BSc (Hons) Systemic Counselling
Level 1 Training Program in Internal Family Systems
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Registered Member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
Membership number: NCS23-03124
Sue O'Brien Counselling in Cardiff providing Systemic and Internal Family Systems Therapy
Face to Face or Online - Individual or Couple Therapy
Based at Sam's Rooms - 174 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3NB
Individuals £70, Couples £90, Students £55
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.
I'm a therapist who focusses on the Systemic and Internal Family Systems approach - simply put, just as we have external systems in our lives - family, friends, work, etc, and, internal biological systems - digestive, respiratory and reproductive, for example - similarly, we also have a system which shows up as our emotions, behaviours, impulses, thoughts and reactions - our internal family.
Sometimes these internal parts of us can be problematic and overwhelming and so my role is to help you befriend them instead of ignoring them or pushing them away. This way we can discover how your internal family system influences you and your relationships - and vice versa!
Whether you're an individual or a couple, together we'll explore your what's going on for you with curiosity, compassion and without judgement.
Hopefully this makes sense to some part of you and has opened up your curiosity!
Working with Individuals
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'There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you' - Maya Angelou
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I get that life, past and present - and knowing what’s coming - can be a bitch! It can slap us in the face so hard it can be a struggle to get through the day.
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At times we can feel overwhelmed by life, consumed by the pain of our experiences with confusing and sometimes bloody scary thoughts and behaviours.
We can feel conflicted, torn and unable to make decisions - a part of me thinks therapy will help, but another part wonders how on earth talking can make any difference.
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We can be afraid of our pasts, present and future and our relationships can suffer the consequences.
Sometimes it can even be a struggle to function and to find any calm.
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By working together with an open curious mind, we can explore our inner and outer worlds to bring healing and change to your life
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Working with Couples
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'Healing relationships with intimacy from the inside out.' Toni Herbine-Blank & Martha Sweezy
Couples Counselling is a healthy, positive and supportive exploration into the issues and challenges experienced by many couples.
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Every couple is unique, yet their problems often have a commonality – one or both partners having a sense of not feeling validated, heard or understood. Emotions and tensions can run high leading to feelings of blame, shame, hurt, confusion and sometimes infidelity.
These issues are often less of a lack of commitment or love, but more from becoming ‘stuck’ with unhelpful communication a typical theme.
My role is to act as an impartial guide, to assist you in reaching the goals you set based on your situation and desire. I believe we are partners in the process and by exploring past and present patterns of communication and behaviours, we can discover the strengths and resources of your relationship which can lead to new ways to relate and respond to one another.
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‘I want to be held in a way
which allows me to crumble
knowing that those arms are
capable of holding all my little pieces
without dropping a single fragment’
Berkana Vuno