Individual Counselling
I offer individual counselling to any individual who is 13 years old and older. For clients under the age of 18 to receive counselling, both their parents need to sign a consent form.
What Is Individual Counselling?
Individual counselling is a one-on-one discussion between a client and a trained mental health professional. The client and the counsellor build a trusting relationship that enables the client to explore their feelings, beliefs, and behaviours. The counsellor helps the client reframe their experiences so they can find new solutions and coping strategies to adjustment crises and challenges.
It also enables the client to process difficult or salient memories. It supports the client in recognising areas of their life that they would like to change and setting personal goals. Additionally, individual counselling helps clients to better understand themselves and others.
Ultimately, it facilitates a process through which the client changes their habits to achieve the change necessary to change their lives. The client and counsellor collaborate to teach the client tools and activate the client’s inner resources to promote positive choices.
Individual counselling can help clients:
- Resolve conflicts with a romantic partner, friend, colleague, or family member.
- Alleviate stress and anxiety from work, school, or other situations.
- Cope with major life changes, for example, losing a job, a loved one, or a relationship.
- Learn to regulate unhealthy reactions, for example, aggressive behaviour.
- Accept an ongoing or serious health issue, for example, cancer, diabetes, or chronic pain.
- Heal from physical, verbal, or sexual abuse, or witnessing a crime or violence.
- Deal with sexual problems or sexual identity problems.
The Benefits of Individual Counselling
Individual counselling has many benefits. It can help you improve your communication skills, set boundaries, manage your emotions, build self-esteem, let go of past traumas, resolve conflicts, and manage stress.
- CONFIDENTIALITY: Individual counselling sessions are private and confidential, which can be important for people who are embarrassed or ashamed of their issues. Some people (rightly) fear stigmatisation or simply want to keep their struggles to themselves. People who may be shy or afraid to speak up in groups may find this extremely beneficial.
- OVERCOME TRAUMA: Counselling provides a safe space to confront, work through, and release past trauma.
- COMMUNICATION: Counselling can help you learn how to communicate in a healthy, productive way that honours your needs and maintains your boundaries.
- MANAGE EMOTIONS: Counselling can provide the support you need to regulate your emotions successfully.
- SELF-AWARENESS: Reconnect to who you are, what you feel, how you behave, and what you think. Counselling pulls you out of yourself and your struggles.
- SELF-ESTEEM: Counselling can help you learn to accept yourself and develop a stronger sense of self-love, self-compassion, and self-confidence.
- COMFORTABLE PACE: You can work with your counsellor at your own pace. I always remind my clients, “Your space, your pace.”
- STRESS MANAGEMENT: Counselling can help you manage stress more effectively.
- COPING SKILLS: A big part of counselling is learning and trying out new coping skills, especially as it relates to emotional triggers.
- CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Counselling can help you identify and resolve misunderstandings and disagreements before they become major problems.
- PERSONALISED ATTENTION: The counsellor focuses entirely on you and what best serves your well-being.
- PERSPECTIVE: A counsellor can provide a unique, inspiring perspective that helps you see things differently. Counselling also involves objective feedback that may help you understand more nuanced thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.
- BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES: Getting in touch with and processing your feelings while adjusting your thoughts can change your behaviour. When you feel better, you do better.
- IMPROVED PHYSICAL HEALTH: There is a strong connection between mental and physical health, and counselling can help improve both.
The Risks of Individual Counselling
Typically, counselling involves little risk. However, clients may sometimes feel emotionally uncomfortable, because it can bring up painful feelings and explore traumatic experiences. A skilled counsellor who can meet their clients’ needs can help minimise these risks.
During counselling sessions, I will encourage you to talk about the thoughts, feelings, and emotions causing you uncertainty or distress. It may be hard for you to open up about your feelings, but in time I can help you feel more confident and comfortable.
Sometimes counselling involves intense emotional discussions. Consequently, you may find yourself crying, becoming upset, or even having an angry outburst during a counselling session. You may also feel physically and emotionally exhausted after an appointment. However, I can help you regulate and process these emotions and feelings.
Additionally, learning coping skills and practising emotional regulation can help you manage and deal with negative feelings and fears. During counselling, you may experience unexpected changes. For example, recalling past events may trigger unwanted emotions that can be integral to the counselling process, but may be challenging. It can also take some time for the counselling process to work and be effective. You may feel worse before you feel better. However, most clients find that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
As a Specialist Wellness Counsellor, it is outside of my scope of practice to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. However, I can refer you to the appropriate mental health professional.
Testimonials
Visit the Testimonials page to discover what clients who have experienced individual counselling with me have to say about the process.
You are an orchid, in the world full of roses and lilies.
Areeba
You are to bloom in the dark wood of forests, unique from the rest.
How It Works…
All counselling sessions are held using Google Meet or WhatsApp voice call (emergencies only!). Each counselling session is 50 minutes long.
The First Individual Counselling Session
At the first counselling session, I generally collect information about you and your needs. You may be asked to fill out forms about your physical and mental health. It can take a few sessions for me to fully comprehend your situation and concerns, and design an intervention.
The first counselling session is also a chance for you to interview me. You will be able to see whether my approach and personality are the right fit for you. You should make sure to understand and agree with the goals of the counselling process, how long each session will be, how many counselling sessions you will need, and what type of intervention can be used.
Feel free to ask any and as many questions as you want!
Subsequent Counselling Sessions
Most clients meet me weekly, every other week, or monthly for 50 minutes per session.
During your individual counselling sessions, I will listen to your concerns and hold a space for them to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. I may ask questions, provide feedback, psycho-educate, and offer suggestions for coping with and addressing your issues.
I will aid you in identifying and addressing underlying issues that contribute to mental health concerns. By talking through your experiences and emotions, you will better understand the root causes of your struggles and develop strategies to address them. You can express your feelings and process difficult experiences in the safe space I create just for you. I will guide and support you in navigating challenges. Together, we will help you develop coping skills and strategies for regulating your emotions and managing your mental health concerns – especially if you’re struggling with complex life events and ongoing stressors.
I will challenge you to identify and acknowledge unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour to aid you in seeing difficulties more clearly from a different point of view. This is achieved by creating a warm, empathic, genuine, and non-judgmental environment with safety, trust, and confidentiality wherein you can work through your issues. I also borrow and integrate elements, principles, and concepts from various other theories and modalities to create a holistic view of my clients and underpin my interventions.
After a counselling session, I may ask you to complete specific activities or practice what you learned. Over time, discussing your concerns can help improve your mood and alter the way you think and feel about yourself. It can also improve your ability to regulate your emotions and cope with issues.
Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.
Theodore Roethke
Fees and Rates
I reserve the right to offer discounts on fees and rates to clients at my discretion.
Summary of Fees and Rates for Individual Counselling
| INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING | The First Consultation/Initial Intake Session of 50 Minutes | Subsequent 50-Minute Sessions |
| Adolescents (13 to 17 years old) | ZAR 480.00 | ZAR 400.00 |
| Students (18 to 24 years old) | ZAR 480.00 | ZAR 400.00 |
| Adults (25 to 64 years old) | ZAR 600.00 | ZAR 500.00 |
| Pensioners (65 years and older) | ZAR 480.00 | ZAR 400.00 |
Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.
Unknown
Interested in Receiving Counselling?
Send an email to thebloomingpractice@gmail.com or a WhatsApp message to +27 71 342 9810 to make an appointment with me or ask any questions.
I will respond in between seeing clients during the following South African business hours (GMT +2):
- Monday: 08h30 – 19h00 (excluding 10h30 to 13h00)
- Tuesday: 08h30 – 19h00 (excluding 10h30 to 13h00)
- Wednesday: 08h30 – 19h00 (excluding 10h30 to 13h00)
- Thursday: 08h30 – 19h00 (excluding 10h30 to 13h00)
- Friday: Closed
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: 09h00 – 13h30
In case of an emergency, go to your nearest police station or to the emergency room of your nearest hospital.
Excited to hear from you!
Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
Viktor E. Frankl
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
The Blooming Practice 