His therapies include affordable & effective couples’ relationship counselling, individuals counselling and support groups in and around the local Portsmouth area +/- 30 miles.

In Portsmouth, Dean’s residence is Albermarle House (Osborne Road, Southsea) which is easily accessible by car, Portsmouth bus service, train and Isle of Wight ferry port (click for other locations).

Portsmouth Counsellor = Counselling in Portsmouth!

Therapeutic Counselling Services Offered.

The PortsmouthCounsellor.co.uk website gives information on Dean Richardson’s Portsmouth counselling services.  Therapies include:-

Counselling Qualifications.

You may also be interested in reading about Dean Richardson’s professional qualifications as a therapist.

About Portsmouth Counsellor.

When thinking about counselling in Portsmouth, consider Portsmouth Counsellor for your local therapy needs.

(Image (c) ElvertBarnes / Flickr)

Brief counselling combines your motivation -plus- brief psychodynamic counselling -plus- the counsellor’s skills and support -plus- the incentive of limited time.

Gain relief – and no waiting lists.

Overview of Brief Focal Psychodynamic Counselling.

In general, brief focal psychodynamic counselling (also called “time-limited counselling”) offers the same effective therapy as long-term/open-ended psychodynamic psychotherapy but with the added benefits of it working to a fixed number of sessions (usually six or twelve sessions … agreed and set between counsellor and client at the start), focuses upon with one particular personal matter, and can be quite stimulating & targeting toward the patient’s problem.

For brief/time-limited counselling to be effective, both the client and the therapist must be able to be engaged with each other, and motivated to work on the focal problem.  This usual is not so much of a problem when therapy starts as both therapist and patient are aware that time is passing and the end of the therapy is already in sight the moment it has begun.  This awareness can be quite motivating to stay focussed on the presenting issue.

Brief focal psychodynamic counselling is available for Individuals Only (not for couples) and in Portsmouth (Southsea coast), Hampshire or Online via Skype.

Fixed number of sessions = Fixed budget.

We will discuss and set the number of sessions when we have met for an initial 50-minute assessment session in my Portsmouth & Southsea consultation rooms.  We might, say, agree six sessions of focal psychodynamic counselling (or more or fewer) – but whatever we agree we will aim to stick to that set number.  Working towards the end of counselling can be a struggle and confusing if the end is a moving target!  At the same time, though, we can be flexible enough and considerate to accommodate fewer or more sessions as the therapy seems to demand.

Having set the number of sessions, we will meet weekly – same time each week – to focus on the presenting issue that we discuss in the first session.

Staying focussed means that less “interference” may come into the counselling work.  Whilst in open-ended work, inviting you to freely associate and talk about anything that comes to mind, working to a brief-focal model suggests that anything that comes to mind (that is not part of the original assessment focus) may be invited to wait until a time after the time-limited work is completed.

Why “Focal” Counselling?

Dripping Tap Analogy.

Let me give you an analogy to think about … imagine that you have a dripping tap at home.  You don’t attend to it.  You put off repairing the drip or calling a plumber.  You usually manage to put the dripping tap out of your mind and get on with your life.  You don’t think about it – it doesn’t bother you.  But … occasionally something occurs or you find yourself in a place where you are reminded: drip… drip… drip…!  You find yourself in a minor battle between knowing you can do something about the dripping tap, but put effort in ignoring the problem.

Now, focussing upon getting the tap repaired may take some effort from you.  It will take some time (finding a plumber you trust, evaluating them through newspapers and adverts etc) and it will cost you some money.  The work being done may make the bathroom (say) untidy for a bit and there may be a spray of water (if not careful) that requires some mopping up.  You might not be able to use the bathroom for a bit.  You might find you get on well with the plumber … or he/she may be someone you’d prefer to avoid.

However … once the job is done it’s done.

Resolved!

Over with!!

Relief!!!

Brief Focal Psychodynamic Counselling.

Brief Focal Psychodynamic Counselling can be through about dealing with an emotional dripping tap.  It may be painful and a little scary to begin with when dealing with an emotional problem head on – but you’re not on your own when the counsellor is with you on the journey.  The “job” is done in a known/set amount of time.  The counselling may be, like the tap repair, a bit messy sometimes and may be a little bit water-spraying sometimes, but once it’s done it’s done.

Resolved!

Over with!!

Relief!!!

Is Brief/time-limited Therapy Right for You?

Brief focal psychodynamic counselling can be ideal for those that it works for!  But this is unfair to say if it will or won’t work for you on a web page. So, we’ll talk together about what the work may consist of – particularly with the emotional problem you bring to talk with me. We’ll aim to keep the counselling brief, and the problem addressed.  And if things seem not to be going as well as we’d hoped, we’ll talk about that too and find a way to address this also (which might suggest longer term therapy, a referral to another form of therapy or saying ‘fair well’ for now).

(image (c) Fran Tapia / Flickr)

The couple counselling process helps couples perturb their relationship’s behaviour sufficiently to open up space for inspiration, experimentation and new ways of relating. It’s not just for intimate relationships, neither: it works just as well for platonic relationships (family members, business partners, etc) too. The counselling model used is based on tried-and-tested systemic & psychodynamic therapeutic frameworks that have been around for decades (quite deliberately, it isn’t a “latest” or a “trendy” approach to counselling).

Couples counselling also assists couples who are considering separating or ending their relationship, either before or during couples counselling.

No waiting lists – be seen for your first session within a week.

Couple Relationship Counselling.

Portsmouth Couple Relationship Counselling may be suitable for any relationship between two people that is in conflict. Initially we’ll meet in my Portsmouth/Southsea private practice to discuss the process and to learn if the process can be helpful for the couple. If it cannot we’ll discuss other options and referrals.

Relationships that can be a candidate for couple relationship counselling:-

… and you don’t even need to be a resident of Portsmouth … you both just have to be able to get to my practice in Southsea, Hampshire.

An Overview of the Counselling Process.

Continue the hypothesising, theorising and perturbing process upon the focus of the relationship until sufficient change comes into effect so that the counselling can conclude.

How to begin Couple Counselling.

Before counselling can begin, everyone must be able to make an informed decision on if couple counselling (with this counsellor) is an appropriate treatment. We call this the assessment. I have broken down assessments for couples in the following way:

1) Meet with the Counsellor for an Initial session of 50 minutes.

This is a single session where:

• introductions are made,
• confidentiality is discussed,
• the counsellor can discuss how he works with couples,
• the couple can outline their relationship problems,
• every can have an experience of how it might be like to work togehter in couple counselling.

If the couple and/or counsellor do not wish to continue working together, then no further sessions take place.

However, if the couple and counsellor agree to continue this introductory process … or are not quite sure … a further three sessions are recommended as follows:-

2) Continuing an Assessment for Couple Counselling.

In this section of the work, the couple is being helped to find the focus of couple counselling … what will be the core matter that the couple will be working on in therapy.

Session 2: one partner meets with the counsellor to discuss their perception of the relationship difficulties, his or her understanding of his or her partner’s perceptions, and to take a personal history.

Session 3: same as session 2 but with the other partner.

Session 4: couple and counsellor meet again to discuss everything that has been learned in the previous 3 sessions. In this session we are trying to find matters at the root of the relationship problems. Core matters that the couple may wish to address in couple counselling.

• The couple will be helped in finding compromises and supported in disagreements.
• We will try and break out of unhelpful blaming patterns.
• We will negotiate what is … and what is not … to be focussed upon in therapy.
• The couple will be helped by the counsellor’s insight into what he has learned about the couple, his experience training & qualifications.

Sometimes couples need more than one session to agree on the focus for couple counselling … this is perfectly normal.

Sometimes couples cannot be helped because they cannot break out of their conflicting positions … this too is perfectly normal.

3) Once the Focus is Found.

Once the focus for couple counselling is found, there’s a choice:

1. Some couples choose to work on the found focus on their own. They have no further need of counselling intervention.
2. Some couples choose to work on the focus along with meeting with the counsellor weekly.

The counsellor will help the couple decided what’s best for them.

How can Relationship Counselling help?

Unbalancing the Relationship.

The counsellor’s role is to assist the couple in “unbalancing” their relationship. A relationship that is in conflict is not a happy relationship. By unbalancing how the couple relate to each other, speak to each other, think of each other, the couple are helped into looking at their relationship in different ways.

By finding differences, the couple can find their relationship again.

It might be a new relationship and it might be a better relationship … but only the couple will decide that for themselves.

Relationship counselling uses systemic methods from Family Therapy to:-

Preparing for Separation.

Sometimes relationship conflicts can not be worked through. This may be due to one or both partners simply not wishing to invest any longer in resolving the conflicts and wishing to move on.

Relationship Counselling can assist a couple in separating on amicable terms.

Arrange an appointment for Couples Counselling in Portsmouth.

See my appointments page for more information about meeting with me for counselling in Portsmouth and Southsea, Hampshire.

The counselling process is based on tried-and-tested psychodyamic approach, helping to form an understanding of the individual’s personal problems by using the client’s real-world experiences.  Plus, the alliance between counsellor and client in the therapeutic relationship can be a powerful ally in helping discover what’s going on in thee client’s life.

Gain insight into what may be motivating you to behave in ways that are barely understood.  When unconscious material is made conscious, you are offered more choice than before; where before there may have been helplessness.

Who is Portsmouth Personal Counselling for?

Firstly, you don’t have to be a resident of Portsmouth – but you will have to be able to get to my Portsmouth & Southsea consultation rooms to meet with me for counselling (see locations).

Personal Counselling may be suitable for any individual who :-

The first session or two we’ll use to gain an overview of your presenting problems and to discuss if my form of counselling may be suitable for you.  There’s no commitment by coming just to talk with me.

An Overview of the Counselling Process for Individuals.

Continue the process either for an agreed fixed number of sessions, or on an ongoing basis until both client and counsellor agree that matters have shifted sufficiently that the counselling can conclude.

What can Portsmouth Personal Counselling help with?

Some examples of what personal counselling in Portsmouth with Dean Richardson has helped with include (but not limited to):-

What to do next?

Interest? See what appointments I have in my Portsmouth location, make contact with me and we’ll arrange an appointment to discuss your therapeutic needs.

(Image (c) Webb Zahn / Flickr)

Zoom, Teams & WhatsApp Internet Counselling is a therapeutic intervention for individuals seeking secure & remote access to a therapist.

Video counselling process is for individuals, couples, and small therapy groups.  It offers the same services as other counselling offered by Portsmouth Counsellor, but with the convenience of being available from your home or office video devices.

Video devices include: PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, Smartphones and Tablets running Android or iOS.

The software is free to install – or can be loaded via your web browser.

You’ll be sent joining instructions when you first make contact with Dean to arrange an initial session.

Who is Zoom/Teas Video Counselling for?

Overview Video Counselling.

The counselling follows similar therapeutic processes, boundaries & basic service as with all other counselling services:

Zoom & Teams Internet counselling continues either for an agreed fixed number of sessions, or on an ongoing basis until both client and counsellor agree that matters have shifted sufficiently that the counselling can conclude.

For more information…

See https://HavantCounselling.com/video where this services are detailed with more information.

(Image (c) nyuhuhuu / Flickr)