Counselling in Cheshire - providing a service for Knutsford, Northwich, Tarpoley and Crewe

Problems addressed

Problems that I work with include, but are not limited to:

  • Addictions
  • Adult Survivors of Sexual Abuse
  • Affairs and Betrayals
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Bereavement and loss
  • Children's Issues
  • Hypochondriasis (Health Anxiety)
  • Low Self esteem

See more about problems addressed

Contact

Tel: 01606 872 625
email: mark@redgravecounselling.co.uk

Or use the secure form here.

Treatments offered

Having been trained as an Integrative Counsellor, I have developed a wide scope of therapeutic interventions that has enabled me to work with clients of all ages, inclusive of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. They are:

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

The psychodynamic approach assumes that problems in living arise from painful feelings and thoughts that have been buried in the unconscious (sometimes referred to as the subconscious). These feelings and thoughts can be linked to life experiences such as loss, trauma or unhappy childhood memories. In order to avoid having to face such memories, individuals often create mental defenses that protect them from psychological pain. These defenses, however (for example ‘denial’), can generate more problems than solutions (such as depression, anxiety, obsessional compulsive disorders). It is therefore the task of the psychodynamic counselor to help clients uncover these painful feelings. By doing so, by helping the client to talk about and discover what is going on in their unconscious selves, strong, often destructive feelings can be released and relinquished (catharsis) and new insights achieved. As a result of this process, problems can be resolved and life can be lived more creatively.

Often, unresolved relationship conflicts, originating in the past, form the core of current difficulties one is facing in the present. Addressed in a psychodynamic way, these past difficulties with significant others are reexamined and healed, paving the way for healthier relationships in the present and in the future.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

We all have common thinking errors that can disrupt the quality of our lives and for some these errors can lead to problems that may require counselling. Two examples would be:

All or nothing thinking
You think in extremes, in black and white terms where there is no middle ground. You make blanket statements about others, “He’s an idiot”, or yourself, “I’m hopeless, I’ll never succeed in anything’. You condemn yourself as a failure on the basis of one event.

Catastrophizing
You magnify and exaggerate the significance of an incident, giving it a negative spin, expecting a disastrous result. Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong will go wrong.

The origin of this faulty thinking is often rooted in the past, where we may have been conditioned to think in such ways as a result of our life experiences. Cognitive behavioral Counselling focuses on challenging these kinds of cognitive distortions. Although the past is taken into consideration, the main focus of this therapy is on addressing current thoughts and behaviors. It is based on three assumptions:

  • That thinking determines our emotions and behavior
  • That emotional problems and behaviors are the result of distorted thinking, and
  • That by modifying these erroneous thoughts psychological distress can be resolved

The Cognitive behavioural approach aims at teaching the client to identify these cognitive distortions with a view to challenging and then replacing them with more realistic and adaptive ones. By reinterpreting events, this produces a more positive emotional and behavioral outcome. The therapist and client work together collaboratively, taking an empirical approach to therapy, examining thoughts, assumptions and inferences.

Art Therapy

Art Therapy provides the opportunity for individuals to explore and express their life problems and issues through the medium of art.

Grounded in the psychodynamic perspective, Art Therapy enables people to address personal issues in a non-verbal way. This can be very helpful if there are speech impediments involved (as with stroke patients), or if feelings are just very difficult to put into words.

During an individual session the client has a choice of art materials to use, ranging from pencils, crayons and paints, to clay and collage materials. The client is free to express any subject he or she may wish to. Themes may also be suggested by the therapist, should the client desire this.

No previous experience or skill with art is necessary in order to engage in Art Therapy. Discussion of the art work with the therapist may also take place as this can be an important part of the process. By transforming internal states of mind into art works, clients can gain new insights about themselves, can render difficult feelings more comprehensible, and can bring about significant change in their lives as a result of harnessing their creativity.

Art Therapy can be particularly helpful for children. This is because expression through art is to the child what verbalization is to the adult. Children have difficulty verbalizing complex feelings and disturbing thoughts and use art as a natural substitute for words. Art becomes the medium for expressing feelings, exploring relationships, describing experiences and self-fulfillment.

After having spent many years working in the area of special needs, I also offer a treatment intervention for children with such conditions as Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. For these children Art Therapy helps to develop:

  • Emotional expression and regulation
  • Sequencing
  • Fine motor skills
  • Attention span
  • Social skills
  • Eye contact
  • Perceptual motor skills
  • Tactile/kinesthetic awareness
  • Pride in accomplishment