Russell Dicks

Short term counselling and therapy

Emotional distress can be a reaction to recent difficulties in our lives, such as stress, trauma, relationship difficulties and loss. The impact of such events can be alarming and disabling and they can affect us physically and emotionally. They can also impact on such things as our concentration and memory and our ability to think clearly and put things in perspective at a time when we most need these skills.

Short term psychotherapy or counselling can be helpful in a wide range of issues. Short term can mean anything from 4 to 20 sessions and the number of sessions is usually decided at the start of therapy.  This type of work tends to be highly focused on a current problem or difficulty.  In the sessions you have an opportunity to talk to someone outside the usual circle of people you talk to.  This can allow you to talk freely about the situation, to express your thoughts and feelings, take a new perspective on your situation, come to new understandings about things, notice patterns in your life, and make changes or find your own solutions to the immediate difficulties facing you.

I have worked extensively with adults and children in primary health care, employee assistance programs and education using short term models of work.  I have undertaken training in Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), solution focused, brief psychodynamic models, and other short term methods of work.