Gillian Carmichael

What is happiness for you?

Hello, my name is Gillian and I am a qualified Gestalt counsellor. Many years ago a chance encounter with a therapist led me to understand how unhappy I was and then undertake my own recovery. That changed my life so much for the better that I was moved to start studying and become qualified as a Gestalt counsellor. I still feel the benefit of my individual therapy and later a period of couple therapy turned, what could have ended up as another divorce for me, into a healthy and meaningful relationship.

As a counsellor I am very open minded and work in an empathetic and totally non-judgemental way. When most people who have not worked with a counsellor before start they find it is not as scary or strange as they expected and initially experience feelings of profound relief. If they continue most then go on a journey of self-discovery. From my own experience I have to say that journey has its lows as well as highs but courageously getting to know yourself, facilitated by the right counsellor, is probably the best route in life to true self actualisation.  I offer both Couple and Individual Counselling

COUPLES - I work with on a range of issues and at all stages of their relationship

It is never too early in a relationship to start couple counselling and it is a sad fact that many partners suffer in silence for years in an unhappy relationship and only seek help when it is too late. Modern life puts many pressures on relationships and when most couples start their new relationship they do not think they will be in the 42% whose marriage ends in divorce, a figure that although dropping, does not include the many problems that occur in cohabiting relationships which actually have a lower rate of long term success.

A significant relationship is one of the most important factors in determining a person’s health and happiness

Apart from the effect on an individual’s health and happiness relationship break ups can have a major effect on each partner’s finances. Some couple have described counselling as one of the best investments they have made for both themselves and their family. Even if a relationship has to end that ending can be made less painful and for both partners and there are lessons to be learned that can help each person not repeat the same patterns again.

Issues I work with include;

• Conflict resolution methods and Communications difficulties
• Sexual problems
• Unresolved baggage from childhood or a previous relationship
• Loss of trust and problems with intimacy
• Effects on a relationship of Infidelity or use of Pornography
• Significant changes that affect the relationship such as; a new baby, an illness, taking care of ailing parents or a death in the family
• Just a general sense of the relationship having lost that ‘spark’
• Help in deciding if the relationship is worth continuing
• Or if as a couple you are needing support to separate in an amicable way

INDIVIDUALS - I work with to overcome a wide range of problems

Counselling can help individuals overcome many problems. Sometimes people come to counselling with a single problem such as an addiction or an eating disorder but our personalities are formed over time from a complex mix of nature and nurture and often seemingly insignificant things that happened long ago in our past can, during counselling, reveal themselves as the real root cause behind the symptom. Often the act of naming an issue within the safety of the counselling room and the security of the client / counsellor relationship can bring some immediate relief and then by working through alternatives a more lasting resolution can be found.

Sometimes client’s come to me with no more than a feeling that there could be more to life?

Problems I have worked with include;

• Anxiety
• Anger issues
• Depression
• Existential Uncertainty
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Consequences of Sexual Abuse
• Relationship issues
• Sexual problems
• Depression
• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
• Panic and Phobias
• Low self-esteem – lack of social confidence
• Loneliness
• Eating disorders
• Personality disorders
• Relationship difficulties
• Life stages - coping with Aging
• Bereavement

So whatever you feel that is holding you back or blocking you, however you feel in relation to the other people in your life, whatever issues you bring we can work through them together.

These fees are for individual sessions.  Please contact me re couple session fees

I offer counselling for individuals on a short-term or open ended basis from therapy rooms  in Greenwich and London Bridge. Both locations are a minute walk from the stations

• Sessions last for 50 minutes
• I have both daytime and evening appointments available

Please contact me via e-mail or phone to set up an initial consultation where we can discuss your needs and how we can work together.

I also offer sessions through WPA insurance