Welcome to Dragon Heart Therapy
By coming here you've already taken the first step on your journey to overcoming your difficulties, I would be honoured to be alongside you during this process.
“Everyone is capable of growth given the right conditions” – Carl Rogers·
We're all unique and beautiful in our individuality with different values and needs, thusly I offer diverse tailor-made therapeutic techniques to meet those needs.
Welcome to Dragon Heart Therapy
Email: mail@dragonhearttherapy.co.uk
By coming here you've already taken the first step on your journey to overcoming your difficulties, I would be honoured to be alongside you during this process.
“Everyone is capable of growth given the right conditions” – Carl Rogers·
We're all unique and beautiful in our individuality with different values and needs, thusly I offer diverse tailor-made therapeutic techniques to meet those needs.
About Me
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). My registration number is 400230. This means that I abide to their quality standards for qualifications, continuing professional development and practice. I work to their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018.
I am an integrative counsellor whom works in a pluralistic manner, what that means is I tailor make what I deliver and offer based on the individual’s needs, as a quick example I may use CBT, DBT or ACT, it’s entirely dependent and adapted to your needs whilst having a person-centred humanistic approach at my core. Everyone is capable of growth, given the right conditions and my aim is to provide those conditions.
What to Expect From Counselling
Initial Assessment
This is where we get to know each other and I hear your story in more depth, we see if the way I work is right for you.
The Journey
This is the ongoing sessions, however long it takes, you are the knight and I the squire handing you the occasional therapeutic tool whilst accompanying you on your path.
Review Sessions
Every 6th session we’ll do a review session on overall progress, if your journey is complete before that, I advise to have a final review session, this is to encapsulate and cement your progress.
Some people can make the mistake of forgetting what they did to reach where they’re at through therapy, final review sessions help cement this into ongoing self-practice.
What I Can Help With
Addiction
Addictions come in many forms, smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, sex and even gaming just to name a few.
These behaviours are often formed due to decisions made that created an association, often or not serving as a form of escapism from uncomfortable emotions or thoughts. The brain is plastic and can be retaught to create new healthier associations for what drives your urges.
Anxiety and Stress
Theres no such thing as a bad emotion, they’re all trying to tell us something. Anxiety is the precursor emotion to either fear or anger, it’s asking us to be alert, there may be possible dangers ahead.
That in itself isn’t necessarily bad, it helps complete tasks at work or stops us walking in front of moving traffic. Unfortunately, when this gets too loud it can become crippling, challenging anxiety with CBTmethods have been proven to be an effective treatment.
Anger Management
There is no such thing as a bad emotion, they’re all trying to tell us something, anger is the emotion of wanting change, its saying “I don’t like this, get enough energy to make a change” that in and of itself isn’t necessarily bad, screaming at someone or getting aggressive/violent can be, it’s more the behaviour that’s the concern, not the feelings.
I can help with regulating your emotions and coming to better terms with where this anger may be coming from, what it’s trying to tell you. Acknowledgement and honouring the message your feelings are trying to tell you is the beginning of real positive change, over chaotic and destructive change.
Bereavement
Bereavement can come in many forms, be it for a loved one, or something you loved or job you really enjoyed. We all process grief in different ways, sometimes we can shut off, other times we get angry and lash out, others become completely out of character and they don’t understand where or how this change occurred.
Having a safe place to process this grief and finding ways to manage this pain can help.
I believe there are two deaths in a person’s life, firstly the last time they breathe their last breath, then the second when their name is spoken of for the last time.
Depression
Depression comes from the emotion of sadness, this can sometimes feel like it crept up out of nowhere, which is often never truly the case, things built up, or something significant happened all at ones.
Every emotion tries to tell us something, sadness is trying to force us to slow down and take notice of something we lost, be that a loved one, a job, our routines, hobbies or even our sense of self. Having a safe, judgement free place to explore where this comes from and what to do next using some CBT methods can be most effective in helping combat depression.
We all go through life at different stages, you aren’t what happened to you, you are who you choose to become.
LGBTQ+ Related Issues
Coming out, issues around gender identity or sexual orientation can sometimes be a difficult or confusing journey for one to traverse.
Finding the answers one may seek in a safe and judgement free environment can help a lot in self-reflection and managing some of the difficulties one may face on the road to self-discovery.
Motivation
Finding it difficult to get anything done? Struggling with executive function? Are all your tasks piling up and you simply don’t know where to begin?
Having some gentle guidance and a safe, judgement free environment can help give the space needed to better understand or even create the structure needed to overcome this hurdle.
Neurodivergence
I have over 10 years’ experience working alongside those with ASD, ADHD or BPD just to name a few. The world is trying to force a square into a circle and this can be a constant daily challenge that neurotypicals take for granted.
Through my extensive knowledge, experience and personal understanding I can provide a safe environment to help traverse some of the difficulties one may face being neurodivergent.
PTSD, Trauma and Abuse
Impactful experiences that have had a lasting impact on one’s well-being can haunt and affect them in many ways. On occasions one can become ‘triggered’ from a situation that may seem similar, reminding ourselves they’re not the same can sometimes be easier said than done. In a professional, qualified and safe environment, the shackles of the past can be gently removed.
I can offer professional trauma treatment and offer a discounted rate for victims of domestic violence or war veterans that require this specialised treatment. The specific treatment I use is known as the rewind technique.
Rewind Therapy is a recognised treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma which has been around for over 30 years.
It was developed in the early 90s by Dr David Muss and continues to be used as an effective method by trained professionals from private practicitioners such as myself and within the NHS.
Below is just one example of recent research on demonstrating the benefits and effectiveness of the Rewind technique conducted by Dr David Muss and his colleagues. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6279649
Relational Difficulties
In today’s worlds the next craze practically changing each week can be difficult to keep up.
The glory of the internet and all it provides with its choices, can be overwhelming in trying to connect with other people, where to begin, how to traverse this, what went wrong, what worked, understanding your value in all this and finding others that align with you can become a challenging concept for some which could affect self-esteem and confidence. There are ways to help with this.
Relationship Issues
Often or not relationships break down from the simple factor of either party not honouring the others needs, the basic goal during a conflict of those needs being met gets forgotten and it turns into a blame game, there’s an error in effective communication. Perhaps it was simply an abusive or toxic situation.
Are there difficulties around being an overly anxious or avoidant person? Do you
cling too tightly or run away too often? Difficulty trusting or setting boundaries? Easily detaching from commitment with your partner or friends? Struggle with fears of abandonment and avoid being alone? Have you been called ‘clingy’ or ‘needy’? Do you tend to self-sabotage?
Therapy can help traverse these difficult themes, finding ways to honour both party’s needs, to better understand, or to simply have the strength to walk away as well as traversing where your insecure attachment style may come from. How to evolve into a more secure attachment style or simply finding an understanding and acceptance.
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is directly related to your sense of self, your confidence, values and self-worth.
This may have been affected by recent events, or environmental factors. Therapy can help explore these themes and in doing so provide absolute unconditional positive regard, enabling that change of self-image one may be seeking.
Believe in yourself as I will, everyone is capable of growth given the right conditions, therapy could be the catalyst to this.
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is the individual’s belief and capability to execute decisions for themselves. Things like setting up healthy boundaries so your needs can be met and not violated.
The ability to overcome challenging tasks without avoiding them. Overall, it’s the sense of believing in yourself, everyone is capable of growth given the right conditions, therapy can be the catalyst needed for this.
Other
Should your situation be too complicated to fit within any of these categories, or perhaps you’re not sure what it is, you just know something doesn’t feel ‘right’ get in touch regardless and we can figure this out together and put the right things in place for genuine, significant change and growth to take place.
I don’t just want to simple heal and to help, but to arm and strengthen you for future challenges.
Growth begins from within, I can provide the tools, it’s up to you how to use them.
Book Today!
You wouldn’t ignore a broken leg, don’t ignore what the brain is trying to tell you! Difficulties can arise in life and sometimes we need some additional help, there is a strength to be had within that. Admitting to oneself that some help is required.
Thoughts of “where I’m at isn’t enough” “I want more” “I want things to improve” is the first step to making real progress. Within counselling you will receive a safe, judgement free environment where the only agenda is to help you feel listened, understood and promoting your healing and growth.
On occasions I may offer a therapeutic tool that could be of use, based on what is brought to the sessions, I can provide the tools, it’s up to you how to use them.
There is no magic wand to counselling, healing/strengthening the soul takes time, just like lifting weights slowly makes you able to carry more, or running makes you fitter, the more you acknowledge your issues and journey through your process, the better it will become, trust in the process, give yourself that time and space to voice what’s inside.
Client Testimonials
I appreciate your capacity to listen and empathise and understand really quickly my situation. It has been very helpful sharing my thoughts with you. I am glad you were my therapist through this experience!
Thank you very much for your honesty and help. I’ll definitely take to heart what you’ve taught me and am very thankful for your time and care.
Rhys is very adept in helping those like myself, who’ve had issues with drug abuse and a toxic family background. His insights and tools have helped me navigate through a rough month and I’ve traversed the storm in one piece with his support.
Rhys understood very quickly and intuitively my state of mind, strengths and weaknesses, and my needs. He listened attentively and without interrupting and knew how to brilliantly position his questions and observations. He felt like an empathic person which is what I needed. He is authentic. I felt like I would be comfortable sharing my situation with him and my intuition proved right. It is good to have spoken with someone who was young yet wise. I asked him to challenge me and not just lend an ear and he knew how to do that as I progressively came closer and closer to my conclusions which helped. The fact that we didn’t have many sessions speaks to his integrity and professionalism he didn’t see things as a business transaction but was there to help as much as was needed, not more nor less. I very strongly recommend him as a therapist.
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Dragon Heart Therapy –
Tailor made therapy for you.
