Welcome to
Cann Counselling
Having the courage to seek counselling is the first and biggest step.
Welcome
My name is Tanya. I am a qualified Grief counsellor and psychodynamic therapist (level 6 - BSc (Hons), providing integrative counselling to people in Somerset, North Somerset, Bristol, Axbridge, Cheddar, Burnham and surrounding areas. A psychotherapeutic counsellor provides support and guidance to individuals dealing with emotional, psychological, and relational issues. Using various therapeutic techniques and approaches to help clients understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. My theory being "What happened to you back then is possibly affecting what is happening in your life now".
My counselling room is situated in The Stable, Weston-S-Mare, and as well as face to face, I also work online as far a field as required using my online platform.
My training started following the loss of my daughter in October 2017. I had lost all meaning and purpose in my life. Not knowing how I should be in my day-to-day, or who I was, I had lost my identity.
I found it difficult when trying to access local affordable counselling for myself and my family, with nothing available privately, and a 9 month wait list for the NHS., causing further anxiety. This was when I decided to start my counsellor training at Weston College, North Somerset, to enable me to help others who are living with the effects of bereavement, trauma, and those who are generally struggling with their mental health and well-being..
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Training
I have trained with Grief Yoga expert Paul Denniston and received certification as a Grief Movement Guide. I also trained with trauma specialist Janina Fisher, further trauma training with British trauma therapist Carolyn Spring, certified me as a trauma-informed therapist. I have successfully completed my ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). I am currently undertaking my MSc (Masters, level 7) in Psychology at Wolverhampton University with the aim to pursue a career in Educational Psychology alongside my private practice.
While training I worked at a local mental health charity in Somerset, where I completed over 150 hours working with clients from age 12 through to adults. I am currently at over 2000 client hours having worked with clients living with trauma as an effect of grief and loss, self -harm, OCD, intrusive thoughts, suicidal ideation, disordered eating, historic rape, and sexual assault, inter-generational trauma, anxiety, and depression, all of which resulted in issues with their mental health and well-being. My training left me with an interest in the mental health/well-being of children and young people, and a mindset to ‘prevent rather than treat’ became evident within me. I now work with clients from 8 years old through to adults (no upper age limit)
I have professional and personal experience of working with neurodivergent people. I welcome any enquiry to meet for an initial up to 15 minute introductory session prior to making a decision to work together.
I believe every client is the expert in their own life. and together, with me as a guide, I aim to help them in their journey to a better mental well-being state of mind.
My Approach
As a Grief counsellor and psychodynamic therapist I offer my clients a safe, non-judgmental and empathic space in my therapy room in Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset to explore their presenting issues/distresses. As mentioned, as a therapist, I integrate several other modalities into my work, of which are dependent on the client, as no-one-size fits all.. Being an integrative counsellor means using a flexible and adaptable approach to counselling by combining various theories and techniques to meet the unique needs of each client.
Counselling can help to relieve the client of their automatic negative thoughts and worries and together we can fill your 'toolbox' with strategies that will allow you to be free of your anxious feelings and bring a new understanding of your 'self' to the surface. This type of counselling often focuses on exploring past experiences, current challenges, and future goals, allowing clients to gain insight and develop coping strategies.
I use a flexible and adaptable approach to therapy by combining various theories and techniques such as CBT and transactional analysis to meet the unique needs of each client.
The foundation of my work is person-centred, with the integration of other modalities where appropriate. I integrate CBT into my sessions by way of timelines, mindmaps, and socratic questioning and work sheets, including thought records, when working with irrational thinking patterns. I also integrate creative therapies into sessions, such as feelings and mood cards, and games such as UNO, emotions Jenga, I also use creative activities such as air dry clay modelling and drawing/colouring as an aide to discover inner thoughts and feelings of the client. I have completed training and offer Sand tray therapy, as and when requested.
People contact me for help with a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that I can support you through counselling:
Grief ( significant loss and bereavement)
Complicated Grief
Anticipatory & Dissenfranchised Grief
Childhood Grief
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship problems
Anxiety disorders
Intergenerational/Historic trauma
Depression
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Suicidal ideation
Issues relating to sexuality
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Obsessions and compulsions
Anger
Intrusive thoughts
SPEAK IN CONFIDENCE
Counselling takes place in a safe space, where you can meet with someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy - and without judgement. In the therapy space thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely and in confidence.
A PROBLEM SHARED...
Trouble with a relationship, anxiety, self-esteem, or panic attacks, mood swings or depression, all that may be the result of past traumas, bereavement or a significant loss - can lead many people to face difficulties in their everyday lives and can be hard to get on top of. Counselling gives the client a set of tools that can be used to help gain a better understanding of what’s causing these problems - and how you can move towards managing or resolving them.
MAKE BETTER, HEALTHIER NEW CHOICES
Working together I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and see how you can start to make better, healthier choices moving forward. Your mental-wellbeing will be the important factor in our sessions together.
CONTACT ME
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07368 855588 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
Fees
Sessions with me are 50 minutes in length, and I work my fees on a 'means tested sliding scale’.
Standard fee - £50 per 50 minute session.
Working with evidence of universal credit/other benefits - £40 per 50 minute session
Student Counsellors £30 per 50 minute session
Students under 18/OAP’s/Evidence of benefits (not working) - £25 per 50 minute session
I offer a free upto 15 minute initial assesment session, of which can be done face to face, online, or over the telephone. Please get in touch to arrange.
Frequently Asked Questions
Counselling is usually a good way to help with a current problem; something that can be discussed and - hopefully - resolved within a limited number of sessions. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and away forward becomes clear. Therapy often describes work that goes a bit deeper, towards more substantial life issues and problems having a deeper effect on the client’s life. Therapy often requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open-ended.
Which option is most suitable depends on the client and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling works well as an ongoing, longer-term option - or therapy can manage to resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availabity. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availabity of that free ‘slot’.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.
Note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others, and there the law requires that I notify an authority; in these cases I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. Having someone else with you who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.
© Tanya Russell
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