Are you struggling with anxiety, stress, negative thoughts or patterns of thinking that seem difficult to change? Perhaps you find yourself worrying about situations, doubting yourself or reacting in ways that leave you feeling frustrated or overwhelmed.
I'm Jean, an experienced counsellor offering cognitive therapy and counselling in Nelson and Stoke. I've been working as a counsellor since 2008 and have had my own private practice since 2012.
Cognitive therapy is one of the approaches I use to help people understand how their thoughts and interpretations of situations can influence their emotions and behaviour.
My aim is to provide a safe, respectful and non-judgemental environment where we can explore your experiences and consider what might help you move forward.
What is Cognitive Therapy?
Cognitive therapy is based on the understanding that the way we think about and interpret situations can have a significant influence on how we feel and respond.
Sometimes we develop familiar patterns of thinking that make difficult situations feel even more stressful or overwhelming.
For example, you may find yourself expecting the worst, being highly critical of yourself or interpreting situations in ways that increase feelings of anxiety or insecurity.
These patterns can become so familiar that we may not always recognise their influence.
Through cognitive therapy, we can explore the connections between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
By becoming more aware of these patterns, you may begin to recognise alternative ways of understanding and responding to situations.
My approach is not about simply thinking positively. It's about exploring whether familiar ways of thinking are helpful and considering other perspectives that may better support your wellbeing.
What can Cognitive Therapy help with?
Cognitive approaches can be useful for exploring a range of personal and emotional difficulties.
I offer counselling for people experiencing concerns such as:
- Anxiety and excessive worrying: Feeling constantly concerned about what might happen, overthinking situations or struggling to relax.
- Stress and burnout: Feeling overwhelmed by work, responsibilities or expectations, and finding it difficult to manage everyday pressures.
- Depression and low mood: Experiencing sadness, hopelessness, negative thinking or a loss of confidence and motivation.
- Low self-esteem and insecurity: Doubting yourself, feeling not good enough or being overly critical of your abilities.
- Perfectionism: Placing high expectations on yourself, worrying about mistakes or finding it difficult to accept anything less than perfect.
- Fears and panic: Experiencing strong anxiety reactions or avoiding situations because they feel overwhelming.
- Relationship difficulties: Noticing assumptions, expectations or patterns of thinking that contribute to misunderstandings and conflict.
- Workplace difficulties: Struggling with pressure, self-doubt, difficult interactions or ongoing stress at work.
These difficulties can sometimes overlap. For example, anxiety may be connected to perfectionism or self-criticism, while ongoing stress can affect your mood and confidence.
In counselling, we can explore what you're experiencing and whether a cognitive approach may be helpful.
Understanding unhelpful thought patterns
Sometimes the way we interpret situations can increase our emotional distress.
You may find yourself assuming that something will go wrong, worrying about what others think or feeling responsible for things beyond your control.
Perhaps a small mistake leaves you questioning your abilities, or a difficult conversation leads you to believe that someone is unhappy with you.
These thoughts can influence how you feel and what you do next.
You might become anxious, withdraw from situations, avoid difficult conversations or feel increasingly uncertain about yourself.
In cognitive therapy, we can look at these connections with curiosity rather than judgement.
Together, we can explore whether your interpretations reflect the whole situation and consider other ways of understanding what is happening.
The aim is to develop greater awareness and flexibility in how you respond to life's challenges.
My approach to Cognitive Therapy
I believe that counselling should take account of each person's individual experiences, circumstances and needs.
There are several therapeutic approaches I use in my work, including cognitive, psychodynamic and person-centred counselling.
During our initial sessions, we can discuss what brings you to counselling and decide together which approach may be most helpful.
When using cognitive therapy, we may explore how you interpret stressful situations, recognise familiar thinking patterns and consider different ways of responding.
I aim to provide a respectful space where you feel comfortable talking openly about your experiences.
My approach is collaborative, recognising that you bring your own understanding, strengths and personal history to the counselling process.
There is no single way of working that suits everyone.
Developing new perspectives and ways of coping
When you've been dealing with anxiety, stress or negative thoughts for a long time, it can sometimes feel as though things will always be the same.
You may recognise certain patterns but find it difficult to respond differently.
Counselling can provide an opportunity to slow down and explore what happens during challenging situations.
Together, we can consider how your thoughts influence your feelings and actions, and whether different perspectives might help you respond in ways that feel more manageable.
This may involve recognising unhelpful assumptions, questioning overly critical thoughts or exploring alternative ways of approaching difficult situations.
My aim is to support you in developing greater self-understanding and finding coping strategies that suit your individual circumstances.
Cognitive Therapy in Nelson, Stoke and online
I offer individual counselling using cognitive and CBT approaches at my practices in Nelson and Stoke, welcoming clients from Richmond and the surrounding Nelson–Tasman region.
Online counselling is also available for people who prefer to attend sessions remotely.
Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem or other emotional difficulties, you're welcome to get in touch.
Would you like to know more or make an appointment? Please feel free to contact me.
Jean
Counsellor
