Amanda Cust

My job is to tune in to you and your life.  I don't bring any expectations or judgements, you're free to share whatever you need or want to.  I aim to help you to -

Understand yourself and those around you better, which may include looking back to your childhood and other past experiences.

See yourself with compassion - we're often far kinder to others than we are to ourselves, and changing this can make a big difference.

Identify positive changes you'd like to make and how you can begin to make them - you know what you've tried already, you know your strengths and abilities far better than I can.  My role is to support and encourage you, offering useful suggestions and strategies when appropriate.

I work with adults and young people, at Emmer Green RG4.

Sessions are usually weekly on the same day and time - this regularity gives substance to the important work you do in your sessions, allowing a sense of progress and depth.  If your work pattern is irregular, I can accommodate this and work flexibly.

It's likely we'll identify things it would be helpful for you to observe or experiment with in between sessions, and this can give you useful information and insight.

While counselling isn't about giving advice, I can offer suggestions for you to consider, for example noticing and adjusting your breathing patterns, using journalling or writing as part of therapy, or simply being alert for the words you use to and about yourself.

We can review together how your sessions are going, whether we need to change the focus, and when it's time to prepare for  ending.  Part of my job is to help you get to the place where you no longer need my support.

Your first session is for you and I to meet, face-to-face or remotely, and for you to get an idea as to whether you'd be comfortable working with me.  

You can tell me about what brings you to counselling now, any goals you have, and ask me any questions.  I'm interested in your background and your life in general - your health, hobbies, family life, work, dreams, pets - it's all important.  

And I can tell you about how counselling works in terms of -

practicalities - communication between sessions, payment, cancelled sessions, holiday etc  

finding focus and goals - if that is what you're looking for - or working week-by-week with what is on your mind and the wider meaning of these things

recognising that sometimes counselling will naturally bring up difficult or painful feelings which you might otherwise avoid, and how you can look after yourself at these times.