My approach and therapy practice – Envision Counselling

Counselling and coaching for midlife and other transitions

Midlife can bring surprising learnings and insights. I am on a similar journey; juggling different roles and responsibilities.

Are you feeling lost in a sea of change?

Has midlife brought about unexpected issues that seem too difficult to resolve?

Have you experienced changes in your health, relationships or sense of purpose and need space to process this?

Would you like to pause and listen to a deeper calling from your soul so you can live more intentionally?

Perhaps you’ve been facing life’s challenges on your own, pushing through and achieving some success.

But you’re in a different stage of life and you’d like to do things differently so that your next chapter feels less stressful and more authentic.

I can support you as you:

navigate change
heal childhood wounds
increase self-awareness and self-care
work through issues of identity, culture and belonging
address difficult relationships
listen to your inner knowing
work through repressed emotions
find compassion for yourself
find your voice
reconnect to your joy
revisit your work life integration
step into your authentic power
become unstuck

I offer a warm, attentive and supportive space with gentle challenge. Come as you are, there is no right way to be a client. It can however be unsettling when you first begin to question and reflect on who you are. As we develop a relationship of trust and respect this becomes easier.

Expect to be listened to, encouraged, challenged, see new possibilities and be transformed. My role is to help you to really know and appreciate yourself. It is ok to change and to grow.

My approach is integrative psychosynthesis which is both soulful and grounded in reality. I support you in embracing who you truly are on the inside and the life you seek to create going forward: heart, mind, body and soul.

My clients become more self-aware, more connected to the people they care about, have more self-compassion and a renewed confidence in their own ability.

You will have the opportunity to experience mindfulness and journalling. I also include inner child work, visualisations, guided imagery, dreamwork and somatic tracking. We find the best approaches to support you to move through this stage of your life’s journey.

Your first session

I offer an initial 15-minute free introductory session so I can be clear on what you are looking for, and you can be clear on what I can offer.

We get to decide if we can work together as therapy is supported by the relationship between therapist and client.

Thereafter we have 50-minute sessions, weekly or fortnightly as agreed.

Testimonials

I wanted to address some childhood experiences to do with physical, emotional abuse and neglect.

As a counsellor, you created a safe space where I could express my emotions and deal with the hurts in my life. You listened attentively, and I never felt judged.

It has made it much easier for me to get in touch with some of the inner child issues that was holding me back. I benefitted from being able to sometimes use the session to write about my feelings and emotions. That’s something I will continue to do.

CEB

I had started fostering, the panel recommended I have someone in place for extra support if needed. I also wanted to embrace this new season well, ensuring I wasn’t holding on to the past in an unhealthy way.

It was calming and practical (tools offered), prioritising self-care, an empathetic space, helping one to have compassion towards oneself.

I think in many ways it’s a validating experience. Where there is space for things to be felt and seen, that may not have been given permission before, and that results in feeling more peaceful/lighter.

TRO

I was caught off guard by the amount of control I had over the directions the sessions would take. Questions were asked that I hadn’t even considered and they opened me up to parts of me I hadn’t explored fully. I always walked away with a sense that I had accomplished something.

I feel more confident in identifying what I want/need out of life to be happy. I am more self-aware and feel capable of handling when things in life are not good for me and I feel less dependent on the views of others. I can now allow myself to feel things rather than outthink my emotions.

Some sessions are difficult because of the memories we discuss, particularly those early childhood experiences. I have certainly found talking about these memories and being uncomfortable has led to some real breakthroughs and moments of clarity. I have found the counselling environment that you provide has allowed me to open up and discuss the difficult stuff. It’s always been a friendly, non-judgemental and understanding environment. One thing that stands out is your skill to either identify a significant word I have used and ask me to elaborate or suggest a word to elaborate on. It has really helped to draw out thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Counselling has had a huge impact on my life. The belief that other people’s opinion and way of doing things is always best has changed and I am more confident and able to listen to my ‘gut’ feelings. This has helped me feel happier in general as I don’t have to constantly second guess myself and criticise my own decisions. If things don’t feel right, then it’s ok to say so and be able to deal with the consequences.

Through counselling I have been able to understand aspects of my behaviour that have caused me to spend more energy than necessary pleasing others or being self-critical. This has come about by revisiting those earlier childhood experiences and understanding how I am trying to make the younger version of myself happy through actions in the present.

Counselling has also helped me be much more present and less distracted by things I should have done differently in the past and if I can deal with what the future brings.

Through counselling I have been able to understand aspects of my behaviour that have caused me to spend more energy than necessary pleasing others or being self-critical.

I feel more resilient and realise I can deal with what happens in the future. And my experiences up until now are valid and can be used to help me deal with issues that come up. This also helps me to enjoy and appreciate the present, and the good times, because the “what if” part of me is not as vocal.