Tanya Dobrovolskis

I see counselling as an opportunity to reflect, refuel and recover. I appreciate the courage it takes to step back from the well trodden path of daily life and hold the magnifying glass  glass up to areas in which you are struggling.

I also believe that, if you are ready and willing to face your fears and address the issues that you can no longer ignore, then counselling can be a life changing experience.

Counselling is a place where you can be truly heard and accepted for your reality and understanding of who you are and the methods you have chosen to navigate through life.

What is my story?

I am neurodivergent. I have lead a rich and varied life.I began my counselling training in 2005 but had to press pause when life got in the way. During the following years I had my own experiences of personal counselling to deal with past traumas at points on my journey where I felt lost, stuck and unsure of which path to take. I found it to be a valuable tool, it gave me a safe space to feel heard and allowed me the time to self reflect which, in todays busy times is not always possible.

I decided in 2020 to return and complete my training after working as a volunteer with the Samaritans. I completed my level 4 diploma in person centred counselling and along side this I have also trained in inner child work plus training on the effects of complex trauma on the brain and PTSD. I now incorporate part work into my counselling. I believe that a lot of unwanted behaviours we demonstrate as adults stem from childhood so this is an area I explore with my clients. I look at how we can adjust behaviour to work more favourably for you as an adult. 

We will look at the presenting issue and then look back over your life to see if you can begin to see connections from the past that have lead you to where you are today. Through our work together we can look at how you can adapt your behaviour to benefit you now as an adult.

I offer 1hr sessions through zoom or by telephone.

I offer an initial consultation either on line or by phone in order to discuss your reasons for wanting therapy and to establish if my way of working will work for you.

Using a mostly person centred approach means my sessions are client led, I believe the person who knows you best is you. 

Through our work together my aim is to enable you to challenge beliefs that no longer serve you. To understand why you developed these behaviours in the first place and to look at what may work better for you at this stage of your life. We will look at internal dialogue and see if this is an area where you can learn to be more self compassionate. When looking back at your life I will endeavour to enable you to see the choices you have made in the past from a place of acceptance and to gain the understanding that you are only ever working with the tools you have at the time.

This work can be emotionally challenging, we will be looking at issues that effected you as a child when you where in a far more vulnerable frame of mind so it can be triggering at times. I follow the BACP code of ethics so your emotional wellbeing is paramount to me, we will work at your pace and only exploring areas that you are comfortable to explore and always in a caring, compassionate way.

Due to the depth of my work with clients I recommend that you do a minimum of 8 sessions, we need to build a solid trusting relationship through the therapy and this can take several weeks to establish. For most clients a maximum of 20 to 24 sessions will give a solid foundation to enable improved feelings of self worth and self acceptance. I can offer you the support and help to carry some of the weight of your past until you regain the strength you need for the next steps of your journey.

I realise how daunting the first session can be and in an attempt to take some of the pressure off I offer an initial 20minute consultation either on line or on the phone. Within this consultation you will have the opportunity to give me a brief outline of the presenting issues that have brought you to counselling. I will then talk to you about how we can work with these issues within the framework of my style of therapy. 

This will only be an over view I will not be able to go into great depth with you about your issues during this consultation as it would not be ethical for me to do so.

If you then decide that you would like to work with me I will email you my assessment form and contract, you must read it and message me if you have any questions, these then need to be signed and returned to  me before the first session.

By doing this consultation and assessment before the first session we can begin the work from our first session.