Please click here for my Coaching & Personal Consultancy site
Being human
We are all complex beings and any of us can find ourselves in a difficult place sometimes. Counselling won't stop life's ups and downs but it can help you deal with the downs in more productive ways by increasing your self-awareness. For example, you may have unrealistic expectations of yourself, or have low confidence, maybe feel deep down that you are "not good enough", whilst having no conscious awareness of how these hidden, core beliefs might be impacting on you. My job is to help you become aware of the ways in which you might be sabotaging your own happiness.
Emotions
Your emotions are there to help you manage life by assisting in decision making. Sometimes something goes wrong - we have a bad experience, or a series of bad experiences and we can get stuck with particular emotions, and associated thought patterns and behaviours.
Clarity
Candace Pert - Molecules of Emotion
Amanda Williamson Counselling Service in Exeter, Devon. BACP Registered and Senior Accredited Counsellor and Coach.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but in the case of therapists lifting content directly from other therapists' websites I reckon that this is not good for our clients and does not reflect well on either ourselves as practitioners with integrity nor the profession as a whole. We all take inspiration from other professionals but please at least change some of the words and sentences around. I am proud of the content of my website which has been carefully constructed over many years of practice and have been concerned to see some of my site lifted almost word for word on other therapist sites.
Being human
We are all complex beings and any of us can find ourselves in a difficult place sometimes. Counselling won't stop life's ups and downs but it can help you deal with the downs in more productive ways by increasing your self-awareness. For example, you may have unrealistic expectations of yourself, or have low confidence, maybe feel deep down that you are "not good enough", whilst having no conscious awareness of how these hidden, core beliefs might be impacting on you. My job is to help you become aware of the ways in which you might be sabotaging your own happiness. Emotions
Your emotions are there to help you manage life by assisting in decision making. Sometimes something goes wrong - we have a bad experience, or a series of bad experiences and we can get stuck with particular emotions, and associated thought patterns and behaviours.
Clarity
I offer the opportunity for you to be able to talk frankly about your situation and the issues that you bring. I will listen without judgment and provide feedback which helps you to clarify your own thoughts and feelings. This may help you to move forward in life with greater acceptance and understanding of yourself and others.
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”
William James
Literally "changing our minds"
It is understood that we can get hooked on negative emotional states and/or thought patterns. Much as we consciously may not want to experience them, our bodies are used to receiving the chemicals associated with those states which can be very addictive. Moreover, our brain cells can end up wired, through genetics and experience, to think and feel a certain way. Modern neuroscience is now proving what psychotherapists and counsellors have known for a long time. Change is possible. You can learn to recognise and interrupt a stream of thought and try a new way of being. With rehearsal you can rewire your thought patterns and behave in newer, more adaptive ways.
Work-life balance
Perhaps you might be very successful in your career but feel unfulfilled in other areas of your life. I offer the space for you to help get back in touch with what you might have put to one side in focusing on your career. A good if somewhat frank starting point is this wonderful article on the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware.
Sex/Sexuality/Gender
We don't all fit into the societal construct of "normal" (whatever that is). I have worked with many people who want to explore whether they are living in accordance with their true sense of self, whether that be sexuality/asexuality/sexual fluidity, gender identity (e.g. trans/non binary), monogamy vs polyamory, kink etc. It helps to know that your therapist is truly non-judgmental and able to suspend their own assumptions and preferences/identities to help you explore your own. One of my adult children is gay and another is gay and trans so, in addition to the work I have done with clients who are in the LGBT+ community, I have personal experience close to home. On this note, please note that for ethical as well as personal reasons I am unable to work with anyone who is homophobic or transphobic.
Work-life balance
Perhaps you might be very successful in your career but feel unfulfilled in other areas of your life. I offer the space for you to help get back in touch with what you might have put to one side in focusing on your career. A good if somewhat frank starting point is this wonderful article on the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware.
Sex/Sexuality/Gender
We don't all fit into the societal construct of "normal" (whatever that is). I have worked with many people who want to explore whether they are living in accordance with their true sense of self, whether that be sexuality/asexuality/sexual fluidity, gender identity (e.g. trans/non binary), monogamy vs polyamory, kink etc. It helps to know that your therapist is truly non-judgmental and able to suspend their own assumptions and preferences/identities to help you explore your own. One of my adult children is gay and another is gay and trans so, in addition to the work I have done with clients who are in the LGBT+ community, I have personal experience close to home. On this note, please note that for ethical as well as personal reasons I am unable to work with anyone who is homophobic or transphobic.
Dealing with trauma and loss
Talking about your experiences in the right environment can help your mind to process negative experiences. You may have subconsiously put the experience “on hold” until you are in a position to deal with it. Counselling can help us to access previous traumas or negative experiences safely and assist in enabling us to move to a place of acceptance, relegating the event to the past.
A word on trauma work
There is little training and in my opinion, inadequate training on basic therapy courses for working with trauma. This is an area of therapy that must be handled competently and sensitively. If you are looking for a therapist and wish to work on trauma issues (e.g. chronic emotional neglect, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault) please ensure that your therapist has had some training in this area and understands the risks of retraumatisation and "flooding" as well as the importance of applying brakes during therapy.
I was invited to write and article for online magazine The Counsellors cafe and decided to write about my concerns about trauma work. This article was published on 10th March 2017.
A word on trauma work
There is little training and in my opinion, inadequate training on basic therapy courses for working with trauma. This is an area of therapy that must be handled competently and sensitively. If you are looking for a therapist and wish to work on trauma issues (e.g. chronic emotional neglect, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault) please ensure that your therapist has had some training in this area and understands the risks of retraumatisation and "flooding" as well as the importance of applying brakes during therapy.
I was invited to write and article for online magazine The Counsellors cafe and decided to write about my concerns about trauma work. This article was published on 10th March 2017.
Coaching
My therapeutic work has naturally evolved into using a coaching approach, particularly for those who have done their therapeutic work and subsequently want a safe and confidential space to discuss work/career matters or personal matters. This can be with individuals such as leaders (eg CEOs), those starting or running their own business/sole traders, and those in creative careers. Those in helping professions might benefit from monthly supervision, where you might discuss the emotional impact of work in a confidential setting (eg armed services, police, medical staff, education). I also work with some individuals with ADHD who benefit from regular goal setting sessions and check-ins.
I am a qualified coach and Accredited with the EMCC at Practitioner level. I am currently working towards EMCC Accreditation as a Senior Practitioner in Coaching (Level 7) due October 2023.
You can read more about my coaching work here.
Inspired by:
Candace Pert - Molecules of Emotion
Joe Dispenza - Evolve your Brain
Antonio Damasio - The Feeling of What Happens
Antonio Damasio - The Feeling of What Happens
Babette Rothschild - The Body Remembers
Amanda Williamson Counselling Service in Exeter, Devon. BACP Registered and Senior Accredited Counsellor and Coach.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but in the case of therapists lifting content directly from other therapists' websites I reckon that this is not good for our clients and does not reflect well on either ourselves as practitioners with integrity nor the profession as a whole. We all take inspiration from other professionals but please at least change some of the words and sentences around. I am proud of the content of my website which has been carefully constructed over many years of practice and have been concerned to see some of my site lifted almost word for word on other therapist sites.
