Hello and welcome!
I understand that looking for a therapist can feel confusing, and I know that it may take courage to seek help. Finding the right therapist for you will help co-create the relationship that is at the heart of the success of the therapeutic process.
When you feel overwhelmed, fearful, angry, deeply sad, lost, disconnected, or your sense of meaning and purpose dissipated, it can be helpful to have someone supportive alongside you. If you feel that the support offered by a friend or family member is too much for them, or not enough for you, counselling provides a safe space where you can access an understanding than runs deeper than words. When we are truly seen and heard by another, we can discover more of ourselves, seeking ways to heal ourselves. I have personally experienced the difference that having a non-judgemental and empathic therapist beside me can make in life and I would like to offer that back.
Embarking on your therapeutic journey will help you gather the strengths and skills needed to overcome a range of difficulties such as anxiety, stress, depression, unhealthy and often self-destructive behaviours, addiction, relationship difficulties, significant life changes or broadly surfing the waves of life.
My approach
I am a qualified counsellor trained at the Bath Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, level 6 equivalent, and a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, abiding by their Ethical Framework. I also hold a MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) certificate from Oxford Mindfulness Foundation and studied law (LL.M).
Humanistic and Integrative counselling focuses on the individual as a whole. It encourages self-discovery and facilitates achieving your full potential as human being. It also draws on different tools from various modalities to tailor a personalised approach for the client which will improve the efficiency of the therapeutic process.
The results of therapy can be immensely rewarding, transformative, empowering and can lead to shifts in the way we feel about ourselves and others. It often involves the consideration of whether there are any changes we might make to improve our quality of life, changes that can happen in complex, systemic, rippling ways. As your therapist, my goal is to support you on this journey, to facilitate your exploration and expand your understanding of your experience. I place great value on the relationship, working with you in mind, and I believe that ‘The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives’ (Esther Perel). I aim to create a trusting and non-judgemental relationship that helps you to increase your awareness of what might be happening in your life, how you might move forwards to a more satisfying place, and how to heal yourself.
As a counsellor, I’ve worked with a generous range of people including those experiencing: anxiety, addiction, negative self-perception, decreased sense of self, depression, abusive relationships, personal boundary issues, terminal illness, loss, social stigma or discrimination. I have provided counselling at The Swan Project for more than three years, and I have learned that addiction is often a way of trying to cope with human suffering.
I have a special interest in identity, sense of self, and diversity. I welcome diversity and would like to honour the uniqueness of you.
I enjoy working creatively, incorporating elements of compassion and mindfulness. My approach is tailored to your needs, helping you navigate what is relevant for you. Through our work together we’ll both explore your story with empathy and curiosity, aiming to really understand what had happened to you in the past, and how this might be affecting your present.
Fees and availability
Sessions last for 50 minutes and cost £50.
I offer a free 30 min online initial consultation.
Please contact me for low- cost counselling availability.
I work with individual adult clients (18+ years) and offer long- and short-term therapy sessions.
Contact
If you would like to find out more and arrange an initial appointment with me, please feel free to contact me at irina@irinacounselling.co.uk or visit my website www.irinacounselling.co.uk .
I will be pleased to offer you a free 30-minute introductory online session to discuss what brings you to therapy or answer any questions you might have. That will give both of us a sense of the prospect of working together.