Pollyanna Bolger

Counselling provides a safe and confidential space for you to talk to a trained professional about your issues and concerns. I will help you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours so you can develop a better understanding of yourself and of others. I do not give you opinions or advice or prescribe medication. Moreover, I will help you find your own solutions – whether that’s making effective changes in your life or finding ways of coping with your problems. Counselling is most effective when we work together to address your issues and concerns in a secure and confidential way. I will listen carefully and come to understand you and your concerns so that I can help you make sense of your difficulties.

Counselling may involve:

discovering new ways of coping
making changes
developing new skills
finding what works for you.

Counselling however, is not a one size fits all model. Like everything we do, you have to find the blend that works best for you. Every counsellor will use a different approach. The ability of the counsellor to demonstrate the core conditions of therapy, being authentic, empathetic and non judgmental, is fundamental to your overall therapeutic experience. It is important to remember counselling takes time. It takes a session or two to feel comfortable with your counsellor to begin to open up about how you are thinking or feeling. Remember, it is not a sprint to the finish line, it's more like a marathon, might be just a mini marathon depending on what is going on for you, but my point is DON'T rush it or force it. Let it occur by itself. Remember I am here to support you and help you to resolve issues with you, not for you. Most counsellors will choose approaches that reflect who they are as a person, what they align with, their belief systems, their style of learning/information sharing. Some may choose one specific model or they may use a combination of several approaches, it can depend on many factors. Considerable research has been undertaken to determine what approach, if any, is more successful than the other. Those studies consider the common factors of all models of therapy and identify, the therapeutic relationship as being the greatest determinant in overall outcome. How we engage together to build the foundations on trust and mutual understanding, sets the platform for everything else that follows.

Even the smallest kindness towards self can change everything, our thoughts feelings and behaviours towards self and others. How we experiences ourself frames how we see and interact in our world AND this can determine how our world responds to us in return. Knowing ourselves is our greatest learning. It has been mine, for sure. Consider these little words.

WHO AM I. Not mom, dad, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt. Not our role, but us, as ourselves. What a discovery this could be. That is the greatest connection we can make, as once we know ourselves fully, authentically with all our jigsaw pieces in place, then we can step forward into our power and truly become the best version of ourselves. It all begins with a single step.... are you ready?

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