Counselling & Psychotherapy
Coming to counselling for the first time can feel daunting. You may not know what to expect, what you want to talk about or even where to begin. That’s completely okay.
Counselling offers a confidential and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about what is happening in your life and explore your thoughts, feelings and experiences at your own pace.
I offer counselling and psychotherapy from Cara Counselling in East Galway, working collaboratively with each person rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
How can counselling help?
People come to counselling for many different reasons. Sometimes there is a particular difficulty or experience they want to talk about. At other times, they may simply feel that something isn’t right or that life has become difficult to manage.
Having the opportunity to talk openly and be listened to without judgement can help you better understand what you’re experiencing and explore what you may need.
Counselling may help if you’re experiencing:
- Anxiety, worry or feeling overwhelmed
- Grief, bereavement or loss
- Difficult periods of change
- Low self-confidence or self-esteem
- Relationship difficulties
- Stress or pressures in everyday life
- Difficult thoughts, feelings or experiences
Counselling and psychotherapy — what’s the difference?
Counselling and psychotherapy have a great deal in common, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Counselling may focus on difficulties or circumstances affecting you in the present, while psychotherapy can involve exploring experiences, patterns or difficulties in greater depth. In practice, there isn’t always a clear dividing line between the two.
You don’t need to decide whether you need “counselling” or “psychotherapy” before making contact. We can talk about what has brought you to counselling and work together in a way that is appropriate for you.
What happens in counselling?
Counselling gives you dedicated time and space to talk about what is happening for you. My role is not to tell you what to do, but to listen, support you and help you explore your experiences from different perspectives.
We work collaboratively and at a pace that feels manageable for you. The number and frequency of sessions will depend on your individual circumstances and what you would like to work on, and we can discuss this together.
Confidentiality
What you talk about in counselling is treated confidentially, within the usual professional and ethical limits of confidentiality. These limits will be explained clearly when we begin working together, so you know what to expect.
Thinking about counselling?
If you’re considering counselling or psychotherapy and would like to find out whether working together might be right for you, you’re welcome to get in touch.
You can call, text or send me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.