Making the commitment to begin your counselling journey can be a bold and daunting step, so over the next few blog entries, I will be sharing some case studies of young people I have worked with and the journey they’ve made in the room with me. For purposes of confidentiality, all identifying criteria has been changed to ensure the client’s anonymity throughout.

James, 17, needed help to prepare for the emotional and mental challenges of moving away to university in the coming months and engaged in 12 counselling sessions to achieve this. He found himself engaging in health-harming behaviours such as alcohol and casual drug use as a way of coping with the fear and worry about this big life event. 

During our sessions, James would bring in lots of worries about his world, particularly around his relationship with family and friends and the worries about losing or damaging these when he moved away. As we explored these feelings, James was able to make greater sense of the meaning he was placing on his situation.

We used tools such as reframing work, communication strategies, psycho-education and emotion-focused coaching to help with collaborative sense-making so he felt better equipped to make the move. As we conclude our sessions, James feels ready and able to move away and is confident that he has the tools to cope when there. He is now excited for the experience and what his future may hold.

If you'd like to discuss whether counselling is right for you, contact me on 01822 661316 and we can explore your options.