I am a counsellor and therapist based in Norwich and am available for short, medium and long term therapy work. I am trained in both Person-Centred Counselling and Embodied-Relational Therapy – you can read more about these on my website http://www.darranbilescounselling.com.
While someone’s initial reason for seeking therapy may be a recognised ‘problem’ such as depression or anxiety, therapy as I try to practise it is oriented towards the whole person, not just the problem. I believe our so-called problems have important things to tell us and contain valuable information from our deeper self, which fundamentally knows what we need. Contrary to how it might seem, something must be working in us deep down for us to realise something isn’t working!
Many of us feel cramped by the expectations of those around us or of society in general, finding no easy outlet for our thoughts and feelings. I see therapy as a place where everything about a person, no matter how ‘weird’ or ‘unacceptable’, can be welcomed and explored. I don’t believe that anyone needs fixing, or that therapy should be about adjustment to society. On the contrary, I see it as a kind of ‘anti-social’ space where alternatives to mainstream ways of living and relating can be opened up.
I work with the understanding that human beings are not just minds but also bodies, that we are not just people but also animals, and that we are deeply connected to each other and the rest of nature. For me this feels particularly needful in the current culture, which promotes disconnection from our bodies, other people and the planet. As well as central Norwich, I also offer outdoor sessions in the countryside outside the city, which can help us reconnect with human and other-than-human wildness.
You can read in greater detail about the way I work, and more about me personally, on my website http://www.darranbilescounselling.com. Please do get in touch via its contact page if you need more information, or to book an initial session.