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Goldstone

Counselling Therapy and Training
Vicky Cuming
About

About

After a career in humanitarian aid work with Oxfam, I retrained as a therapist to find out why some people show resilience in the face of life's challenges and others experience anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties.

 

I work with clients by offering a warm, accepting and honest relationship within which they can see and understand more about themselves. We then explore how they would like to use that new understanding to make changes to themselves, their relationships and their home and work life.

 

I think that we are formed as children in the context of a relationship and throughout our lives we continue to define ourselves in terms of our relationships with ourselves, with others and with the world. We tell stories about those relationships and when the stories don't match our world well enough we begin to feel anxious and depressed. So I think the task of therapy is to understand ourselves, other people and the world better, to recognise strengths and vulnerabilities and to make changes in ourselves  and in the way that we relate to others, in line with our values and so that we can live a more fulfilled life. 

 

I've worked for 7 years as a therapist in the NHS using a person-centred relational model. Humanitarian Aid work led me to train in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) - an integrative psychotherapy for people who have experienced disturbing life events.

 

I am interested in wellness through connection with our physical self and through being in nature, so I run sea swimming workshops.

 

 

 

 

Counselling

You may be seeking help because you are feeling bad, because your relationships are not working or you feel that you are not living the life you want to. Counselling can help you to understand your problems and also your potential, and strengths.

 

I work with the following issues

Past or current Abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Adoption, Anger, Anxiety, Anger, Bereavement, Bullying, Change, Childhood, Chronic Illness, Confidence, Crisis, Crime, Depression, Disability, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Drug Use, Dependency (substance and relational), Eating Disorder, ‘Ennui’, Uncomfortable or Confusing Feelings, Family Issues, Fatigue, Fear, Fertility, Grief, Identity, Illness, Intimacy, Sexuality, Gender and Identity Issues, Life Changes, Low Self-Esteem, Loss, Mental Health Issues, Neglect, Parenting, Psychosomatic Diagnoses, Personal Development, Relationship issues of all kinds, Self-Awareness, Self-Harm, Stress, Substance Abuse, Suicidal and other Thoughts, Sex and Sexuality, Trauma, Transition, Unemployment and Work Issues.

 

I create a safe, warm and accepting relationship in which you can feel seen and understood. We will understand what brings you to counselling and what you would like from me, agree the aims and tasks of therapy and work on them together. I will review our work regularly with you to ensure you are getting what you need.

 

I offer short or long term session work

Sessions are 50 minutes and cost £70.

Telephone assessment - FREE

 

Counselling
Emdr
EMDR

EMDR (Eye movement desensitisation and Reprocessing is a psychotherapy which has been found to be very effective in treating people suffering from trauma. Trauma occurs when the body is overwhelmed by its own response to a stressful situation and then does not process the event normally to become a memory. Instead, fragments of the memory remain unintegrated in the persons narrative of their life and (when the person is reminded of the original event) are re-experienced as if they are happening again.

 

Common symptoms include flashbacks; nightmares; repetitive and distressing images or sensations; physical sensations – such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling, hyperawareness of threat, constantly rethinking what happened, avoidance or emotional numbing.

 

Sessions are 50-75 minutes and cost £50-£75

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Workshops and training

Workshops and Training

I have designed and led taylored workshops and training for NHS employees and service users. I ran large scale simulation trainings for large private sector employers which combining education about humanitarian emergencies, fund-raising, raising self and team awareness.

 

When designing training, I research and target client needs and then combine both theoretical and experiential elements to ensure that training is engaging and useful. I work with co-facilitators from many fields and training backgrounds. Please contact me to discuss what you have in mind.

Recently

  • 10 week CBT based groups for people experiencing low self esteem, anxiety and depression

  • One day workshop for NHS therapists on creative methods when working with people who find relationships difficult.

  • One day workshop on Stress management - survivors network.

  • Wild swimming and embodiment workshops - http://www.schoolofthewild.com/embodied-wild-swimming.html 

  • 'Surfing through uncertainty' workshops aimed at building resilience to life situations through sea swimming

Testimonial
Testimonials
Vicky helped me to understand why I was having trouble  in  my relationships, why I would somehow create difficulties and then leave. We planned how I could do things differently and she supported me to change.  I felt alright being myself with her - I knew she wouldn't judge me. We even managed to laugh about stuff - I didn't expect that.       
 Craig 40, Portslade
I felt so anxious when I came to see her and she helped me to work out why. We did some emdr with difficult things that had happened to me in the past and they just don't bother me any more. I wasn't sure about therapy when I got in touch but it was so worth it. I sleep much better and I feel like I can be more open with people about how I feel.
Anna 28, Brighton
Contact
 
Contact me
 
If you have any questions or want to be in touch to talk about whether therapy can help you, email or ring me and leave a message and I will ring you back.
 
vic.cuming@gmail.com
 
07850760908
I am a member of Brighton and Hove Therapy Hub
Hub.PNG
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