Nell Showers Counselling, Albury
If you’re wondering when you should go and see a Counsellor, and what the experience is going to be like, my counselling approach is to allow you to feel safe and comfortable to unpack what’s going on for you at your own pace in a supportive environment. It is important to me that you feel heard and I understand where you are coming from. I work with the following therapeutic approaches:
Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples: What does a couples counselling session involve with Nell Showers Counselling? The first appointment is about hearing about what’s been happening for you both in regards to issues arising, unmet needs, how you would like the relationship to be. In the second session we explore how you met, what your parents were like in relationship, tracking any negative cycles so we can identify triggers for disagreements, the emotion underneath the behaviour that’s driving the discontent. Then we look at you both telling each other how you feel, what you need, and why you are hurt when certain behaviours appear in the relationship. It’s really about putting all the cards on the table, being honest and breaking down the negative cycles so you can identify triggers and change your reaction to them going forward and meet each other’s needs better. Of course that is all dependant on how you are both tracking with all of this.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Creating awareness around identifying negative thought patterns (negative self talk, assumptions, catastrophising), and changing clients reactions to these triggers in certain situations.
Didactic Behaviour Therapy: Anxious clients who need to develop coping mechanisms for acute moments of emotional distress, encouraging mindfulness and distraction and de-escalation techniques to improve mood regulation and increase feelings of control.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Establishing the client’s locus of control and circle of influence, including mindfulness in identifying and distancing from unhelpful thoughts, particularly with clients with anxiety, depression, PTSD and couples counselling in gradually changing their behaviour through identifying potential triggers and changing their reaction to those situations via positive self talk, and accepting that life has its ups and downs, focusing on expectations management.
Solution Focused Therapy: Identifying a personal values system, short and long term goals, using strategic questions eg: how would you like your life to be? When was the last time you had lots of energy, what were you doing? to enable clients to create their own steps to reaching goals through small actions.