Benefits of Therapy
Counselling and Psychotherapy can be of great support in times of crisis or change. It involves the provision of professional assistance to people who are experiencing personal issues, in order to help alleviate those difficulties.
Nearly everyone faces challenges and difficulties in their life at some time. But sometimes these challenges and difficulties can be overwhelming and we may feel helpless. Stress over a job, anxiety caused by uncertainty over the future, loss because of bereavement, sexual assault, problems over addiction or difficulties in a relationship are just some of the reasons why people feel they can benefit by talking to a professional Counsellor or Psychotherapist.
When should you seek a Counsellor / Psychotherapist?
At various stages in our lives, we may need help addressing problems and issues that cause us emotional distress or make us feel overwhelmed. When experiencing these types of difficulties, you may benefit from the assistance of an experienced, trained professional.
Professional Therapists offer caring, expert assistance that can help you identify your problems and assist you in finding the best way to cope with them. This may involve changing behaviours that contribute to the problem or by finding constructive ways to deal with a situation that is beyond your personal control.
Therapists offer help in addressing many situations that cause emotional distress, including, but not limited to:
- Relationship difficulties (e.g. within families, with partners)
- Anxiety, Depression, Stress and other mental and emotional problems and disorders
- Bereavement - the death of a loved one
- Social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness
- Addiction problems – e.g. alcohol and substance abuse, gambling and other addictions
- Sexual abuse and domestic violence
- Eating Disorders
- Career and job stress
Client Testimonials
My name is Pamela and I've been having counselling with Jo for the last 16 months.
My name is Pamela and I've been having counselling with Jo for the last 16 months, it was my first time so I was quite nervous to begin but Jo was so lovely she is a kind warm person , who has taught me so much about putting myself first, as a mam of 3 and business owner I was very close to burnout from stress, I feel like a different person now than the woman who walked into the first session with her. I can't thank her enough and look forward to seeing her again .
I experienced severe burnout and associated severe anxiety all related to my work.
My doctor was excellent and agreed with me that I needed counselling to help me. While I had never attended counselling before I was very open to attending one. I was willing to do "whatever" to make me feel better as I was also very angry that I found myself in this position.
Another professional gave me a personal recommendation for Jo so I phoned her explained my situation and I made my appointment.
From the outset Jo was a very good listener, she was warm and empathetic. She removed any sense of self blame that I had.
She was very strategic. The causes of my stress and anxiety were identified, discussed and for each one she got me to come up with the solutions rather than she giving them to me. I found this to be empowering and it made it much more likely that I would use the identified solutions as I owned them.
For each source of stress we identified how to remove it and what boundaries to put in place to make it not repeat.
These boundaries were journaled by me each week and as my "homework " I reread them to ensure that they became embedded in my future practice.
Plan B's were also discussed for if the boundaries didn't work.
Jo was direct when she needed to be but this was for my own good. She asked the "what if" questions to ensure that I knew what to do if my stress / anxiety triggers reoccurred.
Each week she gave me tasks to work on so the whole process was very structured and strategic.
She clearly prepares for each session and I found it remarkable her ability to remember details from our previous sessions.
Jo genuinely cares about her clients and you can check in with her if you need to between sessions.
I have total confidence in her professionalism and in her ability to help you to heal yourself. I highly recommend her and I have already recommended her to friends who found themselves in a similar situation to my own.
For privacy reasons I won't give my name but I can assure you that I am in a much better place now thanks to Jo.
When I first started counselling with Jo I had a list of things I wanted to work through to help me heal. Over time, issues that I had refused to deal with in the past cropped up and we were able to work through those at a pace that suited me. Jo gave me the tools and the space to learn new lessons for myself and to set healthy boundaries. The most important thing I learned was how to say no- in my personal, professional, and family life. I will continue to work on my healing journey for years to come but I am no longer held back by bad experiences and the expectations of others. Jo helped me to realise that I cannot do everything for everybody and that I have to make myself a priority even if other people don’t, Orlaith
My name is John from Co. Laois, and for the past few months I have had the great fortune of having Jo Brecknell as my therapist/counsellor.
She has been an anchor and guide for me through a turbulent time in my life and her understanding and guidance are steadily bringing me right back to who I really am.
I may yet have a long road to travel, but with Jo as my fellow traveller and my guide, I look forward to the day, whenever it arrives, in the confidence that I have been in safe and wise hands I would not hesitate in recommending Jo Brecknell to anyone who needs an empathetic, effective and professional therapist/counsellor.
I had a lot of things I needed to address and even though they were things out of the ordinary you handled the situation with a warmth and professionalism that I appreciated.
I had a lot of work to do to get through stemming from my childhood and into the present.
I had to look at the building blocks of my life and change the way I approached life.
I was in a very low point in my life and you showed me how to deal and gave me the strength I needed to change my life.
I am now doing much better and I have the skills to cope when things don’t go my way. It was a privilege to have met you and work with you. I’m not sure if it was a good thing for you being pushed so far and so hard but we did get through it. Denise
