Do you feel lost, anxious or despondent? I can help!
Counselling Therapy with Paula J Howel
Counselling – what’s it all about?
Do you find yourself thinking the same negative thoughts causing you to feel low in mood? This can cause the development of a negative self-image. Does this ring true for you? The good news is that a broken or fragile self-image can heal. Your self-image is the way in which you perceive yourself or the way in which you perceive others see you. You can most definitely make changes to the quality of your life. We can explore historic messages that you’ve internalised. We can look to create behavioural changes. We can use CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) for improving thought processing. If you are hopeful, that is a good start.
I support you in overcoming your anxiety and depression by helping you:
- Face your fears
- Learn to cope effectively
- Induce calm
- Lift mood
- Get back to yourself
- Enjoy life again.
I offer an opportunity for you to embark on a trusting relationship that can support you to achieve the goals you set.
If you are new to counselling or coaching it can be a daunting prospect to choose a counsellor and attend an appointment, hence you will be welcomed in a friendly manor to open and discuss your issues.
Practice rationale
Person-centred (PC) therapy and CBT form the overarching framework for my integrative practice. Person-centred therapy involves the relationship being the key to fostering a sense of acceptance, empathy, and genuineness. The broader influence of PC theory is that it holds an optimistic view of the client and human nature as being able to develop a sense of purpose and meaning and direct their own life.
In collaboration between myself and my client I am able to use more structured CBT techniques when presenting issues are more specific. We focus on using this form of intervention whilst maintaining the client’s autonomy.
Counselling can be very effective if you are willing to work towards change.
Why Work with Me?
As an empathetic and intuitive healer, I’ve long had a keen interest in learning and training in ways to help others tackle their mental health problems. As a result, I completed a BSc Hons degree in Psychology. I also completed a post-graduate PGCE teaching certificate, a life coaching diploma, a counselling degree and training in NLP foundation and holistic health practices. I am a registered member of the BACP and am fully insured as a counsellor.
If you feel lost with nowhere to turn, I am here to support you fully. I am a very empathetic and compassionate counsellor and coach. I have developed numerous skills and strategies which can support you in your self-healing journey. Through the techniques I use, you will learn how to grow and apply these skills on your own to overcome all kinds of experiences and setbacks. Watching my clients move on in their lives with a renewed sense of positivity is such an impacting reward for me.
My skills have been developed by working for MIND mental health charity, as an adult counsellor, dealing with mild to moderate mental health issues. I have experience as a mental health specialist mentor at University of South Wales, whereby I supported students to achieve their qualifications. Now I run a private practice from my home.
Testimonials
Paula was an excellent counsellor and was able to advise and offer practical solutions to my issues I would like to thank her for helping me. – AJ
I feel I have changed as my anxiety has just diminished. – FY
You helped me put things in place that has created differences in my working life that have altered my whole perception of my role, thank you! – CV
I feel more relaxed and my sense of wellbeing has greatly improved, I now fear less and have fun more, its been great , thanks! – PN
Paula is fantastic, I was nervous to start my journey, but Paula made me feel at ease immediately. She is kind, supportive, and extremely good at her job. Paula is always so professional and made me feel comfortable in every session. She has guided me through one of the toughest times in my life and I truly believe I have grown as a person because of this. I will be forever grateful to Paula and would encourage anyone who is thinking about starting a course with Paula to do it. – ED
I reached out to Paula to help me work through historical trauma that had led me to feel depressed and was stopping me from enjoying my life in the present. She helped me explore the issues that were holding me back from living and being the vibrant, beautiful woman I now know myself to be. No matter how low you feel now, or how hard it is to see a way out of your current situation, I really feel talking to someone who is impartial and empathic to you and your experiences can really help.
Paula comes from a place of self-knowledge, her training in counselling sparked by her own experiences with anxiety, she is able to offer her clients a safe space to share their feelings and express their true selves without judgment. She uses a variety of talking techniques and often suggests books, courses or extra activities you can explore yourself between sessions, not sticking to a set model allows her to really tailor the sessions to your individual needs. I definitely feel more confident and able to take on life challenges than I did when I first reached out and hope to continue working with her to further explore how I can make the most of each day and continue on this path of self-love, understanding,
and tolerance for myself and the people in my life. Thank you! – Helen
CFT Counselling
CFT or Compassion Focused Therapy is a counselling therapy that allows you to look at your life experiences in a realistic way and from a non-blaming stance.
The aim is to alleviate suffering and develop a compassionate mindset, towards yourself, towards others and to accept compassion from others.
Its structured format is methodical and reassuring, allowing insight and growth along the way of the 8-week journey. You will find your negative thinking will decrease, the self-criticism and self-loathing from feelings of guilt, shame and anger will subside, and you will begin to open up to a compassionate way of being.
You will learn about the three systems: threat, drive and soothing systems. These will develop an understanding of how our tricky brain works.
Following my own journey of self-critism, I am able to vouch for the effectiveness of this training. It will guide and help bridge the change from your negative thinking and feeling to a way of finding, peace, calm and the ability to self-soothe. The effects are profound.
Time Required
8 one-to-one sessions at weekly intervals.
Price
Normally £65 per week, special introductory offer £50 per week. Can also be paid in full.
One to One Counselling
Do you find yourself thinking the same negative thoughts causing you to feel low in mood? This can cause the development of a negative self-image. A broken or fragile self-image can heal.
I help you to overcome anxiety and depression by:
- facing your fears
- learning effective coping methods
- inducing calm
- lifting your mood
- coaxing you back to yourself
- and enjoying your life again.
My skills as a person-centred counselling (CBT) therapist and qualified life coach have been honed by working for MIND mental health charity and as an adult counsellor, dealing with mild to moderate mental health issues. I have also had experience as a mental health specialist mentor at the University of South Wales, whereby I supported students to achieve their qualifications.
Now I run a private practice from my home. I practise coaching alongside my counselling, which offers you a structured, goal-setting orientation to the coaching in order to provide you with skills to manage your life, whether you’re experiencing anxiety, low mood or uncertainty.
Time Required
Each session is designed to be about 50 minutes long. You pay by the session. How many sessions you book with me depends on your individual requirements and circumstances. Please book a call to discuss if need be. Check out my contact page to initiate this or alternatively book (pay for) for your first session and we take it from there.
Price
£50 (per 50 minute session)
Anxiety Management
In previous years I have experienced severe anxiety and depression that have disabled and restricted my existence.
Training as a counsellor allowed me to explore the history of this and develop an understanding of my reactions to stress and find a way forward to a place of less anxiety and more gratitude and awareness.
This short programme is designed to help you understand anxiety, its triggers and teach you methods and techniques to mitigate it in order to reduce its crippling effect on our lives. We do this by overcoming negative thinking and by relinquishing blinkered perspectives and the tendency to catastrophise events and circumstances.
Time Required
Self-paced, but typically no more than 1 hour.
Price
£49