2011

Counselling

I have been a professional counsellor since completing my initial training in 1985. My professional experience includes running a youth counselling service; counselling young people with drug or substance misuse; a university counsellor: a counsellor working within the NHS  (a Practice Counsellor for two GP surgeries); and (since 1993) in private practice initially based in Glastonbury but now based in Wells, Somerset. I am a full member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and all of my counselling with clients accords with the Ethical Framework of this professional body - copies of which can be obtained from their website (see my Links page for details).

For more information about me, my training and experience, please download a copy of my Counselling Leaflet and visit my page on Associates’ Profiles.

The aim of counselling or therapy is to help people to grow and change emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. I will help you to develop your potential for greater self-understanding and self-acceptance, and move toward a more effective, fulfilling life - including the ability to form and sustain satisfying and mutually meaningful relationships. Counselling is a form of personal learning that will help you become more “psychologically minded” and self-aware. As your awareness grows from this personal learning you can become clearer about the decisions you need to make and how best to overcome any dilemmas - emotional, mental, in relationships, or ethical. Effective counselling will help you to learn from the experiences you have and enable you to make positive choices that will change life and make it more fulfilling. It is both an exciting and a challenging process, but one that has many personal rewards! The core of my approach is to provide a therapeutic relationship characterised by acceptance, empathy, respect and genuineness through which deep personal exploration is possible.

I have many years experience of helping clients whose lives have been affected by specific difficulties or concerns, including: relationship problems; depression and suicidal feelings; anxiety, phobias and stress; eating disorders and other psycho-health matters; drugs and substance misuse; bereavement and loss; sexuality and gender; personal identity and spiritual crisis.

New developments in Positive Psychology and Neuro-Psychology indicate the relevance of focusing on each individual’s strengths and I incorporate this into all of my client work.

For a copy of my Counselling Leaflet click here: https://files.me.com/peterrawlings/zao2zw

Feel Good & Live Well!