Welcome to my bilingual website. To read in Spanish click on the flag above.

Bienvenidos a mi sitio bilingüe. Para leer en español haz click en la bandera.

What is counselling and therapy

Counselling and therapy are interchangeable terms that entail the use of talking therapies. They aim to enhance people’s well-being and bring effective change into their lives.  Counselling and therapy involve a process in which clients are not given advice but they have the opportunity to find their own insight and understanding of their problems. It can be great relief to share worries and fears with someone, the counsellor/therapist, who can acknowledge feelings, emotions and thought processes as well as identify ways to make positive changes.

The counsellor/therapist provides a safe and confidential environment within which a relationship based on trust can be established by offering clients empathy, understanding and respect.

My approach

My approach integrates Psychodynamic and Systemic, approaches including Narrative therapy, when working with relationship problems (couple, family, friends, at work, etc). I also practice eclecticism when working with a wide range of issues as I select different approaches according to client’s needs, incorporating principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness. To me, counselling and therapy mainly involve actively listening, understanding and accepting clients in order to enhance their well-being and to help them make effective changes in their lives.

“Men are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them”– Epictetus. In my approach to therapy I draw on ideas from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is a goal-oriented approach. It focuses on how our thoughts and emotions influence our behaviour so it aims to increase self-awareness, facilitates better self-understanding and improves self-control. I would encourage you to become an active participant in your own therapy.

“The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one seventh of its bulk above water”– Sigmund Freud. I integrate principles of Psychodynamic theory, which is an insight-oriented therapy that aims to increase awareness of the inner world. I can help you to explore unresolved past conflicts in order to understand the influence of past experience on your present life.

“Start living right here, in each present moment. When we stop dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, we’re open to rich sources of information we’ve been missing out on−information that can keeps us out of the downward spiral and poised for a richer life”– Mark Williams. Mindfulness implies contemplation, non-judgemental observation and acceptance of experience as it happens in the present moment. It can help you to be able to relate to difficulties and struggles in a calm and accepting manner. I can incorporate simple techniques to reduce stress and improve mood.

“I am linked therefore I am”– K.J. Gergen. Systemic therapy applied to individuals postulates that we live our lives through our relationships. Conditions such as depression and anxiety can be linked to relationship problems. It can help to explore patterns of interaction and the possibility of change. It tends to focus on the future rather than on the past. I can help you to explore the nature of your closer relationships such as in the family, with your partner, with friends or colleagues.