Peter Dunn

  Counselling is sometimes called ‘talking therapy’  - a process to help you sort out in your head something that’s troubling you or causing mental pain – a loss, a relationship problem, depression, addiction, anxiety… the list can be long.     Our job as counsellors is to provide a safe, confidential space and an approach for you to explore some aspect of your life,  and hopefully move on or come to terms with something that can't be changed. Usually it's not  about giving advice or telling you what to do.

 

  Is it for you ?    I believe everyone has an issue that would benefit from being unpacked and then viewed differently without being judged.  Dare I say that most guys are more likely to try and sort stuff out for ourselves, bury it, or mask it with alcohol or drugs. But that only seems to help for so long then,  as I’m fond of saying, ‘if you’re in a hole, stop digging’ -  it’s time to look at the problem from another perspective.  This first step to healing can take courage, but  sometimes it’s easier to talk to  someone independent, especially if you know you won’t be judged or shamed.   I know what it's like to be a client.

 

  What kind of counselling ?   There are said to be 10 or 11 main approaches to counselling and psychotherapy, and many hundred branches within those.  Some can be shown to be more effective for particular kinds of problems  and you might have heard of some of them – CBT for depression, Mindfulness for stress, anxiety, etc,  Psychodynamic and Gestalt counselling for deep-seated problems usually going back to early in your life, Person-centred counselling for a wide range of issues.   Probably most counsellors in the Inverness area are primarily trained in the person-centred approach (though most counsellors of all persuasions, including me, use its key principles).  Fewer however have my depth of training in relationships and the problems they bring, or in working with couples.  Some counsellors are very skilled in one approach or one type of problem, others have a wider but less in-depth toolkit.     My tool-kit is wide and varied, drawing on elements of some approaches above and others depending on your issues.   My approach is usually described as ‘integrative’ and I work with individuals and couples.   A good counsellor will tell you whether their approach and skillset could be appropriate for your needs.  For example, I do not work with children or adolescents, or with those currently addicted to drugs or alcohol.     

 

   So if you have read about me and think we could work together, I offer your first session for £20  to allow us both an opportunity to discover whether we can work together, since a first session is mostly ‘getting to know you’.   Thereafter, the cost is £40  per 50 minute session.   For those travelling some distance, I can offer 1.5 hrs for £55.   How many sessions will it take?   is a question I’m often asked. ‘ I don’t know’  is my answer. I’ve seen some clients for 2 years or more, but for most after a few months of weekly sessions, they have moved on sufficiently to end counselling.      Usually, we would initially agree to have 5-6 sessions, usually weekly  then a review before moving on.