Windmills of the Mind

A lighthouse, when you're near the rocky shore

What we specialise in:

Windmills Of The Mind (WOTM) specialises in helping you ease your suffering from:

Anxiety & Depression
PTSD & Emotional Abuse Trauma
Relationship Challenges

What we will do:

help you identify the problems you are dealing with
find the core of where those problems originated
help you deal with them in a different way, using your own skills, experience and knowledge

What we won't do:

won't keep you in therapy for months or years
won't talk in 'psycho-babble' language
won't ask you to describe too much about the pain you faced in the past

What we can do:

identify the emotional needs that are missing
help you figure out how to get those emotional needs met quickly
help you get your life purpose clarified

4-week Online Course

We have just created a 4-week online course for healing from trauma, which costs little more than one therapy session. Check it out here:

Find out more

Asking for help

We all understand that when we break an arm or a leg, we go to a hospital doctor. However, when we face challenges with our mind and emotions, that's a whole other ball game.

You may be feeling lost and alone, or confused and desperate for answers. But, there's a fear inside your gut that won't allow you to ask. We know this sensation all to well. We are human, after all.

Booking yourself in for a therapy session is probably one of the bravest things you can do. It takes a lot of courage to admit you need help in this area.

Family/Friends vs Therapist

Granted, you may have family or friends that are on hand to offer advice but, that advice can only come from their personal point of view. A friend or family member will listen to only so much (and that's fair enough), they'll give you advice from their point of view (which is natural), then they'll want you to get on with it. If you can't, they might even get a bit frustrated and you could possibly lose them at some point.

On the other hand, a therapist is trained to listen with the intent of identifying any patterns, problems and hurdles that you may be having to deal with. They'll draw their advice from their extensive hours of training, not personal opinion. A professional psychotherapist or counsellor is also registered with a professional agency and also operates within a code of ethics.

The Therapy Sessions

Your therapy sessions

You have the opportunity to discuss your concerns in a confidential space and explore how we can help you tackle them effectively. During the first session, we generally get a feel for the issues you are having to deal with and figure out the strategies pertinent to you. We listen to you then begin to explore what therapy outcome you would like. We explain how we can work with you, to help you address your issues.

You don't have to turn up to our therapy practice every week. If you would prefer fortnightly, monthly or a check-up every six months or so, this is entirely up to you.

Oh, and by the way, please dress in whatever makes you feel comfortable.

How many sessions?

There are some counselling services that recommend 6-12 sessions. However, we aim to help you leave your very first session feeling better than when you arrived.

Typically, our clients feel the benefits from therapy within 3-6 sessions. It's up to you if you want more, but we don't want to drag you through months and months of unnecessary counselling, when you could be getting on with your life outside of the therapy room.

Sessions 1 and 2: This is to help us understand the specific problems you face and organise some strategies to help you deal with it,

Sessions 3 and 4: We take this time to go through a range of outcomes or goals so that we can help you deal with your problems. This provides you with a level of ongoing support and guidance while you take the time to experiment, practice and embed the changes into your daily life,

Sessions 5 and 6: If your problems are longstanding, or there are several issues which you feel need dealing with, we can go into them during these sessions,

Session 6 onwards: if you feel you need them as a reassuring back-up, or for somewhere to air your thoughts and go through your emotions in a safe and confidential area, we can work flexibly so you can use this space for however long you need it for. Some people feel they want an occasional check-up, so return for one therapy session every six months.

How long does a therapy session last?

Individual counselling sessions can last up to 60 minutes. However, if the therapy session goes over by 15 minutes or so, this is ok.

Couple Counselling can last up to 90 minutes and can last for an average of six sessions. Couples usually hold their sessions as follows:

Sessions 1, 2 and 3 together

Session 4 and 5 as individuals

Session 6 together

Additional sessions as and when wanted or needed.

Some couples choose to return to have a session for a 'relationship check-up' once every few months. They do this to refresh or learn new skills and remind them of the value of their relationship.

HOW WE PREP FOR YOUR SESSION

During your session

Attention and focus

1. Greeting you

10 minutes

We ask how you are, then ask you to complete the clinical forms checklist.

2. The challenges you face

20 minutes

We prompt you with questions so you can answer freely, about your emotions and mental health.

3. Guided Imagery

20 minutes

When we have some information, we guide you through a visualisation exercise.

4. Closing questions

10 minutes

During this time, you are free to relax and reflect on your session, and tell us what you would like to explore in your next session.

After your session

Paperwork & Prayer

1. Meditation/Prayer

10 minutes

After completing your paperwork, we focus on some quiet time, a time of reflection of the challenges facing you.

2. Notes on your paperwork

45 minutes

We work on your clinical forms, and make notes of the experiences you have told us about. After the first 2 sessions, we begin to make a diagnosis for you.

3. Filing your files

5 minutes

We file your notes in a safe storage box, ready for your next session. We keep these in line with the required GDPR guidelines.

4. Total time for session

120 minutes

In all, including paperwork, the actual session and reflection, we spend about two hours on each of your sessions.

Workshops & Group Therapy

Group Therapy Sessions

Our Group Therapy sessions are not normal! We don't sit in a circle and talk about our troubles in order to face them. Instead, we engage in activities, such as Calming Colouring, or even go for Woodland Walks. The sessions are designed where you can learn to live in the moment so you can learn to control anxiety, depression and stress.

Workshops

We regularly organise online and in-person workshops. In them, you get to:

understand how the brain works
explore how the brain influences your emotions and
how you can control that process

The aim is to help you get a better understanding of the issues and challenges you face - and help you learn to deal with them differently.

Agony Aunt

This is a relatively new service on our books, similar to those articles you read in the Sunday Supplements. Except, this is a personalised service, where we can answer your problems by podcast or on our blog. Ask for more details by filling in the form on our Contact page.

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NOTE: For educational purposes, interactions through presentations and workshops may be recorded.

Reviews

We are always delighted when people let us know how pleased they are when they have completed their course of therapy. Writing a review for us, gives confidence in our service to other people, which enables us to help more of them.

Cost of therapy

How much does it cost?

Counsellors can charge anything from between £50 up to £200 for individual counselling. We have looked at the experience and skills we have to offer and the people we want to help in the quickest possible time-frame, and have set our fee bar somewhere in the middle bracket.

For information on current fees, go to our Services & Reviews page where all our fees are listed.

You get a quality counselling service, from a clinical psychotherapist that won't charge you the earth and, more importantly, won't encourage you to keep returning for more sessions than you need to.

Therapy for Free

We work for the military charity PTSDResolution. Through this, veterans can get free sessions. We have also aligned with The Red Poppy Company, so civilian employees and business managers/owners can get similar access to free therapy.

PTSD & Emotional Abuse Trauma

You might be experiencing symptoms associated with painful and traumatic circumstances, emotional abuse often goes undetected for a long while. Fear, hopelessness and despair can give you limited sleep leaving you drained of energy.

Our service can help guide you through the healing process.

Before you book a session, check-out our a 4-week online course. It is delivered by a qualified clinical psychotherapist and costs little more than one therapy session:

Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety and depression are some of the most devastating and, at times, confusing, experiences. Anger and addictions stem from these emotional rollercoasters. Our counselling could help you to recover motivation, perspective, and involvement in life - and help you build a new one.

RelationShips

Do you find yourself lost, breaking-up or heartbroken? We can teach you methods that will get you through with confidence and more than a little love. Once you are aware of the signs to look for, how to navigate communication and learn negotiation techniques, your RelationShip, you could possibly sail you off to paradise.