"Everything can be taken from a person but one thing - the last of human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.'' Victor Frankl

I am a counsellor who works with individuals, couples and families.  Counselling creates opportunities for us to reflect on our experiences and thereby learn about ourselves and our relationships.

What is counselling?Counselling provides a secure relationship in which you feel supported and encouraged to embrace yourself and your life in order to make significant changes.  It also teaches us how to cope in a world of uncertainty and stress.  How we feel about ourselves and how we interact with others influences our personal success and quality of life.  Some seek help about a specific issue, for example  fertility, miscarriage, a relationship, depression, some bring many issues to discuss, others come for one problem and discover many others - all are seeking insight into how to improve their lives.

Who is counselling for? Counselling is for anyone who would like to live better and alleviate personal distress or suffering. It is for people who want to notice positive shifts in their behaviour, those who need to get through difficult times and survive, and those who want to learn more about how they affect others. Counselling is for those whose relationships are ending or beginning, or are stale or stuck; those that want to thrive rather than merely exist; and those who want to realise their own potential and become accountable for their own happiness.

The relationship between client and counsellor is important and you are encouraged to try out and select the right counsellor for you.  The outcome of counselling is better if you, the client, want to be in it, rather than being in it to please others.

Redi Tlhlabi (cited in Cosmo Aug 2011)

“I would take some time to cry, meditate and get in touch with my inner being.  I learnt to connect with myself and listen to my voice.  I spoke loving words to myself and marvelled at how happy I had once been.  I sent a message to the universe that, once I had cleared my dispirited soul of the melancholy and dejection, I would make room for laughter and gratitude.  And at night, when I couldn’t sleep because the sorrow was choking me, I whispered over and over again, “You got through today –you did great.”

“And one day the sun shone again.  Nothing happened to make me happy. I just knew that it was time to live again.  Life is a gift and I didn’t want it to pass me by just because I couldn’t accept its changing seasons.  The difficult time helped me make peace with my limitations, get to know myself better and achieve self-mastery.”