Welcome - thank you for clicking through to my website.
How can I help you?
Every part of you is welcome here: the parts you know and love; the parts of you that you've forgotten exist; the parts you may even wish weren't part of you at all; the vulnerable parts of you that ran and hid many years ago. Welcome - to the whole of you.
I want to help you discover who you really are today. What would you really like, taking all of these various parts of you into account. Let's talk about your goals and what you would like from counselling? Professionally, my goal is to help you reach your goals - and I haven't yet seen an unreachable goal. When you succeed I will have done my job well.
What will happen in your counselling session?
1. I will listen to you - every part of you.
2. When you're ready, I will check out with you 'where you are now'
3. I will give you some new tools so that you can start better connecting with yourself and taking all parts of you into consideration
4. If you’re in a relationship I will show you how you can use those tools to better connect with a loved one
5. If you're in a relationship (or if you are hoping to be soon) I will show you how NVC can be pure magic and bring out all of you to meet all of your partner. I also use Imago Style Therapy, which is the most effective form of marriage counselling anywhere.
6. I will listen 'between your words' and help you connect with - and see - what your soul and heart are trying to tell you. Trust that deep part of yourself: it's very wise indeed. I've watched as Trust Oriented Therapy has worked pure magic...
I use a short-term therapy approach which includes Emotionally Focused Therapy, NVC, Imago and Trust Oriented Therapy: 'Triage' for what's urgent and present right now and then working on longer term issues afterward if we have that luxury.
I often work with teenagers and young adults who, as soon as they are 'ready' (and part of my job is 'preparing the ground', so to speak and getting people to 'ready'...) soak up this new information and incorporate it into their lives so quickly. It’s amazing to see! Personal growth is one of my passions - at any age.
I offer relationship counselling of all kinds - parental, parent/child, couple, pre-marital (Christian, Bahai and most religions, including no religion), traditional marriage counselling and occasionally separation issues, including helping to formulate a separation agreement.
I see sex as an important part of life and I work comfortably with all kinds of sexual issues at all stages of life - recently I’ve had a lot of success finding answers to sexual challenges for young men
NVC offers people with mental disorders extra - and very effective - tools to help address their challenges.
Addictions of all kinds - alcohol, drugs, sex, porn etc - are also successfully addressed with NVC and are areas I'm comfortable working with.
As you probably already suspect, the mind is very powerful. Once you truly 'get' with your thinking brain what's happening psychologically, some changes start without your having to do anything more at all. I am beginning a study of Total Biology and German New Medicine which I find fascinating.
I like children of all ages (I love tiny babies and teenagers!) but tend not to work directly with young children - play and art therapies are specialties of their own. I will happily recommend to you someone who's very good in this area. I do work with adults and parenting issues arising at every age. I’ve had a lot of success working with teenage kids directly. I have four grown sons, one grandson that I'm helping to raise (and 6 other grandchildren?!) - personal experience in addition to book learning makes a real difference. I think a lot of teenagers are very sensitive and respond well to people who really like their age-group, which I very much do.
Feedback - all kinds of feedback - helps customize your sessions to better fit you. I hear success stories (which I love of course!) but I particularly relish the ‘more challenging’ and/or 'personal' interactions with clients. . In fact, the 'now' is often where some of the best work starts...
Sometimes a counsellor and client just don't 'mesh' - it happens. It's impossible for every relationship to work. If it happens with us, I can guarantee that I won't take it personally. I know how disappointing it can be though when you have readied yourself to do some sensitive personal work and then you find roadblocks. Please don't hesitate to talk about how things are working - or not - for you. If necessary I would be glad to help you with a referral - I'm fortunate to be part of a group of counsellors with diverse specialties, talents and personalities and feel very comfortable referring.
Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck from the bottom of my heart.
Julie