Cath Heneghan MBACP (Accred)
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The Boathouse Silversands Hawkcraig Road Aberdour Fife KY3 0UP View map |
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01383 860248
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Profile
Sometimes things happen in life which knock us sideways and it feels like an uphill battle to get back on track.
Sometimes we just lose our way for a while and life feels hopeless.
And sometimes the past refuses to stay where we want it to and returns to haunt us.
Troubles like this are good to share with family and friends. But if they aren't around, or it just doesn't feel right, then it can help to speak to someone else.
The very word 'counselling' is sometimes a difficult one for people to feel comfortable with. If we had a physical problem with our heart, we would consult with the relevant professional. However, our heart can feel sore for other reasons that have nothing to do with our physical health. But instead of getting help, too often we try to cope by ourselves. This may be because we are afraid of what someone will think of us, or that a whole can of worms will open up which we won't be able to cope with. We can also feel ashamed because we 'should' be able to manage the situation or we feel guilty about our actions or responses or feelings.
The first thing to say very clearly is that you won't be judged. I know from personal experience that I am not always the person I would like to think I am. I often fall short. But I know too that I am only human. Circumstances which make us fearful or angry or distressed also change how we behave. And although we might not like these changes, often they feel out of our control. As a counsellor, I don't have a view on the kind of person you should be. Only that you find the space, the freedom and the courage to find out who that is so that you no longer have to wear that mask which can be so exhausting and so crippling and so definitely NOT who you want to be.
And don't be afraid. I will not take you to places you don't want to go. My approach is gentle and always at your pace.
I guess if you are reading this, then something is on your mind. Why not take the plunge this time? Sessions generally last about an hour and I very much encourage my clients to decide how often we meet and how many sessions they feel they want. This is your 'journey', if you like. You get to make the choices about where we go and how we get there. But I won't ask you to go there alone.
Training, Qualifications & Experience
I have a Diploma in Counselling which I completed while still teaching. In my last year of training, I volunteered at the Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project, continuing there until I secured the post of Mental Health Worker which I held for 4 years. During this time I also worked in the NHS for 2 years providing short term counselling for a local GP surgery.
I trained as a Person-Centred counsellor because of my belief in the work of Carl Rogers. He was the founder of this approach and his words spoke to me because of his emphasis on the quality of the relationship between client and therapist and on how this can empower clients to find their own sense of who they are and what they need to do to live more fully in this world. I have been counselling now for 8 years and am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Since qualifying I have become especially interested in trauma and am a member of the European Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. This has led me to study with Babette Rothschild in Body Psychotherapy and I have completed level 1 of a course in Sensorymotor Psychotherapy as well as one in Mindfullness. I find working with the memories the body holds very useful for clients who have suffered trauma, be it from childhood experiences or more recent, such as being involved in an accident or a violent or distressing incident. During trauma, the 'head' is often absent, the 'thinking' part shut down by the release of powerful hormones. To then go back to the head after the trauma, to ask for help in resolving it, therefore doesn't make sense. But the body remembers. Ask anyone who has been involved in an accident about the sickening fear and terror which they can still feel in their stomach and chest, even years after the event. Body psychotherapy sits very well with my person-centred approach, as it too, is respectful and safe.
But my experience tells me that trauma affects different people in different ways. An incident which completely disables one person may be easy for another to cope with. it's not your 'fault' that some things hit you harder - it's just your unique combination of genes, upbringing and experiences that render you more affected by some things than others. So if your thinking that your problems may seem small compared to others, please don't. You are the only one living your life and therefore the only one who knows how that feels.
Areas of counselling I deal with
- Abuse
- Anxiety
- Bereavement
- Bullying
- Couples Counselling
- Depression
- Domestic Violence
- Emotional Abuse
- Generalised Anxiety
- Low Self-Confidence
- Low Self-Esteem
- Panic Disorder
- Physical Abuse
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Relationship Issues
- Self Harm
- Sexual Abuse
- Stress
- Trauma
- Work Related Issues
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Therapies Offered
- Humanistic Therapies - Person-Centred Counselling
- Other Therapies - Integrative
Fees
My fee is £30 per session.
Further Information
I am particularly interested in Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and have experience and training in working with Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder).
I work with physical trauma such as accidents as well as emotional and psychological trauma.
Member Organisation(s)
