West London Counselling and Hypnotherapy
Bridget Rattigan

Why Counselling and Psychotherapy?

We all have the inner resources to solve our problems but sometimes we need support to think things over and express our feelings. Sometimes talking to family and friends doesn't seem to help, or feels inappropriate.

A safe space for you to talk
By offering a place where you feel safe to explore your life with confidence and trust, I can help you to understand what is not working for you. You can then figure out what you need to move forward so that you can find solutions and create joy in your life.

Counselling
Counselling is very helpful for working through a specific issue such as dealing with conflict or managing a difficult relationship. Our work together would involve helping you to become more aware of your feelings, behaviours and thoughts and to change any unhelpful patterns of relating. Together we would look at how to resolve these problems and develop better ways of relating and communicating. You may then want to go on to look at deeper issues in your life and start psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy tends to be longer-term and address deeper issues, or the same issues to a deeper level. Through the therapeutic relationship we will look at different areas of your life, working with whatever comes up for you inside and outside of our sessions together. I will be there to listen and help you understanding what is going on for you. We may also work through childhood issues and traumas and current spiritual crises to help you clarify what you want for the future. We will explore and look to resolve any unhelpful patterns in your life so you are free to move forward and have more rewarding relationships with others.

Meeting your needs
In both short-term and medium- to long-term psychotherapy our work together will be driven by what you, as the client, need. You will be able to speak honestly and openly and to be understood and seen for who you really are. We may work in a cognitive-behavioural way (CBT) to help change negative beliefs you might have about yourself and help you make changes on a practical level. We might work with concepts from Gestalt therapy to help you experience your difficulties and blocks to success more fully on an emotional level and release them. We may explore your dreams to discover important insights into what is and is not working for you in your life and where the solutions lie.

Finding your own inner guidance
Often we need to learn how to contain and interpret our emotions. Through empathy and the creation of a safe and trusting environment I will help you to tune in to yourself and how you feel. You will then find that you develop an awareness of your own inner guidance system which can become a reliable resource in all situations.

Confidentiality
Whatever issues you bring and however we work with them, the relationship we build in the sessions will be very important. It will be confidential, supportive and non-judgemental, allowing you to express your true self and find out what you really want in life.

If you'd like more information about counselling and psychotherapy try these websites:

The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy