regulated Profession but progress has been slow and the current situation is that there is unfortunately no minimum qualification necessary to use the title ‘Counsellor’.

While there is no Statutory Register of Counsellors at present, in 2013 the Department of Health set up the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme as a way of recognising organisations who hold Registers which meet certain standards, with the standards being set and monitored by the Professional Standards Authority for Health & Social Care.

The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) holds an Accredited Voluntary Register for Counsellors and Psychotherapists and entry to that register is confined to therapists who are suitably qualified, insured and who commit to certain standards and ongoing training. Application to remain on this Register must be renewed every 12 months and is separate to membership of BACP. The Registration number for Allan Lindsay is 072590


Opening Times

line

Reception open Monday to Friday
8:45am to 5:15pm.

Appointments are available outwith these hours.

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