Jan McWhir

Its difficult to choose a counsellor when there are so many different models of counselling. How do you know which one is right for you. The answer is you don’t always till you know a little about the counsellor and how they work. You usually get a feeling that tells you if that counsellor resonates with you.

​I chose to become a counsellor after years of various challenges throughout my life, which has given me many personal experiences, at times painful but have without doubt enhanced my work as a counsellor.

​I ran a business for over 20 years and as much as I enjoyed it, I used to sit at my desk and think how I would like a job that could make a difference to people.

​My chance came when I lost virtually everything, my business and my home. This led me to studying person centred counselling to postgraduate level at University. However, during this process, I realised that there was more to just listening to someone.

​For example, there are areas like depression that do not always respond well to delving into the past and it is not always necessary for us to do this with clients.  I also wanted to be able to give clients tools to support them in their daily lives and to be more solution focused than just looking backwards into the past.

​By chance I came across the Human givens institute here in the UK.   Human givens believe that we all have innate needs that are paramount to our living a fulfilled life.  When these needs are not met for whatever reason things go wrong.   Human givens are about identifying what has gone wrong and learning to implement changes that will empower and enrich our day to day living.

​Sometimes we really need some extra support and guidance to work through difficult times and in most cases, it helps to have a deeper understanding of why we are the way we are and having solutions to support us through those difficult times.

Areas I work with:

  • Anger Management
  • Addiction
  • Phobias
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Trauma
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Panic attacks
  • Depression
  • Relationship issues
  • Work-related business support
  • Moving through life-changing events
  • Change of career
  • Working with Teenagers

Jan McWhir Counselling

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
– C.S. Lewis
“ The biggest assumption about communication is to assume its taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw

The Human Givens approach
Human givens, derives from the understanding that, when essential emotional needs are met and our innate mental resources are used correctly, a human being will be emotionally and mentally healthy.

It is when emotional needs are not adequately met, or are unintentionally misused, that undesirable mental states such as; anxiety, anger, depression, addiction and psychosis develop. For instance, misuse of the imagination – to conjure up the worst possible or threatening scenarios – is a common feature of all these states.

What makes the human givens approach different from other therapy approaches is that it looks to see what is missing, or being misused, in clients’ lives, with the aim of helping them find ways to better meet their needs.

For instance, someone who is bereaved may seek to mask their sadness through drinking, and then try to mask the drinking by withdrawing from activities and friendships, resulting in depression; similarly, someone who is laid off work with a back injury may, wrongly, become frightened to take any exercise and, as a result, not only lose companionship at work but cease to take part in previously enjoyed physical activities, resulting in increased physical disability, isolation and depression. While the symptoms of depression in such scenarios are important as guides, it is the learning of coping skills and making specific life changes that will shift the depression.

In  changing unhelpful thinking styles (cognitive) this will be just one part of a holistic process that involves, explaining the experience of anxiety and depression in a way that normalises it and takes the fear out of it –  helping clients take a different perspective on their situation (through the use of reframing, metaphor and storytelling); problem solving (helping clients recognise times when they are not experiencing problems, what is different about those times, and how they can build on that); teaching whatever skills are required through social skills, communication skills, assertiveness skills; and rehearsing making desired changes successfully (through guided imagery).

​The success of this fluidity of approach is evidenced by research findings that show it helps three out of four clients achieve significant improvement or cure, usually in between one and six sessions.I offer practical help that deals with mental and emotional distress in the here and now.

​Reduce anxiety — generalised anxiety, panic attacks, fears, phobias, obsessions (OCD), lack of confidence or overwhelming stress and pressure can be treated effectively.

break the cycle of depression —  chronic depression can often be lifted quickly and the meaning and joy returned to life.

Resolve trauma — dissolve the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however severe, safely and quickly.

Manage anger — anger disorders damage health and relationships, it can cause enormous misery among relatives, colleagues and innocent bystanders.

helping People be free from addiction – alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, TV and computer games, eating disorders – providing they want to make the effort to stop.

Improve relationships — relationship difficulties are often self-perpetuating because our beliefs and reactions to one another trigger patterns of behaviour which stop us solving them.

When our emotional needs are not met, or when our resources are used incorrectly, we suffer considerable distress and so can those around us. To  help you through this I draw my training from a variety of up-to-date, proven techniques aimed at problem solving.

“Sometimes without struggle, there is no progress”

– Frederick Douglass

It is a practical, forward-focused approach, which concentrates on mastery of skills and understandings that people can use in the future to move on in their lives, rather than concentrating on, and being stuck in, what went wrong in the past. This is the case even if people have suffered horrific traumatising events – using an evidence-based method for de-traumatising people, which in most cases works in one session.

Get in Touch
janmcwhir@gmail.com

FEES

My hours are between 9.00 to 6.00pm weekdays.

​Each session is 50 minutes in length and I usually like to suggest we work on six sessions with a review to more sessions if necessary.

​I charge £50.00 for a 50 minute session.

This can be payable by cheque, cash BACS or PayPal in advance. If the fee is a problem I offer a limited number of concessionary appointments.

​Your employer may also be part of an Employee Assistance programme which counselling services may come under.

​CHANGES TO APPOINTMENTS:

As much notice as possible would be appreciated as charges will be made if less than 24 hours notice is given.

I adhere to the Human givens code of ethics and practice and I am insured to practise.

Contact Details

janmcwhir@gmail.com

www.janmcwhircounselling.com

find us

The Centre of The Hills

6A North Malvern Road
Malvern, Worcestershire
WR14 4LT
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contact us

07713755224

contact@centreofthehills.co.uk