Graham Cottrell Counselling

Hello, my name is Graham and I am qualified and accredited person-centred counsellor, I have therapeutic spaces in East Sussex and London, but like many of you right now I am working from home offering talking therapy via zoom, skype or over the telephone, whichever you feel most comfortable with.

I have experience of working with a broad range of clients, however I have worked extensively with people experiencing anxiety and depression, addiction and addictive behaviors’, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, attachment disorder, family and relationship issues.

I know for some people, arriving at the decision to have counselling is challenging enough, then you are faced with deciding which type of counselling is best for you and indeed which counsellor is going to be the ‘right fit’ for you, because remember this is for you and you are here because you have decided that you want be, the ‘best you’.

“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don’t find myself saying, “Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner.” I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”

Carl R. Rogers, A Way of Being.

There is plenty of evidence that counselling works, but no agreement on which theoretical approach is the most effective. However, research into counselling highlights the importance of the therapeutic relationship between client and counsellor, the stronger the relationship, the more positive the outcomes.

Some of the qualities I embody as a person-centred counsellor which are fundamental to the therapeutic relationship are, congruence – a genuineness, almost transparent, in that I am not superior to you and you are the expert of your own experiences. The second is empathy, or empathic understanding, the capacity to track and sense accurately your feelings and personal meanings, to perceive the world as you perceive it. Lastly is what we call unconditional positive regard, this translates as acceptance and non-judgement, this is key to the therapeutic relationship. You will feel safe to explore negative feelings and to move into the core of your anxiety. You will also be more likely to face yourself honestly without the ever-present fear of rejection or condemnation.

It is my job to create these conditions of relationship where the growth process can begin. In a sense I am providing different soil and a climate in which you can recover from past trauma and begin to flourish as the unique individual you actually are.

“When a person realizes he has been deeply heard, his eyes moisten. I think in some real sense he is weeping for joy. It is as though he were saying, “Thank God, somebody heard me. Someone knows what it’s like to be me”

Carl R. Rogers

Please use my free consultation service, this is a safe and confidential space where you can outline the areas of your life you like to focus on.

Please contact me via email, phone or messaging service, alternatively you can use the form below.

Email: grahamcottrellcounselling@gmail.com

Phone: 07852 593640