Counselling Formats

Three formats are available to suit your needs.

Video Call

After booking a session with Holly, an appointment confirmation with a secure video call link will be emailed to you. Wherever you are, check that you have a stable internet connection, and log on to the call with your preferred device.

Face-to-Face

While online video counselling is often preferred for its convenience, you may still want to meet in person.

Please get in touch if you’re interested.

Email

You might prefer writing to Holly on a regular basis instead of meeting for sessions.

Emails are generally 300-500 words in length, and exchanged weekly or bi-weekly.

 
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Counselling Approaches

A counselling approach (or modality) is a set of philosophies, principles and techniques that guide mental health practitioners to co-create change with the people they work with.

Holly integrates several approaches into her practice. They include:

  • The counsellor uses techniques like reflection, active listening, and summary to guide the person through solutions to their problems. Support is underpinned by three core conditions:

    (1) Empathic understanding: the counsellor tries to understand the person’s point of view

    (2) Congruence: the counsellor is genuine

    (3) Unconditional positive regard: the counsellor is non-judgmental.

  • Narrative Therapy is a non-blaming approach to counselling and community work that centres the person, rather than the therapist, as the expert of their own life.

    The person is not the problem; the problem is the problem. This idea helps people address the problems in their lives without feeling like they are the problem. The counsellor asks questions to help thicken the narrative about the person’s life; in doing so, the person renews connections to their goals, values, hopes and dreams.

  • Known simply as “act”, this approach is a type of mindful psychotherapy that helps people stay present in the moment, and accept difficult experiences without judging themselves or others.

    Sometimes, the tendency to hold on to feelings about feelings adds to our suffering. Through developing ways to accept thoughts and feelings as experiences that come and go, people can start to commit to actions that align with their values, and be present for what’s most important to them.

  • This approach is rooted in evidence that compassion is central to wellbeing, and that healing happens through developing compassion for oneself and others.

    The counsellor and the person work together to understand the impact of shame, perfectionism and criticism on their life, and to work with the three emotion-regulation systems (Threat, Drive, and Soothe).

  • CBT seeks to understand the relationship between our cognition (thought), behaviour, and emotions.

    It examines the core beliefs behind our thoughts, feelings and emotions – ones that formed in early experiences and relationships. With guidance and structure, the person practices self-awareness and ways to regulate their thinking, behavioural and emotional habits to better cope with challenges.

  • The main goals of psychodynamic therapy are to:
    (1) Enhance the person’s self-awareness and
    (2) Foster understanding of the person’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in relation to their past experiences, especially their experiences as a child.