Karen Bateson
MA, MBACP

Making the time to think about who you are, what you might feel and what you may need matters, especially during periods of stress.

In the therapy room, the thinking process is shared. Together, we might try to find a different perspective or explore how the past might be impacting on the present. We may look at what is happening in your life right now and how you feel about this. We could think more deeply about how you might want to change or consider how to manage when there are things we cannot change. I am sure that the environments we have lived, studied and worked in affect us deeply and there are times when we need support to negotiate this, or a safe space to help us make sense of it all.

Working with a professional allows you to say things that might not feel possible to say to people directly involved in your life. It gives you access to a warm and supportive relationship that is not judgemental or critical. I believe that all of us have the capacity to heal; but, sometimes, we need someone to sit alongside us as we do that.

I know from my own experience as a client that it can feel really hard to make contact and ask for help, especially if we have learnt that asking for help is about weakness. The converse is actually true. Asking for help is about having the power to meet your own needs. It is about finding your voice.