The Psychotherapy Practice

Clients

Individual adults (aged 18+)

Model/style

I work psychodynamically. This means that I am particularly interested in our early experiences and relationships, the way that these shape us for good or bad, and how these can often continue to have an impact on us, often unconsciously, in adult life. I aim to help you to think about not just the immediate challenge or difficulty that has brought you to counselling (sometimes called the presenting problem), but also the deeper or underlying causes of this – the way that the present may have been shaped and influenced by the past.

Psychodynamic counselling does not look for a quick fix to complex problems, and I will not give you guidance or advice, or set homework tasks. Instead, I will work hard to help you feel safe and comfortable enough to be able to tell your story and to feel really heard and understood. Once this happens, we can begin to work together to make sense of your experiences, to understand the patterns and connections between past and present, and to help you change and grow in the future. Psychodynamic counselling can be a longer-term way of working, but there is a growing body of evidence that shows that the benefits are also longer-lasting.

In psychodynamic counselling, the sessions are usually left open for you to speak about whatever thoughts or feelings might be on your mind – I won’t set an agenda or tell you what you should be talking about, but will work with you to explore whatever might be present for you in the moment. I will also help you to reflect on the process of counselling and what it feels like to be with me in the session, as this can be a really important source of insight and understanding in itself.

Experience

I have been working with clients for more than 10 years, within a community counselling agency, a university counselling service and in my private practice. Before becoming a counsellor I used to teach history and the humanities at university level. I am now involved in counselling training and manage a BACP accredited counselling training course.

All clients are different and the psychodynamic approach may not be right for everyone. However I have worked successfully with clients with a wide range of presenting problems, including: depression and anxiety; loss and bereavement; relationship and sexual difficulties; issues around identity (including work with LGBTQ+ clients); trauma, including childhood and developmental trauma; issues around pregnancy and parenting, including post-natal depression. If you would be interested in finding out more about working together then please contact me to arrange an initial session.

Credentials

Qualifications

Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Therapeutic Counselling, University of Brighton

Certificate in Working with Children and Young People, Alton Counselling Service

Certificate in Assessment Skills, Alton Counselling Service

Professional Membership

I am a Registered and Accredited Member of the BACP and work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. This includes the requirement that I attend regular supervision to discuss my client work with an experienced colleague, and that I undertake ongoing CPD.

Contact Paul

Please email me at paulbrandcounselling@gmail.com