After a career in Human Resources I felt I had transferable skills and knowledge and wanted to put them to use in the service of individual rather than corporate clients. When I began retraining as a therapist I didn't realise how much personal development was involved and how much it would change me for the better. Now, while helping clients, I am constantly struck by how much I continue to learn and benefit from the unique relationship that develops in our sessions.
Being an integrative therapist means that I can draw on more than one theoretical model and use whatever approach seems to meet client’s needs and expectations best. It allows me to fit interventions to the client rather than the other way around and to be responsive to his/her needs. Being an integrative therapist means that I seek to empower clients by enhancing their awareness and acceptance of how past issues may still be affecting them as well as by acquiring new life skills, such as assertiveness, and different coping strategies.
Building a trusting and supportive therapeutic relationship is essential and I strive to remain present and connected at all times, reverting to non-directive listening and reflecting back to give the client the time and space he/she needs. I time interventions to the client's readiness and willingness to engage with the counselling process and introduce them as appropriate via explanation and/or self help activities. My primary concern is to keep client ‘safe’ at all times. I encourage the client's active participation in the counselling process from the beginning and re-contract to refine his/her expectations as the counselling progresses.
The connection I have with clients and the positive feedback I receive from them Being able to apply relevant counselling theories to client issues Producing personalised handouts and/or making recommendations to online resources for clients to use as self-help activities