Counselling and Psychotherapy

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire
Counselling Psychologist & Psychotherapist working with Adults, Couples, Children & Families, Ascot, Berkshire

Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy Berkshire - Adult Psychotherapy:

Confronting and solving problems is a painful process which most of us try to avoid. The very avoidance results in greater pain and an inability to grow both mentally and spiritually. Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy offers you a confidential and safe place to explore present and past difficulties you may be having in your life. Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy are a process of self-discovery and change – to help you explore and unlock your feelings, ways of thinking, ways of being, changing those that are no longer useful and cause distress and integrating ones that are more fulfilling.

The task of Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy is to give the ‘client’ an opportunity to explore, discover and clarify ways of living more satisfyingly and resourcefully.

Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy denote a professional relationship between a trained Psychologist or Psychotherapist and the client.

There has been considerable debate exploring the difference between Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy. Counselling Psychologists and Psychotherapists are primarily concerned with the application of psychological therapies to a range of presenting issues, resulting in an important practice overlap between these two fields, resulting in a high level of clinical skill and the capacity to work at relational depth. The overlap allows professionals to become competent reflexive Counselling Psychologists and Psychotherapists with the capacity to integrate theory, research and practice at a high level of personal and professional functioning, to apply a broad range of insights and skills in different practice settings and to make a contribution through their professional activities to developments in the field of the psychological therapies.

Our approach involves the considered and intentional use of an ethical relationship between client and therapist, that is grounded in a therapeutic alliance, in the service of the goals of the client.

Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy both facilitate the process of finding true self-acceptance,

Counselling and Psychotherapy for children & families - Berkshire

Every child has worries and problems as they grow up but sometimes these get more frequent and interrupt your child’s development. Each individual reacts to worries and difficulties in their own unique and intensely personal way. Children can experience all sorts of pressures and difficulties. Some problems can have a serious and significant effect on a child’s future.

Counselling and Psychotherapy for children helps them to communicate their worries and problems through the use of creative arts.

In addition to my training as a Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist, I have specialist training undertaken at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital, London at the Bloomfield Centre (South London & Maudsley NHS Trust) as a Child Art Psychotherapist. I also have further training in Parent-Infant Psychotherapy at the Anna Freud Centre, London. I am a UKCP Registered Child Psychotherapist. My Private Practise based in Berkshire.

Professional Clinical Supervision & Consultancy - Counselling and Psychotherapy

I offer a range of professional services for qualified Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Counselling Psychologists, Child Psychotherapists as well as individuals training in psychological therapies.

I also supervise other health & social care professionals (social workers, health visitors, specialist nurses) undertaking therapeutic work.

Why seek Counselling and Psychotherapy?

There are many reasons for adults seeking psychological support (Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy). You may be feeling upset, distressed and need someone to talk to. Someone to help you discover the cause of your unhappiness.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy can help in many ways:

• Depression / Emptiness / Ongoing Melancholy
• Stress management / Anger / Negative thought Patterns
• Anxiety, panic attacks and phobias
• Repeating life patterns / staying in unhelpful relationships / not knowing how to manage your relationships with family, parents, partner, work colleagues etc.
• Career and personal development issues
• Effects of childhood abuse
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Personality Traits / Disorders that interrupt everyday living
• Bereavement & Loss
• Addictions / substance abuse
• Low self esteem / lack of confidence
• Self harm / Suicidal thoughts & feelings
• Anger management
• Eating disorders
• Identity Development ("race" / mixed race / sexuality)
• Sudden life crisis
• Feeling stuck in life
• Interpersonal issues at work
• Redundancy
• Divorce

Psychological therapy is not only for resolving problems. It is valuable for anyone who wants to learn more about themselves and their relationships and improve their general sense of emotional well-being.

Counselling and Psychotherapy- How can I help?

I can help by working with each person in an individual way. This means the type, frequency and duration of the psychotherapy or counselling may vary from client to client. However, most sessions are for 50 minutes. So please I can help by working with each person in an individual way. This means the type, frequency and duration of the psychotherapy or counselling may vary from client to client. However, most sessions are for 50 minutes. So please come on time to use your time effectively.

At the beginning of our work we will be able to agree what help you want – in addition to regular opportunities to review the progress you feel you are making, I encourage clients to discuss how we are working together at any time.

During therapy we work together to understand how the problems have developed and why repeating patterns have been hard to change. Therapy can increase confidence in managing difficulties and fosters skills to enable empowerment and sustainable positive changes.

Child Psychologist - Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire
Why offer therapeutic services for children, young people and families?

We aim to help children, young people and families with their worries and difficulties that may be getting in the way of your child’s life or family life.

Every child has worries and problems as they grow up but sometimes these get more frequent and interrupt your child’s development. Each individual reacts to worries and difficulties in their own unique and intensely personal way. Children can experience all sorts of pressures and difficulties. Some problems can have a serious and significant effect on a child’s future.

Worries and difficulties come out in a variety of ways. These are called symptoms and children may have a mixture of symptoms, which are often experienced in non-verbal ways. Some of these worries may include any of the following:

• Anxiety
• Nightmares
• Fear of separation
• Bereavement
• Self-harm
• Withdrawal and isolation
• Sadness, depression and suicidal ideas
• Confusion and decreased concentration
• Trauma
• Relationship / Family / Sibling difficulties
• Eating difficulties
• Bed wetting
• Anger / aggression / violence
• Difficulties at school
• Issues to do with death and dying
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional issues
• Identity development in terms of ‘race’, sexual orientation, disability
• Bullying & Cyber Bullying
• Attention Deficit Hyper -activity Disorder (ADHD)
• Understanding & supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and complex needs
• Parental separation / divorce

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - How can therapy help?

If the problems have been ongoing for a long time and family and friends feel they can’t manage or don’t know what else to do – then it is time to think about seeking professional help.

There are a variety of professional services for children and young people. However, if a child is under 18 it is usual for the parents / carers to be contacted should further help be required.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - An Initial Meeting:

Upon receiving a referral the referrer will be contacted and an initial appointment is made with the parents / carers. Following this the assessment process takes place. This consists of three consecutive sessions, which help to identify the issues, for the child to engage and understand the process and to ascertain if this is the most appropriate therapeutic approach for the child concerned and the presenting problem (s). The length of the sessions depends on the child's age, concentration and capacity to use the therapy session. The maximum time for any session will be 50 minutes.
A follow up meeting then takes place between child / parents / carers and therapist to discuss the assessment. The child is present for the first half of the meeting and then some time is spent with the parents / carers and the therapist. This process may differ as some children do not want to be present but the aim is to encourage the child to share their experiences in the assessment, build a more open relationship between all parties and consider a way forward.

The therapist may need to inform the child’s GP that they are seeking therapy but this will be discussed with all parties concerned before any contact is made.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - What is Child Art Psychotherapy?

Sometimes children find it difficult or loose their ability to express themselves verbally. Child Art Psychotherapy helps children to communicate their worries and problems through the use of art and images. A child’s artwork often tells a detailed story about his or her mental and emotional state. The image provides a platform through which the child is helped to verbalise and communicate their emotions. The therapist does not interpret the art work but facilitates the child in a client centered way to make sense and meaning for themselves of their work and how this links to their current difficulties. The therapist provides a safe environment in which the child can safely explore their problems.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - What is Parent -Infant Psychotherapy?

Becoming a parent can be a rewarding as well as stressful time, adjusting to parenthood can be difficult especially if there is no help, support or guidance. At times, as a parent, you may feel worried and distressed, struggling to understand what your baby is trying to let you know and may well re-experience what it is like to be helpless, needy, frustrated, even abandoned and worn out. At worst such troubling feelings may well leave you, as a parent, believing that ‘ you are not a good mother or father’, which may add to your distress and anxiety. At such times discussing and talking with psychotherapy professionals, family members or friends can be both helpful and supportive.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - Some of the issues which parents bring often include:

Persistent feelings of stress and anxiety following a traumatic birth
Feelings of low mood, anxiety or difficulties in adjusting to parenthood following the birth of baby
Previous experience of multiple miscarriages or still birth.
Difficulties in bonding or forming a relationship with the baby
suffering from antenatal or postnatal depression
Experiencing sleep problems and exhaustion
Anxiety and concern as a parent about your baby’s feeding, sleeping or excessive crying.
A baby who is too difficult to comfort
Experiencing difficulties around separation and reunion

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire - What parent infant therapy can offer

The approach I offer in parent-infant therapy is to create a space where:
We can talk and think about both you as well as your baby’s needs, in a way that may help you both understand and tune-in to the varied ways your baby communicates as well as your own responses to them.
We can help parenthood become an easier and more enjoyable experience and one in which both you and your baby thrives.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Berkshire- What happens in a consultation?

In general the work is brief. It is brief because the infant parent relationship is so new and thus difficulties are thought to be short-lived and more easily rectified once understood.
I would normally see you and your baby together for an initial consultation to learn about the family’s needs and decide with you as parents what would be the best way forward.

Berkshire Psychotherapy - To Contact Dr Dhillon-Stevens please use the Contact Form on this site

HDS Therapy Ltd - Online Privacy Policy