Therapist

Russell Long

Counsellor

Integrative counsellor, drawing on my deep knowledge of thee human condition to help you find safety, clarity and purpose. My counselling training is in Person-Centred therapy. This puts the relationship between me, the counsellor, and you, the client, at the heart of the work we do. I work face to face and online with my clients. All clients are different and everyone has different needs, so I integrate different ways of working, depending on what seems to work best. Some clients like a very emotion-driven work and this can be particularly important in bereavement therapy. Other clients need strategies, plans, and goals. At the heart of my work is the simple maxim - I want the best for the best part of you. Here are some examples of the kinds of issues clients bring to me. Anxiety Anxiety is a common concern for many clients. Anxiety can appear in many forms and has many triggers. We will look at what is causing your anxiety, which may be relationships, lifestyle factors, work, or your past, and help you to move towards solutions for freeing yourself from it. Addiction Addiction is a common problem and there is an enormous amount of shame surrounding it. Many addicts spend decades trying to hide their addiction. My experience working with addicts will benefit you as we look at how you would like to change, what a life free from addiction might look like for you, why you became an addict and how you can control your addictive behaviours. Grief / Bereavement / Loss All of us will suffer loss in our lives. Many people move on but sometimes it can feel impossible. In our sessions working with loss you can explore your grief in a safe environment, in the knowledge that my experience working with clients suffering loss will aid our work together. Stress Stress can creep up on you over time and it can be hard to recognise when it's getting too much. Flashes of anger, tiredness, losing interest in life, and physical symptoms such as pain and digestive issues can all be linked to stress. This kind of counselling may just be a space to unload, or it may be a place to find a route out - or perhaps even to find acceptance of the stress you live under. Counselling for Meaning / Life Direction "Who am I?" is the biggest question we can ask ourselves. Here are some questions my clients might ask: "My children have grown up and left home. Who am I now I'm not caring for them?" "I've retired from work. I spent 40 years in work. Who am I once I've stopped working?" "I've lost a loved one who was everything to me. Who am I now they're gone?" "I'm starting out after finishing university. I don't know what I want to do, who I want to be or even where to start. Who am I?" "I'm a recovering addict. I spent 30 years being someone else and I don't want to return to being that person. Who am I now I'm clean?" The question "Who am I" sits with all of us many times in our lives. I give you the space to learn who you are now, and why, and to discover the potential that question holds within it. "Who am I" also holds within it "Who could I be, if I wanted to live the most meaningful life I could?" Meaning sustains us. Meaning is life. The more meaningful our lives, the greater our satisfaction. Come and sit with me, and we will explore what is meaningful to you together.

• Online sessions with a video link sent on booking
• Verified by Veyro's clinical team
• Offers a free 15-minute introductory consultation