Counselling and Psychotherapy

Counselling and Psychotherapy provide a safe space for you to talk about your problems and progress with a trained professional in a safe and confidential environment. The therapist's role is to listen, help you understand yourself, your thoughts feelings and sensations, and assist you in finding your own solutions to issues, rather than giving advice. It can help individuals cope with a wide range of challenges like stress, anxiety, depression, other mental illnesses, relationship problems, career change, identity, socialisation, isolation and grief.  

Within therapeutic parameters there is a variety of different approaches, some focus on your current feelings, while others delve into your past. Some focus on you as a unique individual, and some use models and archetypes to help you understand yourself and the relationships, conditions and situations in your life. The therapeutic modality provided at The Therapy Garden is Gestalt counselling and psychotherapy, a Humanistic form of therapy that was born out of Psychoanalysis. Gestalt therapy refers to a form of counselling and psychotherapy that derives from the Gestalt school of thought. It aims to help people develop greater self-awareness, so that they can more confidently reach their full potential and effectively manage any problems as they come to the surface.  Key concepts of gestalt therapy include:-

Focusing on the present and imagining it divorced from the future and past is considered essential. The process follows an individual’s experience in a way that does not involve seeking out the unconscious but staying with what is present and being aware.

Clients, whether an individual, group or family, are treated with profound respect by a gestalt therapist. Providing a balance of support and challenge is key to helping those taking part to feel comfortable about opening up, and acknowledging areas of resistance.

The gestalt approach focuses on experience in terms of a person’s emotions, perceptions, behaviours, body sensations, ideas and memories. A gestalt session encourages the client to ‘experience’ in all of these ways, vividly in the here and now.

There is a range of experimental methodologies used by therapists to test their client’s experience. These involve highly creative and flexible techniques to help them open up and acknowledge hidden feelings. Techniques can include role-playing, painting or drawing. 

The gestalt approach recognises that humans have a social responsibility for the self and for others. Principles are based on respect for all people and acknowledging that everyone is different. Ultimately, it encourages individuals to adopt an egalitarian approach to social life (viewing everybody as equal).

Relating is considered central to human experience, and gestalt therapy considers individuals as a ‘whole’ when they have a good relationship with themselves and others around them. The interpersonal relationship between the individual and therapist that is developed and nurtured in sessions is a key guiding process of therapy.

The Therapy Garden provides in-person face-to-face counselling. You are invited to contact us to make an appointment for an initial discovery call or online meeting, before meeting in-person. Face-to-face in-person embodied therapy offers a private structured environment, direct person-to-person embodied connection, a shared setting, atmosphere and ambiance, and an opportunity to respond to emotions that arise in the here and now, which is beneficial for those who feel more comfortable with a physical presence.  Online therapy provides greater convenience, accessibility for those with mobility issues or busy schedules, and the sense of comfort from your own home.

The terms counselling and psychotherapy have become used interchangeably in recent years. Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues. Sometimes the term counselling is used to refer to talking therapies in general, but counselling is also a type of therapy in its own right. Though the terms are often used to mean the same thing, generally counsellors look at specific issues over a shorter time period, whilst therapists often go deeper looking to uncover the root causes of experiences, and treatment often spans a longer period of time. It is common for counselling to be referred to as therapy and vice-versa. Counsellors may utilise elements of psychotherapy, and psychotherapists often counsel their clients. Don't worry if it takes you some time to figure out what you need, it's all part of your therapeutic journey. The relationship between counsellor/therapist and client is an important one, so do contact us to ask questions and find out more.

At The Therapy Garden we are passionate about counselling and psychotherapy and want to promote the huge benefits talking therapy can have. We know how important it is to find the right counsellor or psychotherapist for you, and we’re committed to making that process as simple as possible for you. We put your needs first and during the initial assessment, we ensure you are guided to the right therapy for you, even if that's not with us. We make sure you are placed on and in the centre of your personal development and self-healing path, so that you will get the right therapeutic support for you. We work closely with governing and accrediting bodies to ensure you find the right therapy and therapist for you.