One of my favourite parts of being a counsellor is watching my clients achieve their goals. It makes me so happy to get to celebrate their wins and watch them make positive steps towards the things that they want most.

If there’s something big that you’re working towards, or if you’re seeking to make a change in your life but aren’t sure where to begin, I can help you out.

A lot of the time, clients come to me with a feeling of dissatisfaction in their life or feeling “stuck”. Maybe you aren’t happy with the way things are in your life and you want things to be different. Perhaps you aren’t even sure where that feeling is coming from or what needs to change to help you move forward. Or maybe you know exactly what needs to change but you don’t believe you can do it or it feels too overwhelming. We can work through this together to get you to a place that feels more fulfilling for you.

First, we’ll do a bit of a “life audit”. We will spend some time talking about your life as it is to get a clear picture of who you are as a person and identify any areas of stress or dissatisfaction. I’ll also delve into your personal values to get a sense of what’s important to you and what makes you happy.

Next, we will begin identifying areas for change. For example, if most of your stress is coming from work, but you’re generally happy in the other areas of your life, we can focus on making changes in this area.

Once we know where the change needs to happen, we can start formulating ideas for how to make those changes. This could include a range of things, such as making big decisions, implementing lifestyle changes, creating stronger boundaries, changing unhelpful thought patterns or introducing more supportive behaviours into your life. Together, we’ll create a plan to help you move forward. The focus will always be on you, and while I’ll make suggestions and offer ideas, you’ll always have complete control over the path forward. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, and we’ll keep your needs, goals and values at the centre of this process.

Then comes the most important part – generating some real, tangible goals. We’ll figure out an achievable goal to begin working towards and start putting it into action. We’ll also identify some of the barriers to success and figure out how to avoid or work with them. This is one of the most important steps, because it means that you’ll be able to move forward with realistic expectations and a plan for how you’ll manage challenges and setbacks. These are all part of the process, and it’s normal to face difficulties when making big changes. By planning for them and discussing them frankly, you’ll be less likely to get discouraged when challenges arise.

It’s also really helpful to have someone in your corner as you’re working through your plan and moving towards your goals. I can offer a safe place for you to debrief and discuss barriers, support you when things get difficult and celebrate with you when things are going well. I can also assist you to identify when things aren’t working as well as you’d hoped, and come up with a new plan or new ideas to keep you moving in the right direction.

I take a gentle and empathetic approach to helping you work towards your goals. I know that change is hard and I won’t judge you or criticize you if you struggle or fall down. I’ll offer kindness and a listening ear, whilst also supporting you to get up and learn from each setback.

If you’re hoping to make some big changes in the new year, or if you’re feeling “stuck” in your life and want to find your way again, please reach out and make an appointment with me. I would love to help you out.