Pat Harrison Adv Dip Counselling Psychotherapy MBACP

Abuse, Addiction to Love and Sex, Alcohol Problems, Anger, Anorexia Nervosa, Anxiety, Assertiveness, Bereavement, Bisexual Issues, Bulimia Nervosa, Bullying, Career Issues, Childhood Issues, Codependence, Confidence Issues, Couple Relationships, Debt, Depression, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Dyslexia, Eating Disorders, Faith Issues, Fear, Gay Issues, Grief, Hysteria, Identity, Inhibitions, Integration of Experience, Lack of Meaning in Life, Loneliness, Loss, Marriage (Marital relations), Midlife Crisis, Obsessions, Personal Growth, Personal Relationships, Personality Difficulties, Post Natal Depression (PND), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Pregnancy, Psychosomatic Symptoms, Racial Abuse, Rape, Redundancy, Same Sex Relationships, Self Development, Self Esteem, Self Harm, Sexual Abuse, Sleeping Problems, Smoking Addiction, Spirituality, Stage Fright, Stress, Transgender Issues, Unresolved Issues, Work Issues and Relationships

Behavioural Therapy, Client Centred Therapy, Existential Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Person Centred Therapy, Transactional Analysis (TA)

Female

My clinical experience includes operating my own private counselling and psychotherapy practice, working for the NHS, for a community counselling service and working at the local higher education provider.

My experience of people tells me that we are all different and therefore there can be no 'one size fits all'. I specialise in person centred counselling in which sessions revolve around the client. All my sessions are at the client's pace and understanding.

Are you familiar with the phrase: 'Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man'? The truth of this means that we all form opinions and develop ways of relating before the age of seven - to cope with childish ways of life - but some of us never update those ways of relating. This, in turn, means that there are many grown-up people viewing and relating to the world with the eyes and opinions of seven year olds. Can you see the problem here? One of my skills is in providing coping strategies to help bring people's perceptions up to date which helps them deal with today's world in a more appropriate manner.

Have you ever been spoken to in a way which makes you feel like a three year old? Or do you have to deal with an adult who persists in behaving like a child? Is it getting you down? Have you had enough yet? Well, if so, I can help you improve your communication skills - which will help you feel more in control of such situations - and you will learn how to deal more effectively with people.

Are you being bullied or abused? Not nice, is it? The good news is that I can help you discover why this is happening to you and, because you now know why, how to stop it, once and for all.

Although I work in a person-centred (or humanistic) way, I am flexible enough to consider and/or to bring into my practice any thought, philosophy or strategy which I believe will help my client achieve whatever they came to me for. These can range from simply helping the client see things from a different perspective to practising a new way of relating.

I hold an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

I am an individual member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and, as such, I observe their ethical guidelines. Anything which is said in the room stays in the room with a very few exceptions. If, and only if, one of these exceptions arises then I am obliged to speak out.

The other exception is that, as an individual member of the BACP, I attend monthly supervision with a very experienced counsellor who is there for support and guidance. All ethical counsellors have supervision and I would not consider seeing clients without it.

The thing is - it's not what happens to us but how we perceive what happens to us. And isn't it irritating when you pour your heart out to someone who then says they don't know what you're worried about? It never bothers them. Well, bully for them - but they're not you. My promise to you is that I will never, ever, forget that you are a singular individual with a unique personality and we will work together on that premise.

I'm really looking forward to hearing from you.

Take care now.