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Phoenix Counselling, Support & Consultancy
Well that’s a broad offer you might say and yes it is, because at Phoenix we believe people don’t fit into boxes, everyone’s needs are different at different times. We are experienced in all three, so we have the privilege of offering them all to you how and when you need them.
Counselling (MBACP)
As a qualified and registered counsellor, I am able to help both children and adults. Maybe you need time to stop and reflect on a change of circumstances, on how you got to where you are now, on why you made the choices you made or maybe something else. Maybe it is simply the opportunity to stop and focus on you. Life is so busy and we often fail to see the impact that it, yes the impact 'life' has on us.
My core therapy training is Transactional Analysis, however my tool box has grown over the years. There’s a story that accompanies Transactional Analysis. It tells us that we are all born as princes and princesses and that it is our experiences that turn us into frogs !! As a new baby we have no prejudices, or preferences, you are simply just you.
Can you remember who you are ?
Simple questions:
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What is your favourite colour?
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What's your favourite food?
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When did you last eat it?
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What's your favourite ‘feel’?
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Maybe its a fluffy blanket or cold metal?
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Do you prefer a bath or a shower?
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Where do you feel safe?
…simple questions that are often hard to answer because we lose ourselves in life and its happenings.
Counselling takes many forms.
At Phoenix we try and adapt to accommodate everyone. We offer the following forms of counselling:
Walk and Talk
This is literally as it says, we walk and talk. If you are local to Hessle we do this face to face, we meet at a local woodland and take a stroll while we talk through what is happening for you.
Some people have fed back that this feels easier than sitting in a therapy room, less intense. It also has added benefits of increasing your heart rate, and endorphins (feel good hormone) and reducing your cortisol (stress hormone).
Research also shows, that walking outdoors improves your concentration and sleep. What could be a better setting to explore your challenges than this? A setting that offers you health benefits in abundance to propel you forward.
Zoom calls
Zoom sessions are available for those who prefer this or who are out of area … this has very much become a new and accepted way of working recently. We can also use zoom if the weather is too bad for walk and talk (which would be rare!).
This method means you can access your counselling session wherever you are, no rushing to a venue, having to find parking, not feeling comfortable in the chair your given etc … you in your space, wherever that might be.
Telephone Counselling
I am happy to provide telephone counselling with those who feel most comfortable with this. It is however much harder to offer counselling when you can’t see someone. The irony of that is it is ‘not being seen’ that many who opt for this method feel comfortable with.
Counselling is not just about a 2 way conversation, it is about a 2 way transaction. This involves body language, eye contact and gestures, so getting a real sense of someone can be harder over the telephone if we have never met face to face. Ideally telephone would be offered as a short term option with a view to maybe moving to zoom or walk and talk. We can take time to develop our working relationship and review as we go along to see how you are feeling. Alternatively this can be a one off if you cannot make a face to face or zoom session
Telephone counselling can be combined with walk and talk if you wish. If you like the idea of walk and talk but don’t live local, we can still offer this if you use earphones and have a local area that you feel comfortable walking in. I will call you and we will both walk as we talk through what's happening for you.
Support and Supervision for Professionals
Are you a professional coordinating a holistic package of support for someone, do they need help with life skills or accessing community services ? Do you need support for their carer? This is something we could talk about.
Or do you need regular supervision and support sessions for you and/or your staff ? Supporting staff wellbeing and retention.
Support For School Staff
Working with large groups of children with a whole spectrum of presenting issues whilst trying to teach a prescribed curriculum could not be more challenging. Again we underestimate the impact of this on our staff, their health and their morale.
I work with school staff on a one to one or group basis facilitating reflection on their experiences within the workplace, what they learn from these and how they can use them to develop their practice. Committing time to this for our staff serves to improve retention, motivation and a continuing developmental workforce that are able to respond appropriately to children and families. Our staff are human first.
Consultation
Consultation can be accessed through organisations, businesses or individuals. My experience of working across sectors means that I have a sound insight into working practices across the helping professions. As a qualified social worker I have trained and assessed social work and psychology students, written & delivered lectures & bespoke training in higher education and to meet the needs of a specified workforce.
Consultation can be any of this.
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Do you have a group of students who are struggling?
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Do you need advice around putting together packages of care?
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Do you have a group of staff who are finding change especially difficult?
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Do you have an idea for a wellbeing event but don’t know where to start?
If there is something you or your organisation feel stuck on, we are always happy provide consultation to explore if we may be able to support you in anyway.