Counselling Services: How I Can Help You

I work with a wide range of issues that clients choose to bring, such as anxiety/stress, depression, self-harm, bereavement & loss, low self-esteem, trauma recovery, relationship difficulties, race, ethnicity and culture issues, neurodiverse-related issues, long-term health issues, and sexuality & gender issues. As a bilingual therapist, I can provide support in multiple languages, ensuring effective communication and understanding. 

I offer both short-term and long-term counselling, including couple counselling to help partners navigate their relationship challenges. Additionally, I provide life coaching for those looking to explore another dimension of themselves, seek life goals, and pursue spiritual harmony, drawing from my experience as a gestalt counsellor. 

Please see below in detail.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi once said, ‘If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.’ This may resonate differently with each individual, as everyone experiences life uniquely. Anxiety and depression can be exhausting, limiting choices and the ability to feel happy. As a Bilingual Therapist, I will work with you to gain a deeper understanding of your anxiety and/or depression, including their triggers and the negative beliefs or feelings associated with them. Together, we will develop coping strategies that can help you manage and eventually break free from the cycles of feeling stuck. This process can lead to a greater sense of calm, groundedness, fulfillment, and confidence when facing life's challenges. Additionally, if you are seeking Couple Counselling, we can also address the dynamics in your relationship. As a Gestalt Counsellor, my aim is to help you regain the connection and control you may feel you've lost.

The experience of bereavement is often an unavoidable consequence of losses or major life changes. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a friendship, identity, youth, or even a homeland and the sense of belonging, this experience can be extremely painful. As a bilingual therapist, I can offer you a safe space to express your feelings in ways that suit your needs, whether you wish to talk about them or simply need someone to sit with you during the grieving process. Following this, I can assist you in learning to grow around your losses. Although these losses may always remain significant and painful, your life has the potential to continue evolving. This way, you can re-engage with life and find meaning again. If you're seeking couple counselling, I can also support you and your partner through this difficult time, helping you navigate your feelings together. As a Gestalt counsellor, I focus on your present experience, guiding you to process your emotions and foster growth despite the pain.

Coaching is a collaborative process that helps unlock a client's potential and fosters personal growth, autonomy, and self-direction, creating a sense of empowerment. Through coaching, clients can achieve increased self-awareness, make empowering choices, and bridge the gaps between their goals and current situations. As a bilingual therapist, I often start by identifying the areas in your life that you wish to change, exploring any obstacles, patterns, beliefs, or relationship dynamics that may hinder your progress. We will work together to develop strategies that help you remove these barriers with confidence and self-belief.

The distinction between coaching and couple counselling lies in their focus; counselling is reparative, while coaching emphasizes personal development. During the coaching process, if clients are open to it, we can employ creative methods to gain different perspectives, such as using mixed-media to create a life book, applying Gestalt two-chair work to encourage self-exploration, or using nesting dolls to delve into various aspects of self, and much more. As a Gestalt counsellor, I find these techniques particularly effective in facilitating deeper understanding and growth.

I advocate for multicultural diversity in society and the equality of people. Multicultural concerns encompass topics and identities such as race, religion, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, and disability. As a bilingual therapist with cross-cultural experience, I possess a deep understanding of the impact of being 'different' and how it can affect people's experiences and interactions. My curiosity about various cultures drives me to learn more about them. Transitioning from one culture to another, transforming and integrating while managing feelings of being lost, adapting to change, and seeking a sense of belonging and new identity—these are just a few issues I can help you explore in Echo Forest Therapy’s safe therapeutic space. Additionally, I offer couple counselling and draw on my skills as a Gestalt counsellor to support individuals and couples through these challenges.

Dealing with long-term health conditions and sudden life-changing acquired disabilities goes far beyond the physiological and medical challenges they pose. Chronic illness and acquired disabilities can shape our self-view and outlook towards life, impacting our relationships, careers, plans for the future, and many other aspects of life. As a bilingual therapist, I understand the nuances of these challenges, especially for individuals navigating different cultural contexts. 

With experience gained from my counselling career and previous roles in adult social care and voluntary settings—such as working with people affected by stroke—I offer a warm, safe, and empathic listening space. In my practice as a Gestalt Counsellor, I support you in expressing your feelings and thoughts. Together, we will explore how your physical conditions affect your mental and emotional health. We will look for ways to manage these conditions, including relieving associated symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger, and frustration, strengthening your support network of friends, family, and community, re-evaluating life choices and potentials, and searching for a new sense of self and existential meaning in life. Additionally, I provide couple counselling to help partners navigate these challenges together.

Living in a neurotypical world poses many challenges for neurodiverse people. Some individuals, often unaware of their neurodiversity or undiagnosed, may struggle for years, feeling confused and alienated. As a bilingual therapist, my approach to working with neurodiverse clients emphasizes appreciating individuality and uniqueness, clarifying individual strengths and values, setting goals to move toward those values, and incorporating mindfulness to increase self-awareness and improve self-regulation.

Neurodiversity provides the world with new perspectives in life, various styles of living, and a multiplicity of possibilities. Without diversity—whether neurological or physical—how dull our world would be! Additionally, in the realm of couple counselling, understanding neurodiversity can enhance relationships by fostering deeper connections and communication. As a gestalt counsellor, I strive to create a safe space where neurodiverse individuals can thrive.

Difficult relationships in life often lead to intense worry and distress, and sometimes even break down. Although many of us are good at masking our feelings, even close family and friends may not be aware of the suffering we are experiencing. As a bilingual therapist, I offer a confidential and safe space for you to talk freely without worry. I can help you understand and identify the difference between unhealthy and healthy relationships, recognize unhelpful behaviors and patterns, and explore ways to improve and achieve more satisfying and healthy relationships through couple counselling.

We will learn how our differences come with the potential for mutual growth. As a Gestalt counsellor, I can assist you in exploring the communication difficulties you face and finding effective communication methods to bridge those differences without losing your own voice.

Self-esteem is essentially how we value ourselves. When we experience low self-esteem, we may feel negative and critical of our own abilities, which can hold us back in life. As a Bilingual Therapist, I can help you recognize the negative voices of your inner critic and find ways to challenge them, replacing them with positive and constructive messages. We can work on self-acceptance, self-value, confidence building, and self-exploration. Through Couple Counselling sessions, we will identify your strengths, qualities, and the uniqueness of your being, while also addressing ways to manage your responses to others’ behavior, all under the guidance of a qualified Gestalt Counsellor.

I strongly believe in the freedom of being and existing in the ways one chooses. As a bilingual therapist, I have supported many young people who identify as LGBTQ+ on issues around sexuality and gender identity. If you want to talk about these topics, I will provide you with a non-judgemental, safe, and inclusive space. Together, we can explore the difficulties you might be experiencing and how to start accepting and feeling more comfortable with your self-identity. We can also work on any challenges or mental health concerns you may have linked to living in a heteronormative society, including facing potential discrimination, bullying, homophobia, biphobia, or transphobia. Additionally, if you are seeking couple counselling, I am here to assist you in navigating these concerns together.

Trauma and abuse can manifest in various forms, often leaving a profound impact on our lives, both immediately and later on. This impact can be hidden, debilitating, and long-lasting. As a bilingual therapist, I will work with you at your preferred pace to safely explore your trauma using my Gestalt approach. I can support you in managing trauma symptoms, gently reprocessing traumatic memories if needed, and ultimately integrating what happened in the past into your personal meaning. Through this process, we can develop a new understanding and relationship with the trauma, helping you reconnect with the world and leading to a more fulfilling life. Additionally, if you're looking for couple counselling, I can assist partners in navigating their experiences together in a supportive environment.