Marian Jenkins

Very rarely is there 'something wrong' with people who seek counselling. Instead they are experiencing normal responses to what are sometimes extreme life events that stretch them to their limit. They now feel unable to deal with any more that life throws at them.

Anxiety, anger, depression and severe distress are normal reactions to many difficult events that we experience, even past events that we seem to have forgotten. All these regain a proper perspective when shared with a trained listener and support,

I work with  these experiences and the emotions that my clients are living with. Frequently these are the effects that relationships, of every kind, have had on us. I work with these events, resultant emotions and the environments that have influenced my clients and their lives. 

I understand that relationships and adverse events are hugely important in our lives, often having far-reaching consequences on our emotional and mental health, so I attempt to provide an informed, accepting and understanding environment for my clients to explore what has happened to them. 

I use an integrative approach, so tailor my work to my client's needs.

I work in private practice only, as this allows my clients and I the maximum freedom around frequency of sessions and number of appointments. 

Due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 and the success of remote counselling over the past 18 months,  I am now restricting myself to offering therapy online, via Zoom, and over the telephone. This has offered clients many advantages, including greater flexibility of appointment times and is extremely popular.

Much of the first session is 'getting to know you'. 

We will explore the circumstances that have led to the client seeking counselling and explore what the client would like counselling to achieve for them.

This session will  often include some psycho-education, (explanations of emotional reactions and development), and will also help the client find strategies and alternative behaviours to help in dealing  with their difficulty. This frequently  allows the client to see their circumstances in a new light and brings a new perspective to their reactions and understanding of their situation.

A lot of emotional distress is trauma or relationship based and this will be considered and explored.

We will also explore the client's ideas and beliefs about themselves, their place in the world and their current relationships.

In addition, recognizing that many people are nervous about attending a counselling session, I have produced a Word document, 'Introduction to a Counselling Session' detailing what to expect in the first and consecutive sessions and a copy of this is emailed to enquirers.

Clients are free to attend as many, or as few sessions as they choose.

N.B .If leaving a message for me, particularly if it is a private number, please ensure that you leave your details in a clear, audible voice. if I can't hear it, I can't get back to you Thank you.