Hi, I am Tracy Paine and I would like to welcome you to my website.
Please feel free to browse through and contact me, if you feel I may be able to help you using online counselling. I am able to work using Zoom video calls, standard phone calls, text messaging and email, to provide counselling support.
Benefits of Online Counselling:
Counselling provides a therapeutic space, where you can explore and express emotions and feelings freely. The online space is of course a little different than being in the same physical space; but this is still a therapeutic space. We can still connect and build meaningful relationships that enable counselling work to take place. In some ways this can actually enhance the process, as some of the inhibitions/embarrassment, that sometimes makes talking and opening up difficult, can feel less inhibiting. This can be even more powerful when this is one of the methods, where we cannot see each other. The online environment can also feel more equal, as we are in a shared virtual space, rather than the counsellors room. It also of course offers more flexibility, as there isn't a room space to hire/rent/share in the same way as face to face services, so can be more responsive to changing circumstances e.g. like university life meaning time away from home and then time back at home; this would not matter with an online arrangement, in the way it would impact face to face counselling. This flexibility can be helpful in the current situation, with the pandemic and plans changing, with very little time to rearrange things.
Benefits of Counselling:
More specifically the counselling process can help with many issues and be supportive in many different situations.
Counselling can help in times of challenge and times of change:
Life can be highly enjoyable, but it can also be challenging; just by the sheer need to manage the constant changes that life brings. We are often left feeling unsure how to move forward, unsure what to do next. As we grow in our lives, we have to adjust to changing needs and expectations and this can be challenging for us. This process of constant change can lead to uncertainty, that can create feelings of anxiety, can affect our mood and levels of motivation.
These day to day challenges, can become even more difficult, when events happen in our lives, that are unexpected; adding further anxiety and uncertainty.
Counselling can help to support reflection on your life, life events and relationships:
Counselling can help you to look at how you feel about your life and the expectation that this brings. Looking at some of the values and beliefs you hold, considering where these have come from, considering if they are still helpful to you, can be useful. This can help you to understand your actions and feelings about issues and events. This can help you begin to consider what you might want to change, to enable life to be more satisfying for you and the people you care about.
Counselling can help you to process feelings and emotions:
Counselling can help you explore your feelings around events in your life, that can feel overwhelming. Often these feelings are being held in, because they feel dangerous and frightening; at least at a subconscious level. Counselling can help you to begin looking at these in a safe environment and at a safe pace. I will try and help you to get some strategies to help with emotional regulation and grounding, in the early sessions, so you then feel more confident about exploring the more powerful feelings together. Counselling can help you to make sense of your emotions, feelings and thoughts; which can help you to accept things in your life, make peace with the past, or it may help you choose to begin to change things in your life, that you can control.
Counselling can help you to care for yourself:
Counselling is a positive way to take care of yourself, by sharing your challenges and struggles, that are a normal part of living; in a positive, supportive, and non-judgemental relationship. Just as we need check ups for our physical health, before things get out of hand, we can also benefit from check-ins with a counsellor, for our emotional and psychological health.
In this current climate where Covid-19 is leaving us all feeling vulnerable and uncertain; counselling support is something that may be really helpful for many of us, now and afterwards, to deal with the aftermath of this global health emergency.
Although counselling can be helpful, for a wide range of mental health issues, when you are feeling very overwhelmed, sometimes this is not enough, particularly where you are experiencing significant suicidal thoughts.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, have a plan to act on these, feel unable to keep yourself safe now and/or in the near future, then more urgent support is needed. If this applies to you, then reach out to the following for help and advice:
24hr support services:
I am often asked this question and the answer is, this will depend on you, your expectations and preferences, and the issue or need you have identified.
Traditionally counselling is arranged weekly, but I am aware from clients that this is not always what they want; or indeed feel they need.
I usually do not state a specific number of sessions that may be needed, when we start the process, or decide exactly how we will work, as I find this can change.
To support your evaluation, we will review the process together, at the end of each session and consider if you want to continue.
I feel strongly that this needs to be determined by you.
I can facilitate this review, through you evaluating your experience in the sessions and from this, assessing if it is working for you and meeting your needs.
The answer to these questions is that counselling can help you to move forward if you want to.
I cannot make you better........ but I can help you, to help yourself.
I can help to shed some light on what is going on for you and by understanding yourself, you can regain a sense of control.
Counselling aims to empower you; so you can build more self confidence, more resilience and more self awareness and help yourself to feel a little better, than you feel right now.
Counselling cannot be done to you or anyone you feel may need it.
It can be a challenging process, so needs to be right for you and that includes, being the right time for you.
We may need counselling, but we also need to feel ready for counselling.
Are you in need and feel ready to explore??
Then please send me a message using the contact me form or email/call me using the information below.
More information on the actual practice of counselling, can be found by clicking the button below: