I will suggest an alternative way to visualise your future later on, but for now, please join me on a journey of what led me to this variation on an old counselling and therapy exercise!

Why do trust and safety play such an essential part in change? How did I get to DIY as an analogy of trust in the therapeutic process?

What are four essential factors in therapeutic change?

Well…… Read on to find out more.

Did you criticise yourself or find fault with the things you do? Or, in general, do you find it hard to see positive qualities in yourself, to feel satisfaction in your achievements, no matter how big or small?

A few years ago a doctor working in a hospital nearby to the practice I ran, called me and asked if I had any free space for an initial appointment, they were a little nervous about seeing a counsellor or therapist. They asked a few questions, one of which was 'Have you ever treated a doctor before?'. My reply was that I was treating three at that time, I got the impression that they where a little taken aback.

So, after 22 years as a therapist/Director in Liverpool, living and breathing the running of a counselling and psychotherapy centre, building it up from one room, to a vibrant and successful business employing ten full-time counsellors and therapists, I decided to continue my work online from a remote island in Orkney.

Searching for a counsellor or psychotherapist often feels like a daunting task. With a seemingly endless amount of approaches to choose from, delivered face to face, by phone, text, messenger and email as well as online, how do you give yourself an edge to finding the best person to provide the service that you need?

Welcome to the first of what I rather hope will be an ongoing series of reflections and observations on the theme of Doing More Good Than Harm. I hope you enjoy reading it.