Sue O'Brien Counselling in Cardiff - 174 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3NB
 
In person or online therapy for Individuals £80 | Students £60 (30 minute online introductory session free of charge) 
In person therapy for Couples £120
 

Introduction

 

I work in Cardiff either in person or online with individuals and in person with couples. 

I have particular skill in working with relationship issues, anxiety, depression, trauma, guilt, shame, fear, grief, anger, suicidal thinking, self-harm, disordered eating, substance use, and most of all, hope.

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‘Even the worst impulses and feelings - the urge to drink, the compulsion to cut oneself, the paranoid suspicions, the murderous fantasies - spring from parts of a person that themselves have a story to tell and the capacity to become something positive and helpful.........The point of therapy isn't to get rid of anything but to help it transform.’

Richard Schwartz, PhD

 

My approach incorporates Systemic and Internal Family Systems (IFS) thinking - simply put, I help you explore the external systems in your life (relationships, environment, cultural, religious etc) and how these affect your emotions, behaviours, impulses, thoughts and reactions - your internal family system which we call 'parts' - you may notice yourself thinking or saying 'there's a part of me that....'   

 

​​​We often become aware of our parts when their presence is extreme, or they 'take over' for example, anxiety, depression, anger, substance use, self-harm, and it can be common to treat them as you would a troublesome family member by either giving into them or by getting angry with them and trying to push them away, sometimes into dark shadows hoping they'll just go away.  This can work for a while, but inevitably, they can up their game and come back fighting to get your attention.  When this happens it can be overwhelming, frightening, affecting relationships and your quality of life. 

 

So instead, we get curious, we focus on the parts that are causing problems and listen to them, changing your relationship with them from one of frustration to one of understand and compassion - approaching them this way changes their behaviours and your relationship with yourself and others.

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For a short introduction into IFS, check out this 20 minute video 

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I completely get that talking to a stranger about your inner most and sometimes darkest thoughts and behaviours is not easy, it takes courage, so if you've read this far and  find you're noticing any curiosity towards my way of working, then feel free to contact me.

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