Colin Johnson

Available during work hours Monday and Tuesday. Also, often in the evenings Monday to Thursday

Most of us, at some point in our lives, feel overwhelmed or isolated. The pain of the past can no longer be pushed away. It has become strong and urgent. Friends and family can be too close or involved in the issues, so who to turn to? This is where a counsellor can make so much difference. Having someone who sees your situation as an outsider, objective, but fighting in your corner, is transformative for many.

My aim as a counsellor is to help whoever I am seeing feel better about themselves. Everyone is different, and I try to match my clients' needs with the kind of therapy that will be most helpful.

I have 16 years of post-qualification experience working one-to-one with adults and with couples. I have helped those with depression and low mood, lack of confidence and self-worth, anxiety and OCD. I have worked with clients with workplace issues, mistreated at work by an employer or with a work-related mental health issue. Those with relationship issues; this could be within the family or relationships with friends, work colleagues or romantically. I have seen those suffering in domestic violence situations and worked with someone who had a terminal cancer diagnosis.

I have been trained in working with past trauma and stress using EMDR. Clients I have seen include post-operation trauma and childhood trauma. The trauma could be a one-off event (an operation or an accident) or a more complex long-term issue.

I have seen many couples over the years. Couples who are struggling with communication issues as well as those who have an unfaithful partner. Couples have come to me before they get married to help build trust and confidence in their relationship before fully committing. 

I offer an initial short 15-20 minute 'try-and-see' assessment appointment. This is an opportunity to ask questions and for me to understand their expectations and be reassuring and kind, as I know it can take a lot for a person to start this process.

Therapy with a counsellor is very different from what AI can offer. Meeting a real person you can connect with is important because they have also experienced the life challenges you have and can authentically empathise.

It is important to understand that it takes a few sessions to build a good rapport and relationship. Sometimes, especially for those who come from a traumatic background, it can be harder to build trust and a sense of feeling safe in therapy. My aim is to start where the person is, offering a non-judgmental, positive approach. I want to be a good coach or cheerleader, helping the person along a journey of growth and self-discovery.

We humans have a complex inner world, and having help to understand ourselves can make such a difference. I will work in collaboration with my clients to identify issues and strategies that will help. I have lots of tools in my counselling toolkit, and if one thing does not fit, we will try something else. Some issues can be dealt with briefly while others may take longer. But you control the number of sessions and the subject. If a person comes to counselling with a specific problem, perhaps a traumatic event we need to talk through, then a 'fix' or resolution may be achieved quickly. However, many of the struggles and issues people bring to therapy are complicated and may have been suppressed for many years, and if we are looking for a quick fix, then we may be disappointed. It can take a while to process long-term issues and unravel complex motives and overwhelming feelings, such as anger, guilt, and fear.

I have regular reviews with clients to see how they are feeling about the therapy and if their goals have changed. 

At the first session, my objective is to help the person feel comfortable and as relaxed as possible. I understand that starting counselling can be daunting. I remember the first time I went to see a therapist and how vulnerable and unsure I felt. Now the position is reversed; I always try to remember what it must feel like coming for the first time. During the first session, we will talk about what the goal for therapy might be, perhaps a problem, low mood, lack of self-esteem, and not feeling good about yourself. Or, perhaps relationship issues or a traumatic memory that has recently been triggered.

I try to make the first part of the session very focused on what is on the client's heart and what brings them for therapy. Later in the session, I will make some notes about how many counselling sessions they are thinking about, or whether to make it open-ended. There is no problem with changing ideas about this later. I will also gather personal history to understand the events that have shaped how the person sees the world and which values are important to them. Sometimes just talking through their life can be a very cathartic experience for some people. It is very rare these days to have the opportunity to talk to someone who is a good listener, who is fully focused on you and on how to help you. The information I gather will include basic contact information, as well as information about family and life experiences. I will explain that all this information will remain confidential (and the limits of confidentiality) during the session. I will also explain other aspects of our agreement on how we work together. (I will send you information on my contract and ethics statement before the first session).