At its heart, therapy provides a supportive and confidential space to explore your life, the difficulties you are facing and the experiences or habits that might be holding you back. This process is designed to provide greater clarity and, with it, a greater sense of well-being, self-acceptance and confidence in the decisions you make. This is obviously good for you, but also for those around you.
I believe that effective therapy is a shared effort between client and therapist, rooted in a strong, trusting relationship. As well as being rewarding, it can be challenging. Therapists are trained to provide a safe, non-judgemental space for the relationship to form and the work to progress.
In my view, the key job of a therapist is to listen and hold a mental account of the whole of the content you bring. As therapy progresses, you will be supported to stand back from your story, to get in touch with your feelings, recognise patterns and see things from a fresh perspective. This can lead to significant, positive shifts.
I may share my observations with clients, but I avoid giving out opinions or advice. It is up to, you, the client, with my support, to reach your own conclusions and make your own decisions. This lays important ground for you to be able to move on from therapy and, in many ways, become your own therapist.
My own experience of therapy has shown me that by getting in touch with ourselves, we can learn to live fully in the flow of life, with all that it brings.