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Choose your own counsellor
Senior Coach
Enthusiastic, honest, analytical, and results-oriented.
Enthusiastic, honest, analytical, and results-oriented.
What is counselling?
Counselling is a form of conversation that helps you deal with personal and emotional challenges. It can provide insight into thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and helps people clarify and achieve their goals.
A confidential space
An important feature of counselling is creating a confidential, safe space. Here, people can freely share their feelings and thoughts without fear of judgment. A counsellor listens, asks open questions, and uses techniques to help you find your own solutions, rather than giving advice.
The purpose of counselling
Counselling focuses on the here and now, with respect for a person’s past. It helps people develop awareness and understanding of their own thoughts and feelings. In addition, counselling works on improving personal skills and strategies to better handle future challenges. In this way, it promotes well-being, self-awareness, and personal growth.
Core values of counselling
Counselling is built on three core values: empathy, unconditional acceptance, and trustworthiness. These, together with the counsellor’s skills, ensure that counselling can best support you with your challenges.
Time to take action
Counselling is valuable when you’ve reached the point where you truly want to change your life. You gain new insights into your emotional issues, and for many, these insights make the difference—leading directly to a happier life!
Counselling for personal growth and self-development
Counselling offers a valuable opportunity for personal growth and self-development. It enables you to gain deeper insight into yourself, your emotions, and your behaviors. Through guidance, clients can work on strengthening their self-confidence, improving their communication skills, and developing effective coping mechanisms. Counselling helps them to better understand their own needs, values, and goals, and to realize positive changes in their lives.
Counselling for work-related challenges
Counselling can also be of great value in addressing work-related issues. Whether it concerns workplace stress, career transitions, or conflicts in the work environment, counselling provides support in navigating these challenges. A counsellor at GORTcoaching can help identify stress factors, develop stress management skills, and explore new perspectives on career development. The goal is to promote a healthy work-life balance and create a positive and fulfilling work environment.
Basic principles of counselling
The core of counselling
Counselling is built on the fundamental principles of respect, empathy, and authenticity. It is a supportive process in which the counsellor focuses on understanding the unique experiences and perspectives of the individual. It is important that the counsellor adopts a non-judgmental, empathetic attitude, in order to create a safe environment where the individual feels free to share themselves and their story.
Trust and self-discovery
Counselling goes beyond just talking about problems. The goal is to help individuals increase their self-awareness, strengthen their self-esteem, and discover their potential for growth and change. Through the process of counselling, people can find their own solutions, explore new perspectives, and learn how to deal more effectively with life’s challenges. It enhances people’s ability to make their own decisions and take control of their lives. Trust between the individual and the counsellor is essential, as it forms the foundation for open and honest communication.
The difference between counselling and coaching
Counselling mainly focuses on emotional coaching questions. A counsellor will work with you to explore the emotional challenges you face and, in this way, uncover the core of your coaching question. You don’t set a goal right away, but instead work towards it. In contrast, a coach will set a clear goal at the beginning of the process and support you in achieving that goal. Counselling is therefore suitable if you have not yet fully identified or understood your coaching question.
Counselling and counsellor are the British-English spellings. They can also be written in the American way: counseling and counselor. The definition of these terms does not change—the meaning is the same!
Counselling and scientific research
Counselling is increasingly recognized as an important part of mental healthcare. Scientific research plays a crucial role in validating and improving the effectiveness of counselling techniques. Such research helps identify evidence-based methods, leading to better treatment outcomes and greater client satisfaction. For example, according to a study by Smith and colleagues (2018), cognitive behavioral therapy—a widely used counselling technique—significantly contributes to reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. These kinds of studies highlight the importance of scientific research in improving counselling practices and promoting mental health on a larger scale.
Smith, P., Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E., & Voshaar, R. O. (2018). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 65(5), 520-530.
Counselling and psychotherapy: what is the difference?
Although counselling and psychotherapy share many similarities, they differ in focus and depth. Counselling usually addresses specific problems or situations, such as stress management, work-related issues, or coping with divorce. It helps clients understand and deal with challenges in the present moment. It is often solution-focused and short-term, aimed at helping the client make specific, practical changes in their life.
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, goes deeper and explores more fundamental problems and patterns. It is intended to uncover the roots of psychological issues, often related to childhood experiences or deeply held beliefs. It can be longer-term and may aim for changes in personality traits or profound emotional healing. Although the boundaries between the two are not always clear, both have a valuable role in mental healthcare.
The psychologist creates a safe and open atmosphere for effective communication and support.
What does counselling offer?
A counsellor helps you with the emotional side of your coaching question. It helps you to give space to the feelings that are bothering you, so you can regain your balance. This not only helps with your inner balance, but also with balance in your relationships with others. Together with your counsellor, you work on dealing with the emotions or feelings that are standing in your way.
Counselling at GORTcoaching
At GORTcoaching, we provide professional, tailored counselling. Our experienced counsellors are dedicated to guiding clients in their personal development and in overcoming challenges. Whether it concerns stress management, relationship issues, personal growth, or other individual concerns, we are ready to provide support. Counselling at GORTcoaching is based on a confidential and empathetic approach, using effective techniques and strategies to help coachees achieve their goals and improve their well-being.
Find the right counsellor at GORTcoaching
Experience the unique proposition of psychologists as coaches
At GORTcoaching, we offer a unique proposition that sets us apart: our counsellors are psychologists who also coach. This combination of expertise enables us to provide you with a holistic approach, drawing on both psychological insights and coaching skills. Our psychologist-coaches have in-depth knowledge of human behaviour, mental processes, and emotional dynamics, allowing them to effectively respond to your specific needs and goals.
Choose the level that suits you: medior, senior, top-level
At GORTcoaching, we believe in the importance of choice and customisation. That’s why we give you the opportunity to choose the level of coach that best suits you. Whether you are looking for a medior coach with a solid foundation of experience and expertise, a senior coach with a more extensive track record, or a top-level coach with deep knowledge and many years of experience, at GORTcoaching you are in control and have the insight to find the best match for your needs.
The right match for your personal style and preferences
At GORTcoaching, we understand how important it is to have a good connection between you and your counsellor. That’s why we place great value on finding the right match. Our diverse team of coaches has different specialisations, styles, and personalities, so you have the opportunity to choose someone who not only has the right professional qualifications but also aligns with your personal style and preferences. We encourage you to explore the profiles of our counsellors, discover their expertise, and find out who best suits you.
Different techniques in counselling
Talk therapy
The core of counselling is talk therapy. This is a technique in which the client is encouraged to talk about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The therapist listens empathically and without judgment. They ask questions, provide feedback, and help the client gain a better understanding of their experiences and discover new perspectives and solutions. Talk therapy can help reduce stress, improve relationships, and promote personal growth.
Cognitive behavioural techniques
Another commonly used technique in counselling is cognitive behavioural techniques. This approach is based on the idea that our thoughts have a profound influence on our feelings and behaviours. The counsellor helps the coachee identify and challenge unproductive or negative thoughts. Strategies are then taught to reframe these thoughts into more positive and productive ones.
Counselling techniques can be very diverse, depending on the specific needs and goals of the client. The choice of technique also depends on the therapist’s style and training. However, the ultimate goal is always to help the client cope with personal challenges and achieve greater well-being.
What kind of questions can I bring to counselling?
You can turn to a counsellor with questions such as:
- How do I get out of this rut?
- I feel down—what can I do about it?
- How can I motivate myself to take action again?
- How do I restore balance within my family?
- How should I deal with emotions that are bothering me?
- What should I do if I struggle to maintain relationships?
The benefits of counselling
Emotional relief
Counselling provides a safe and non-judgmental environment where people can share their feelings and concerns. This can offer a sense of relief and reduced stress. Sometimes, simply expressing emotions can be therapeutic. In this safe environment, coachees can also recognize and understand their emotions, which helps reduce negative feelings and cope with emotional pain.
Improved self-knowledge and self-awareness
By participating in counselling, individuals have the opportunity to reflect on themselves in ways they may never have done before. This can lead to new insights into their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This process of self-reflection and discovery can help individuals better understand themselves and identify patterns in their lives that may contribute to current challenges. This new self-knowledge enables coachees to make changes in their lives that help them achieve their goals and improve their well-being.
Practical strategies and solutions
Counselling provides more than emotional support. It can also offer practical strategies and solutions for addressing specific problems. These may include techniques for stress management and self-care, communication skills, and problem-solving methods. These strategies help people manage current challenges more effectively and better prepare for future ones.
Counselling is a powerful tool for personal growth and change. It can help people feel better, function more effectively in daily life, and achieve their personal goals. By providing emotional support, self-awareness, and practical strategies, counselling contributes to a better quality of life and a greater sense of well-being.
Having difficulty selecting a coUNSELLOR?
Please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re always happy to help!
What does a counselling process look like?
Each counselling process is tailor-made. Together with your counsellor, you will design a counselling process based on your questions and needs. Always choose a counsellor whose approach, target group, and expertise you feel best suits you. In each region, we have multiple counsellors. Each counsellor has a different background, and you can use their profiles to select the one that best fits your needs.
The orientation session
This session serves as an introduction between you and the counsellor.
You and the counsellor will assess:
- Which goals you want to achieve and why
- What you want to get out of the process (when do you feel the counselling process has achieved its goals? What is your ideal situation?)
- Which approach fits best
At the end of the session, you will discuss with the counsellor whether there is a good match. If so, you can begin the counselling process.
The counselling process
During your counselling process, you will work on your objectives through conversations, reflection exercises, and assignments. If agreed upon, it is also possible to take a test.
You and the counsellor will:
- Create and implement a suitable and realistic plan of action
- Continuously reflect on your own goal: are you on the right track?
- After each session, you will work on exercises. The success of the process with your counsellor depends on your own motivation and effort
The counsellors at GORTcoaching use techniques and methodologies such as Motivational Interviewing, RET (Rational Effectiveness Training), Mindfulness, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Solution-Focused Coaching, and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Final evaluation
In the final session, you and the counsellor will reflect on the process. Have your goals been achieved? How far have you come, and what would you like to work on in the future? If desired, a follow-up session can be scheduled after a certain period to meet again and discuss your progress.
Closing together
For business-related processes, you often start and end with a three-way meeting. This is a conversation between the counsellor, coachee, and manager in which agreement on the coaching goal is reached transparently. The situation can also be viewed from both the coachee’s and the manager’s perspectives.
